Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-05-09
is GOVERNED TOO MUCH"
thy with them. and to extend to them all the


So much the better II 10 IL 90. With all
good feeling toward you. and With the be'.
wishes Tor the prosperity OF your States. !
desire that party shall arise and become
msioriiy IN your own States who desire to
abolish slavery. That 10 perfectly consistent
with all | have said On this door. and all
that every member Of the Republican party
ha. aid. that We di.claim any right 90 IN
tsrfere our-eisc. IN your domestic afi,irs. on
that .utfct. Therefore. sir. that argument
falls upon my ear not only without force, 50
Tar q. It i. addressed TO me 40 agains, the
Presidents proposition. but u u recon-
mendation 90 it. IL makes 10 80 much the
better and 80 much the stronger. Tor rs
have said more than once on thu. noor. do
desire o. zee slavery abolished IN this coun'
uy s scJn as may be-. by constitutional
methods. and by those who have the power
to act upon the subject.
But, slr. leaving that subject. the bill now
under consideration proposes the abolition
Of .liytry In this District. Can any man
doub, the constitutional po~rr of Conrre-s
over that suhrc,l Have not We. the Con
gre.s of the United States. the right Ia aSol'
i.h slavery In this District II We see fit! ]
never heard man attempt 90 make con
,ii,u,,onai Argument acains, Il. The lun.
damental law of the .aud !. broad and clear
va neci M excuse IN the .uhcci at all.
Congress. under the Constitution. u gifted
with all po~cr Of legislation over thi. Dis
trict. and may DO anything ~ u that Legs
laiurs- can do IN any State III the Union. un.
les. expressly restrained by the Constitution,
which gives it its powers. and there h.in, q
specific gran, of al! powers 81 legislation IN
this District. and there being NJ restraint
upon IL which would touch the QUESTION. II
follows as matter OF necessity that tile
constitutional power exists. and Il includes
Ne well the power o. vote money. sir.
where DO We get our constitutional power 10
vote money To open the street. and io huili
bridges ~ this city, never heard OF any
body hers in hi. District VIII, objected %
the exercise oi such power-. The people al.
way. seem - think that the constitutional
power ut Congress u amrls o. sot, money
Tor the District OF Columbia Wei. -ir. "
ih. is great public measure, II Congress
has come. or should come. 10 tho conclusion
that the good oi the people OF the District.
and the good Of the people Of the coun'ry
require that slavery should h. abolished, and
should think 10 reasonable that ~ certain
sum Of money should Dc Appropriated for
that purpose. that IL . constitutional meas
ure | have yc, To hear irom any Senator
an argument, AZ ,in., tho con.ii'u'ionali'y
Of the measure proposed, which. 10 nv mind.
has even the appearance OF legal force.
bslieye the pOser ha. been conceded long
ago, and have no idea ol arguing the con
sttu,iona' question over again at this late
day; take u for granted.
Nov. sir. NJ 20 tho other question. the
question Of e,pedicncy and proprie,y. ]
s.h a. say that from the EARLIEST period,
when mT mind VA. brousht 20 bsir on this
question. long b-ior, ! entered C1ncrc--.
aud irOm that time o. the prc.eni, there
never has been moment when. n II had
been in my power, would no, have ahol.
i.bci slavery IN the District of CUlumhia
upon tho instant IA ONE form or another.
\. 10 the particular mode IN which II should
bc done, that Was another question butas
Ia the exercise Of the power wherever the
opportunity should present itself, whenever
it shouli bs possible form the constitution
OF Cungrr-. itscli. lever had . moment.
hesitation, either "a. TO the night oi Congress.
or as to the duty OF Cangre-, - exercise that
right
know that the argument has alway' been
IN OppJ-iilon % II "yOu ars aH,ciins the
Institution oi slavery yO1 are weakening
l,s pOwcr you ars dong something that
Will have a tendency 90 lnjurc It. YOU are
giving an example that may produce evil %
the Institution VI slavery IN the States them
selves" 81 be u. j. there any obligation
binding on me that. IA exercising cOnsiitu'
iional power, IN dong that which ] have a
right % do under the great charter which
| have sworn To support. | should do moth
ins which indirectly might affect the ln.ti
tuition Oi slavery ~ the States Oi the Unlon'
hive sAIi during the last canvass r.
pealsdly, and aided in pa.'inea rc-o'u'
ton through Congrc.. To the ct,ci that the
Object and Iurps; OF this war ~a' not 10
aaect slavery ~ the S,at-. bat 10 uphold
the Constitution aud the law. vi the land
I have -aid At this session that the pledge
has been made ny me tha, the party %
which bclobeei had pledged it,eli that Il
did not come into power and woaId not pros
ecute this war Tor the purpD-, oi aholishins
slavery IN the States aud sad that, - lar
A. was concerned, mean, to keep my
pleise But, sir. did not .iy. nor did the
party 10 which belonged ever say. that II
pledged itself To do nothing that indirectly
might affect the institution Oi slavery. DO
gentlemen call upon us. because We are
prosecuting this war. 20 forget all We have
said. ami all ~e have bcen struggling TO ac-
compl.h Tor years? What, sIr. have We
been struggling for? Ii Wa 10 place this
Government 10 - position where it should
not lend its AID TO the support OF slavery.
Since its formation. IL ha. been devoted to
that Object; and what the Republican party
cOn,enied for. asl understood IL, wa, -
free the Government from the incubu. that
had been laid upon IL through It's unnatural
connection with this peculiar institution.
Now. cir. aro gentlemen ~ Unreasonable
a. TO ask us IN this particular crisis of. our
affairs, and because .! the peculiar existing
state oi things, that We shall inrset all We
! have heretofore said on this subject that
We shall forget all We have tried 10 attain |.
that xe shall at once ignore the question o'
slavery altogether that We shall do nothing
directly OF indirectly which u calculated 10
effect our own purpose, and that cOnsti.
tutional purpose, which we declared long
ago. In my judgment IL asking too much
oi US; and the process Of reasoning BY which
scntlemen attempt TO meet this question. It
strikes me, is hardly fair one. Let ms ask
the Senator from Virginia, (Mr. Wiley. J
tor whom have very great respect. does iI
follow. when We net consiituiionaliy IN one
direction that therefore we mean to act uh.
con.titutiOoaliy IN another direction? Does
IL follow, because No adopt one measure.
that We mean to .dopt another. and diflc,
ent one? Tho honorable senator has con
cocted all the measures before Congress. to-
geth.r, aud hs views them rs parts oi u
whole. ln the fret place. here is the re-
| cnu enb si.r oF ,h. D,a-,d.rs Il, a.. n.x 4