The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-02-06

of this Confederacy, looscs his citizenship
by virtue Of that transit and SO completely
is it lost that he no longer has the power to
maintain suit in the Federal courts against
a citizen of State. By that residence and
citizenship in the Territory he is barred the
right to assert his citizenship in the State
which he has left. Nor can the States appear
in the Territories by their laws. The laws
Of the several States have no force outside OF
their State limits.
If then, Mr.. President, the States cannot
appear in the Territories per sc, nor by their
citizens, nor by their laws, inquire in what
sense this demand for equality is made
When stripped of sophistry, it means that
ICongress shall enact laws for the Territories
authorizing one class of their residents to
hold another class in servitude or, at least,
that no law shall be enacted restraining men
from holding others as slaves. Unless this
be done, you complain that your people in
the slave States are deprived of right Of
emigration to the common domain. Ii
would be virtually, you say, giving up all
the public domain to the people of tl,e North.
Now, on examination, it will lappear that this
fs equally untrue with the other assumption.
The ten million people that were residing in
the slave States in 1850, inquire what one
would be inhibited from emigration by the
policy of the Republican party if carried out
lby the Federal Government Not one. OF
athe four million Africans, not one would
be inhibited. Ofthe five and half millions
lnon-slave- holders, none would be inhibited
jnor Of the half million shareholders them
selves.
But we were told to-day that this policy of
inhabiting by indirect means the emigration
of negroes to the new Territories, while the
white pop, lation would spontaneously emf
CRATE, would greatly diminish the relative
number of white people in the slave States,
and increase the relative number of the SER
vile population, until that population would
so far predominate as to enable them to de-
grade the white people to the condition of
the negro, and would remit the negro to his
original condition of barbarism. Now, sir,
in connection with this allegation, allow me
to advert to the fact which was proclaimed
on this Senate floor but ten years since, by
the great men that then adorned this body
Mr.. Clay, of Kentucky, and Mr.. Webster, of
Observation-Disclosures slavery was even then
barred from all the territories acquired from
Mexico, by an irrepealable enactment of the
Almighty in the formation of the soil and
fixing the climate of those regions; and you
admit its truth You admit that it would be
but barren right; that the migration of
slaves in any considerable number to the
territory has already been barred by higher
law than man is capable fenacting. Then,
if the grievous consequences to which the
honorable Senator from Virginia referred
would flow from the policy Of the Rerubli-
can party, they are inevitable, and no change
Of the Constitution of the United States can
avert this result. The sober, second thought
however, of the people residing in the slave
States will convince them CT the incorrect
ness of the deduction of the Senator. You
have now, according to the recent census,
we were told to-day, twelve million people,
and territory capable of sustaining two
hundred million at least. Hence there
would appear to be practically but little dam
ger from the increase of the number ofslayes,
for many years to come.
You say, however, when this fallacy is
exposed, that you do not oppose the policy
of the Republican party iu consequence Of
any practical disadvantages, but because it
is a badge of dishonor to prohibit the migra-
ton of slaves to the free Territories. Ny
only reply to this-and trust it will be re-
garded as sufficient answer--is: it was
not thus regarded by the fathers of the Re-
public. They inaugurated this policy, and
never dreamed that they were humiliating
themselves in the face of the world. Then,
if it did not disgrace Washington, nor a
Jefferson, nor Madison, nor their descend
ants down to the year 1854, deny that it is
badge of dishonor now. If this policy did
not dishonor the fathers, it will not disgrace
l leave this branch Of ths spbjscl. With one
inquiry NOW will this copplaiat. rasAa--er
ne page of faturs histarx.sSTh lowest of
your people in the slave States when they
migrate to the Ter2l0ries are to be protected
by the laws in thevhjoyment of their natu-
raj rights; and it is of that protection that
you complain. Why, sir, if any one of the
meanest people that live within the limits Of
any State should receive injustice within the
jurisdiction of foreign Power, it would be
just cause of complaint; but how would this
nation appear in the face of the world in
complaining that foreign Jurisdictions pro-
tect our citizens. When robbed of its soph.
istry, this is the substance of the complaint
And you declare your purpose to encounter
civil war on this account. On this subject,
Mr.. Clay once said-a | commend it to
the serious consideration of secession Sena-
tors on the other side of the Chamber:
"But If, unhappily, we should be involved
in war, in civil war, between the two parts
of this Confederacy, in which the effort up
on the one side should be to restrain the in
PRODUCTION of slavery into the new Terrific
ries, and upon the other side to force its in
PRODUCTION there, what spectacle should we
present to the astonishment Of mankind,
in an effort. not to propagate right, butt
must cav n though trust it will be under