Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-05


lis master2 Did Il ever occur to gentlemen |
hat the slave had such relations 70 power /
aiGher than the master, through which claims !
1pon him might b asserted At utter vari-
Anoe With the masters clAlms2 know that
witAout question OF argument it has been
conceded that no such relation exists.
am bennd By no such concession; and am
to establish the contrary, and maintain II II
] may. esH -e1at1.I ...-....ar
p Ia our fundamental law, slaves are known
oaly as peFsons-recognlzed as part Of the
great mass Of persons. Does that instrument
erase from them the universal qaality Of fsub-
jeets, or stamp upon them one, inconRlBlent
with that character They are Hpersons
owing service" which is recognition Of an
obligation imposed upon them By another
p0Weri but they themselves are esubOrdinatsd
to the power created by the Constitution,
within which they are brought by apt words
Of description, and this new power may i'm
pose on them obligations inconsistent with
the old. They are ''persons owing service"
just IS are minors and apprentices, and, In
the same sense, are subjects. So far as this
Constitution has created legislative soveE-
eighty at al, 1t has conferred 1t on the two
Houses Of Congress. Il makes them soVer-
eigns over all persons, with no exception
whateveF. The relation then between this
legislature and your slaves, ls that Of sover.
eign and subjects; and demand 70 know
what power Is there on this earth that can
come between this sovereign sad these sub
jects. Do they owe you serViceH They owe
us allegiance. Are they your slaves? Thsy
are our subjects. We are the lord paramount
with the highest title. States alone are pro-
hibited from dischsrging slaves from the debt
of service they are aaid to owe this lmita-
ton does not extend to rs, nor can il be con-
Rtrued 70 come between ne and our subjects.
It would dethrone the sovereign.
This reasoning is not subtitle and refined,
depending on technical and artificial rules
but rests on broad, we'll known principles -
Our right to legislate upon the person Of the
slave, rests on the broad ground Of great
sovereign dealing with his subIect-in OppO-
sition to private despot lording over cring-
ing serf. It is no reply to this to say that
slavery Is older than the Constitution, and
was established By soVereigns not within the
control of that Constitution; because those
soVereigns who as between themselves and
their subjects called these persons slaves,
when, for our purposes, they came TO osurren-
der the mass Of their subjects to our soVer-
eighty, they put in these slaves, not Is slaves
but as persons; 90 that while to them 1.-THE
former sovereignty they remain slaves, they
are to Us subjects, and by the consent oftheir
masters. ifa State can by disabilities with.
draw one class of persons within its borders
/ from our jurisdi ,tion, 1t may another, and
all others, which is absurd. am not here
coutending forpower on our part to abolish
slavery, or any other relation or institution
established by the States. sm only con-
tending for the right OF the sovereign para.
mount to control the persons Of all his sub
jects alike, IN the presence Of which right
all the privileges and disabilities impaired BY
inferior power are abrogated, of course. And
here assert that this right extends TO all
persons not aliens, the subjects Of foreign
powers.
Not onlyOn general principles does this
| rover result to Us, from the relation Of s0V.
ereign and subject, but the Constitution, in
specific terms, confers power for given
purpose, under which we can legislate upon
persons oWeing service" in q manner wholly
inconsistent with the supposed rights Of chs
master or parent.
The eighth section Of the irst article au.
thoriEss Us ITO raise and support armies, y
and ''to provide for organizing, aruing, and
disciplining the militia" &c. This power sI
raising armies, and Of organizing the militia,
necessarily involves the power to designate
what persons shall constitute the army OF
| militia.
We cannot legiSlats upon States; and they
might fail to furnish rs with the requisite
material we do legislate in all bases upon
persons, and may upon all persons. Suppose
NC should declare that ali male citizens own
ing unin0UEabs--a ss44tas ~ fbol SYSIrs "A
$50, 600, shoald constitute the militia what
power could stand between them and thir
burden Or, suppose that We enact that ali
male persons having visible edmixture o.
African blood sha1l--oo@Pose this militia
v-is- e0Gfd lnterpOse between Us and them.
Mr. WICKLIFFE. would Ike to make
an inquiry Of the gentleman. Does he con.
tend that the Federal EGovernment has =
right to enlist slaves in the army of the
United States2 ---
Mr.. RIDDLE. l contend that it has the
right to enlist HPersORs held to service" II
you call them slaves, they are still our sub
jects.
Mr.. WIOKLIFFE. The gentleman knows
what mean.
Mr.. RIDDLE. Certainly.
Mr.. WICKEFFE. Do / understand the
gentleman as saying that the Government
of the United States has q right to enlist
slaves, or persons held to service, in the
ATmy2
Mr.. RIDDLE. l contend that the Gov
ernment of the United States may enlist per.
sons owing service who are subjects. 4
Mr.. WIOKLIFFE. Then do not won
der at the gentleman's letter to his constit-
uents
Mr.. RIDDLE. l am dealing with things
in an elementary way, and quoting the Ian
guage of the Constitution. If fpersons owing
service under that Constitution are slaves, /
answer unhesitstingly in the Affirmative. 1
trine as best lean. AZ
If we were to say legislatively " that all
native male persons between the ages Of
eighteen and forty yesrs shall constitute the
national militia to be enrolled, organized,
and disciplined as hereinafter is provided
these questions might aFise under It. A cIt-
izeR Of Pennsylvania might say to you,
d" That person, whom you propose to carry
away to your camp of instruction, Is my ap-
prentice. These are the indentures, in full
conformity with the laws Of this Common
wealth, which give me 3 full right to his
services and the full control Of bis person for
a period not yet expired, and impose upon
me heavy obligations for his personal we'll
being, which l cannot discharge If he Is taken
from me-" And yet you would march him
away. A citizen of Massachusetts, tells Won
That gentleman is my minor son-of law
ful wsdlock. The laws of this State confirm
to me his person and services until he is of
the full age of tEenty-one years; You cannot
come between me and him" But you obliqe
the minor SON to fall in at drum-beak-
That," says the lordIy Virginisn, q Is my
boy, born of q slaVe mothar on NV nlonte