The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-06-02

tabllshed in the territory" These. princi-
Piles were deemed incompatible with slave
ry, and therefore the existence Of slavery
was strictly inhibited. s,r
A lew weeks after the passage Of this or
dinance, which was adopted with but sin.
gle dissenting voice, the Constitution Of the
United States was promulgated By the con-
vention which framed it. It was Supposed
that the ordinance had effec;ually prevent
ed the extension Of slavery It was also
supposed that the principles OF liberty and
equality, tc which tho people of all the
States had so ,lften and 50 soler nlv pledged
themselves. and which had already led to
the abolition pf slavery in several States by
the voluntary action Of the local legislatures.
would continue to Influence the public
mind. and to produce like results, until
~hvery should be abolished throughout the
I land. t4
The Convention. therefore did not think
fiji to confer any express power on the Ma
tional Congress to abolish slavery in the
States bv direct legislation. They recog
nized the fact that slavery existed in some
Of the States, in several constitutional pro
visions; but they were careful to exclude al
recognition Of its rightfulness. and to vest
IN Congress no power to estab ish or con.
tinue it anywhere. Slavery. therefore. un-
der the Constr ution, is strictly creature
Of State legislation. No person, under any
act of Congress, can be constitutionally
reduced to slavery. No person. under any
act Of Congress, can be constitutionaly
held as a slave for single moment any,
where within ths range of exclusive nation.
al jurisdiction. .A.f..s-e
| Some enlightened djnrists in this country
60 even further, and maintain that the Ma
tional Constitution. as it now stands, does
ofits own force absolutely abolish slavery
throughout all the States. They reason
thus: The Constitution. as originally
framed, did indeed recognize by impiica
ton. the existence of slavery under State
legislation as amaier of fact and perhaps
of legal right. But the Constitution was
afterward amended in the mode prescribed
by itself Among the amendments thus in
cnrpnrated into it was one which provided
that "no person shall be deprived of liberty
without due process of law" Now every
slave is deprived of liberty without any le-
gal nrooess. Slavery therefore. is repug
nant to the Constitution. This reasoning,
Iifwe regard only the terms Of the instru-
ment is certainly unanswerable. If we
look at the circumstances of the country at
the time, however. it does not seem likely
J that the amendment was designed to have
the effect attributed to it.
Be- this as it may. we apprehend that no
Intelligent and disinterested person exam,n-
ing the provisions Of the Constitution and
the amendments. and comparing them with
the facts of history, can withhold his as
sent from the conclusion that there has
been no time since the organiz,tion of the
existing Government of the United States
when si,very could , established or con-
tnued by national legislation.
You may ask, then, how comes it to pass
that slaves are bought and sold in the mar
ket and driven in chains through the streets
of theeity of Washington. the very seat of
the national Government? How Is it that
three new slave States have been erected
out Of the Territory of Louisiana, which
was purchased from France. and thereby
became subject to exclusive national iuris.
dictong How is il that slave.y still exists
in Florida, which yet remains Territorial
Government, and derives all it's powers
from acts Of Congress. and can pass no law
not subject to abrogaiion. if disarproved oI
by that BODY? How is it that ships freight.
ed with human oargoes traverse the seas
continually under the protection of the ma.
tional flag ard under the sanction of the ma
tional law? How is it that the National
Gpvernment ITSELF instead Of employing all
its mighty energies and exer,ing all its pow
erfu inanepee in behalf Of liberty and JUS
tice, has for manv years directed it's negot;.
atiops abroad and its legislative and admin.
istrative action at home chiefly to the ad
vancement Of the interests of shareholders
and the perpe'ustion Of slavery 81
| Truth. alas! cnmpels us to acknowledge
the business Of the charges implied in those
interrogations: and the blush Of shame
mantles on our cheeks, and tide Of hon.
est Indignation sws,ls our hearts while we
admit that the Constitution which the faith
ers of the Rapnblc oriaine1 to establish
justice has been perverted, BY a most dis
ingenious and false construction, to the
sanction Of hideous wrong, and the Gov,
srpTnsnt which they ffamed for the security
Of the blessing Of liberty has b.en abasad
for the perpetu,tion Of the curse of slavery.
But it is not difficult to trace this peryert.
ed construction to its source,
Most unbappily the framers Of the Con.
s,itution, expecting the certain and not dis
taHt abolition Of slavery by State leg, slatinn.
determined that representation in the pop
ular branch Of the National Legislature
should be apportioned among the States,
not in proportion to the number of free in,
hahitants in each, but in proportion to- the
number Of tree inhab,t.nts sai three fifrls
OF the slaves. The effsot Of this arrange
Went has been that five slaves have always
been counted as equal to three free persons