The national Republican., 1862-03-25
EMANCIPATION IN 1aE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.

unniDg through a long series oi years, 70 snow ,
bat Congress bad The right 10 abolish slavery
D the District of Columbia. As Senator Davis,
4 Kentucky, 10 bis speech Of yesterday, denied
bis right, We present few more considtra
ions, still further illustrating the right Of Con
,ress to legislaie upon this subject First,
hep-
me ORGANIC Law DEFINES THE POWER or con.
aREss on THIS SUBJECT.
The Federal Constitution was framed In 1881,
to the States for ratification In 1883,
and adopted In 1889 as the national compact. |
Article l, section 8, clause II Of that instfu
ment, rea's as follows:
Congress shall have power 10 exercise lea
ercise y legislation 10 all cases whatsoever
over such district (not exceeding ten miles
square) as may, by ceeslon Of particular States
and the acceptance Of Congress, become the
seat Of the Government Of the United States,"
&c.
This clause clearly specified the conditions,
in advance and alone on which territory could
be ceded and accepted as the seat Of General
Government, viz: exclusive legislation in all
cssss whatsoever"
Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania were
the principal contestants for this honor. The
cesson by Maryland was made on the 23d Of
December, l7ss, entitled " An act to cede to
Congress District ten miles square, in this
State, for the scat Of the Government oil the
United States" and is as follows:
| BE IL enacted by the Representatives Of
this State in the House of Representatives Of
the United States, appointed to assemble at
New York on the first Wednesday Of March
next, be- and they are hereby, authorized ard
required, on behalf Of this State, to cede TO The
Congress Of the Uoited States any district in
this State not exceeding ten miles square, which
the Congress may Tx upon and accept as The
seat Of government Of the United States
The cession by Virginia was made on the Sd
December, 1859, Us follows:
Be Il enacted by lie General Assembly, Tba,
tract oil country not exceeding ten miles
square, or any lesser quantity, to be located
within the limits Of this State, and IN any part
thereof as Congress may, by law, direct, shall
be. and the came is hereby, forever ceded and
relinquished 10 the Congress- and Government
Of the United States In full and absolute right
and exclusive Jurisdiction, as well OF soil as of
persons residing or 10 reside thereon, pursuant
| 70 tut leuUT hUu tutSt VI tur ON sNSuOu VI Wv
first article Of the Constitution Of the United
States"
In these acts Ol cession there can be found NJ
provisions, reservations, or restrictions con
oernipg slaves, slavery, or persons Of color,
The delsg 'tion OF power to Congress by Mary
land and Virginia is as full, absolute, and
exclusive" as the tenor and effect" Of The
| ry ion anl -o
forth 10 the Constitution.
Congress was therefore, made the sole lega
lator for, and umpire over, the District; making
and unmaking its laws and institutions at pleas
ure. Every American citizen, however renpt'
from the capital, holds the same interest tenyre
and responsibility in that Federal hearth-stpn
, as the favored citizen Of Maryland or Virgins
Upon this principle, and with this under
Z standing, Congress accepted the acta Of cessio
, July 18th, 1890, and March Sd, 1891 locate
and established It's metes and bounds, by proc
n lamation Of George Washington, March 30tt
l7ol and assumed absolute jurisdiction Owe
. the District February 9th, 1901, by tin
that The laws Of Maryland, as then existing
should be and continue in force in the count
q Of Washington"
Slavery, being local institution, depender
entirely upon munisipsl regu ations and un
known to the Constitution, could never hav
had local habitstion or nane in the D
!, trict, had il not been created and cstablishe
n by the following tamong o,her) iniquitous Law
l. Of Maryland
The following act was passed by Maryland
in Ills. (P. A. sec. 22.):
WHO SHALL BE sLAvEs'
@ "All negroes and other slaves already im
II ported, or hereafter 10 be imported, into h
!. province. and all children now horn, or here
Il after to be born. Of such negroes and slave
) shall be slaves during their natural Ii cs.'
i This was the law OF slavery 10 Marylan
when she ceded her portion ef the Dis,ric, |
# the United States, and that being the only la
on Ihs subject, slavery here was at an Gu
: , when the children Of the 6rst generation
3 slaves passed away, 80 that slavery, under II
" ~ Maryland law, has long since ceased TO exist
J. HORRIBLE PUNISHMENT or SLAVES
ID The following law was passed by Mary,au
d in 1929, and may he found in chapter g. So
b ton 2:
/ When any slave shall be convicted Of au
,e petit reason, or murder, or Wliul burning
'e dwelling houses, The justices may cond, Il
y sarh slave TO have the right hand cut of; To
Id hsuged ia the usual manper; the head sever,
" from the body, and the b dy divided into fol
=, quarters, and the head and quarters BEL up
ID the most conspicuous places OF the county,
1t ia through s,ch legislation that slave
~, y, has reared iIs gorgon.head in tho very temp
NJ, Of Ameri-,u liberty, and made the holy Dsr
'S Of Washington the synonym OF dcspotism T
CO hearth stone Of freedom, the plaza OF tyrann
No other enactment pertaining to slave
Id has ever been made for tits District, except
'Ts the action or authority ol Copglets 1t is 'r
D" that on the lat Of May, 1920, the Federal &c
Nv .rnnent attempted to devolve this burden
nv nefarious legislation upon the corporation
ID Washington; which, true to it's proslavery
stincts, has passed ol dinancas tina, would d
'ia grace hsrem OF Turks or ooDclave Of can
I'd balls; yet this vast sssemblage oi horrors ml
biz at last, as at first, revert upon Congress- or
ch' Federal Government.
The power 10 enact necessarily carries W