Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-04-15

)eing ana lie ana grown from anOther
Iource, in the midst Of another atmosphere
md surroundings, where this thing is ban
led and branded outlaw and ielon-Who, on
my pretext for any purpose, not only eX.
,use and palliate, but justify aud sustain
llavery; who violate al the instincts Of their
nature, trample on all the traditions Of their
fathers, and SCOT at eli the teachings Of their
mothers, and willingly submit themselves to
the yoke and scourge and do the behests OF
these sask-mastera for such hire as they can
give.
Obi It will forever remain TO me one Of
the most ineomprehensible Of the inscrutable
ways of Providence how-upon the soil and
in the atmosphere Of the North-hoW or
why matter should ever be permitted to
crawl into the Bimilitude Of abased humsni-
~, and become impEegnated with life so
groVeling as to ally and link itself TO this
slavery, and turn and with beslRyered hands
tear open new ways whereby this thing
might march TO new conquests and increas-
ed power And yet that such men have eK-
isted, and did 80 eroVel and 50 ally them
selves, is emblasoned on the page Of already
written history. And it was under the con-
secrated banner OF that "loly alliance" that
marched the fearful events that conducted US
to the present catastrophe. The party per-
ished, utterly and completely in q single
day, that the country might live. The par
ty perished, and most men found their man
hood again.
And yet, although this slavery is shaking
a hemisphere in is death Rgonies, and al
though the great party lies in dead and
scarcely seen fragments in the land, having
passed through thst damnEtion that precedes
death, few scattered and battered survivors
Of its old host whom no judgments can con-
vert and no calsmities instruct, still dream Of
the resurrection Of the party, Of tbs restora-
ton of slavery, of a reconstruction of the old
alliance, ana return Of the old joint power
and glory. We're ever even dreams so pro-
vocative Of sarcasm and ridicule 2 The very
bones of their party are too dead 10 eKfoliate
even, and decent charity cries for earth to
cover them from the gsze Of scolhng men.
As well might q brood Of obscene Insects,
warmed into life In q rotting carcass, dream
of restored life and strength to the dead
monster in whose corrupted flesh they riot.
And yet here and there are runnings to
and fro, and there is q fearful putting togeth-
er Of soft added heads, and terrible plottings
and arTanglngs and rsarrangings of ricksty,
Worn.out, obsolete party machinery. Oh, it
is an absurdly idle and laughtsr.provoking
frce-this reconstruction Of the party. The
great old leaders, where are they2 One pre-
maturely slumbers where the translucent
waters of his magnificent lake break in lisp
ing Wayelets at his feet; and the rest, in the
grand proportions Of patriots and heroes,
march at the head Of countless millions,
whose armed tread trsmple alike on the
shackles Of the slave and on the shackles Of
the party.
It is here alone that puny hands are raised,
and piping, petulent voices CRY out and ex-
claim against the progress Of events, and
propose to reconstruct the party. Ny col
league, IMr. Yallandigham, said well in the
declaration that none OF these men "made
his mark - aud the aside that "none Of them
ever will was sill better.
With me this measure is one of power, and
there can be no question Of that. read in
the Constitutions of our fathers thst the Con-
gress shall "exerciss exclusive legislation in
all cases whatsOeYe- over this District. Not
merely that Congress has legislative power,
but "exclusivs" power; not merely in a few
specified cases, but in Hsll cases whatsoever"
Where is the room for doubt, the ground for
argument, or the excuse for cavil, in the pres
ence of this explicit declaration. 3utwe are
told that the cession Of this territory and
people to the United States was accompanied
BY certain conditions that hedge in and fence
around this slavery, and wall Us away from
al interference with it except 10 aid il, per-
haps. Conditionsi What conditions Where
are they set down, and in what terms
It Is said they ere not written, but i'm.
Piled. Implied1 When, how, where, and
by whom We're the parties who made that
solemn cession foolsf Had they intended
that the grant should have been aecompan-
led by conditions, think you they would have
left their existence to implication2 Never.
They would have been soiemnly written down
and placed beyond cayil, and yet it is in this
very fact that no conditions were written,
and that not a single c0temporaneous word
was uttered Of any conditions, that evidence
only is found that conditions were implied
If conditions had been written, or conld as
clearly be implied, they are limit upon the
exercise Of the exclusive legislation in all
cases whatsoever" and therefore void.
But aside from this plenary power Of the
Constitution, the argument upon the facts
establish these never to be shaken oonclu-
sions The proprietor Of the territory and
sovereign of the people transferred both sb-
solutsly, without reservation, condition, or
qualification. And this transfer was thus
made with the fullest consent Of those whose
lives and fortunes were thus committed to
the new sovereign. No right Of selfgov-
ernment, no right to question or even sag
gest in what manner they might thereafter
be governed by the new sovereign was re-
served to the so-transferred people, strange
and anomalous as they may be. Nc pledge
sf any sort that their status or privileges
should remain as they were was given or
asked. And this, too, when they knew
that the new sovereign would have absolute
power over all. The supposed benefits to arise
under the new sovereign were deemed an
ample compensation for any disabilities that
might be imposed; and this people thus in ad-
vance pled5 themselves to the unquestion-
ing ObedieI very decree Of the new SOW
ereiRn, unlsz 7 should contravene the
laws Of righ, nd humanity, which no SOW
ereign, however absolute, can violate. The
people of this District may not now rightfnl-
ly question the adoption Of this measure
Thus, then, stands the argument: the Con-
stitufion confsTs upon Us ''exclusiVe" power
in 'iall cases whatsoever. This people were
transferred to Us pursuant to this broad power
and with their own free assent. There were
also transferred to rs certain bondmen, who
became our subjects. This measure restores
them to freedom-Ee-establishes great and
everlasting right-and there leave it.
Ingenious and learned men have applied
to this measure the little questions Of tech
nical legality, the subtitle and artificial rea-
soniDes of the books and courtB, and find the
law with us; while others have laboriously
mined back in the dark and crooked legisla-
ton Of dark and crooked men for the last
hundred and fifty dark and crooked years, to
establish, with such luck as God permits, the
rightfulness Of slavery here, and an absence
of power TO thus deal with it have no
i - = u.