, 1861-02-11

W. oUSc4s1 toos IL ILL. ASANeS F4O
posed, amendments to the Constitution,
the following singular phraaseology is en-
p1toyed: :-.: i y
. That in all Territory now held soath Of taa
Ire, ntither Congress ntr any Territorial Leziala
TIC shea htnee o. Eresea1 the emigration to said
10 this Union sbere that by vtrtne
Of any LAW OR USAGE Of inch 6tats xaila It
shah remain IN Territorial condition n
We cannot know whether the phrase
"law Or usage" was adopted inadvertently
by Mr.. Kellogg or not We will charitably
presume It WIS sn adopted, and therefore
we desire to cal the gentleman's attention
to 1t for the purpose Of showing, him that
the pr<seat Constitution-thc, Constitution
OF Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Frank
lin and 5ay-does not recognize the rcla-
ton OF persons held to service or labsr By
usage. On the contrary, that relation is
only referred 10 aa existing IN states tunder
the &dtes thereof" We deem the distinction
vital one-vital because it recognizes a
state Of slavery broader than the Constitu4
ton of our fathers ever contemplated
Any person who has taken pains to read
Senator Douglas Harpcrs Magazine essay,
cannot fail to o<:feu,ember how wicogently he
applies the language Of the cid -Constitu~
tion in this regard, in his controversy with
the slave-codc gentry who arc now endeav:
'oring to break up the Union. j" Under the
h1s ae,eef," says ME Douglas, repeatedly
and rehemently. Not under tho usage
thereof or the custom, or the mode, or the
prevailing fashion thereof It may be, in
deed, has been, contended that slavery ex-
lists in many of the Southern States only by
usage-that no law establishing g it can be
taund on their statute books. Well, If
they hare not the face to defy Christianity
and civilization by putting slavery into
their own laws and constitutions, what
business hive toe to tinker the Federal Con-
stitation into shape to accommodate their
" "sickly sentimentality?" This, though
matter Of inferior moment inferior to the
scheme for legalIzing slavery in all terri
tory south Of 8d.s0-is emphatica1ly
thing to be noticed
In one Of MIR. Douglas numerous tonics
for healing the body polite, it is proposed
thst slavery shall not be abolished in tho
District Of Columbia, even though every
man, woman and child therein shall desire
ii, 20 long as slavery exists in Virginia.
Whist high and peculiar interest Virginia
may have in the District Of Columbia, after
having taken back Alexandra and all the
territory she ever had Jurisdiction over in
said District we do not see. Morally con-
sidered, it would be just as proper to say
that Delaware should never abolish slavery
20 long as it exists in Maryland, or that
Missouri shall never do 80 while it exists in
Florida. This is another thing to be no.
ticed and reflected upon.
In another Of the " compromises" before
Cangress 1--WE do not recoliect which one),
it is proposed to forever guarantee the right
Of transportation Of slaves " from one State
"to another" The most obvious interpre-
tation Of this c1ause would be the right Of
transportation from one szaee State to
smother, but the language is different. It
proposes to guarantee forever the right of
transportation Of slaves from 5onth Caro-
lima to Illinois as well as from South Caro-
lima to Georgia New the laws Of Illinois
not only prohibit the transportation Of
slaves hither, but ofa1l persons of color,
bond or free. Still, this scheme Is dubbed
a compromise" and we suppose the COM
promisers wil1go it,a1ong with the PROPOSE
ton to legalize slavery in New Mexico and
Arizona,