Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-01-24

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man or only property, answer that, within
that State, its laws on that subject are su-
prcmc; that when he has escaped from that
State into another, tho Constitution regards
him a. bondsman who may not, by any
laws or regulation Of that State, be discharg-
ed from his service, but shall be delivered
up, on claim, to the party to whom his ser
vice b due. While prudence and justice
would combine in persuading you to modify
the acts Of Congress on that subject, 30 as
not 10 obkee private persons to assist in
their execution, and to protect freeman from
being, by sbuse Of the laws, carried into
slavery agree that AZ laws Of the States,
whether free States or slave States, which
relate tc this class Of persons, or any others
recently coming. from or resident in other
States. and which laws contravene the Com
stitutaon Of the United States, or any law of
Congrsss passed Il somfonnity thereto ought
TO be repealed. j. 81 Va.
Secondly. Exp1kiancc in public affairs has
confirmed my opinion, that domestic slavery,
existing in any State, isvisely left by the
Consultation Of the United States exclusive
y TO the care, management and disposition
Of that State; and if it were in my power, I
void not alter the Constitution in that re-
apsCk IF misapprshsnsion Of my position
needs 50 strong a remedy, am willing To-
vote for an amendent of the Consultation,
declaring that il shall not. by any future
snsndmsut, be 80 altered as to confer on
Congress power to abolish or interfere with
slsyery IN any State "a ~ Is =
Thirdly. While think that Congress has
exclusive and sovereign authority to legislate
on Al subjects whatever, in the common
territories Of the United States; and while I
certainly shall never, directly or indirectly,
give my vote to establish or sanction slavery
in such Territories, or anywhere else in the
world, yet the question what Constitutional
laws shall At any time be passed. in regard
TO the Territories, is, ike every other ques-
tion, 10 be determined on practical grounds.
I voted for enabling acts 10 the cases Of Or
gon, Minnesota, and Kansas; without being
able to secure in them such provisions as I
would have preferred; and yet voted wise.
". 30 now, I am well satisfied that, under
existing circumstances, happy and salts
factory solution Of the dificultiss In the re-
mAining Territories would be obtained by
similar laws, providing for the organization, !
Ksdeh oresnixaton were not otherwise prsc-
ticable. If, therefore, Kansas were admitted
asa State, under the Wyandotte oonstitu-
ton, ssI think she ought to be, and if the
organic laws Of all the other Territories could
be repealed, / couldvo to authorize the
organization and admission Of two new
States which should include them, reseryingl
tho right to effect subdivisions Of them when
everneccssary, into several convenient States; |
but I do not find that such reservations
could be constitutionally made. Without
them, ulterior embarrassmcnts which would
result from the hasty incorporation Of States
Of such vast extent and various interests and
character, would outweigh all tho immediate
advantages Of such measure. But If the
measure were practicable, I should prefer |
different course, namely; when the eccentric
moys1nents Of secession and disuniou shall
have ended, in'whatsvsr form that end may
comss and the angry excitemonts Of the hour
shall have subsidized, and calmncss once more
shall have resumed its accustomed sway
ovw tho public mind then, and not until
then-one, two or three years hence-Il
shcuid oheerfully advise q convention of the
people, TO be assembled in pursuance of the
Constellation, to consider and decide whether
any apd what amendments Of the organic
national law ought to be made. A Repub-
lican now-as ! have heretofore been mem
Der of sther parties existing in my day-II
nevertheless hold and cherish, as have al
ways done, the principle that this Govern
ment exists in it, present form only by the
consent Of tho governed, and that it is as
necasssry as il Is wise, to resort to the peo-
plesfor reyisions Of the organic law when the
troubles and dangers ofthc State certainly
tsAnscend the povers delegated by II to the
public authorities. Nor ought the sugges-
ton to sxcite surprise. Government in any
form b machine; this Is the most complex
ono that the mind Of man has ever invented, /
or tho hsnd fmup hss over framed. Per
foct a. lths if4ight 70 b expected that Il
will, at least - eiten as once in century,
rsqsi1 ssme modification 70 adapt it to the
changes Of socistv and alterations Of EN-
pires ~
FOurthly, Ihold myself ready now, as al
ways herstcforc, 70 vote for any properly
guarded laws which shall bs deemed necess-
ny to prevent mutual invasions Of States BY ,
sitissns Of esher States, and punish those
Who shAh al and sbct thcm. eiio ssso
Nhx, Notwithstanding tho arguments off !
The salsat Senator Of Oregon, General j
Lana, J, ] remain Of tho opinion that physical
bonds - q highwayp, railroads, riycrsl ,
and eanal4 are vastly more powerful for| =
holding dvh communities together than any
more covenants, though written on parch- :
Il