Year: 1860

continues the President


NOR Territorial Legislature, nor any human
power, has any authority to annul or impair
this vested right


Again, | agree most cordially with the
President. When the Supreme Court has
settled a constitutional question, there is no
power rightfully lodged anywhere else, iu
Congress, in Territorial Legislature, or in
any other power known to this Government,
to annul or destroy it The President is right
in declaring what the decision of the Supreme
Court is; again right in following up that
declaration by the other, that there Is no pow
er anywhere to disturb right adjudged to be
vested by the Supreme Court of the United
States. He continues


"The supreme judicial tribunal of the couu-
try, which is coordinate branch OF the GoY-
ernment, has sanctioned and affirmed these
principles of constitutional law, so manifestly
just in themselves, and so well calculated to
promote peace and harmony among the States.
1t is a striking proof of the sense of justice
which is inherent in our people, that the
property in slaves has never been disturbed
to my knowledge, in any of the Territories p


Property in slaves has never, to the knowl-
edge of the President, been disturbed in any
o: the Territories To that, sir, / cannot
give my assent. Property in slaves has been
disturbed in the Territories. Sir, what is the
whole controversy in Kansas but the disturb
ing of slave property in Territory Yet in
the very next sentence the President contin-
ues:


Even throughout the late troubles in Kan
sas there has not been any attempt, as l am
credibly informed, TO interfere, in single In
stance, with the right of the master"


No interference, in single instance, with
the rights Of the master Sir, has not the
whole disturbance in Kansas, from the begin
ming down to the present hour, been a disturb
anee of the rights of the master When
John Brown led his robber gang triuIrphant
through the Territory, threatening to shoot
down shareholders in cold blood and carry off
their property, was that no interference with
the rights of the master? Why, sir, what
has this whole four years. controversy in
Kansas been about Who does not know
that it was a controversy between slavehold-
ers on the one side for the maintenance of
constitutional rights adjudged them by the
Supreme Court and which the President, /
am happy to say, affirms in this message, and
counteracting sentiment of anti-slavery
men on the other side to destroy and annul
those rights. That the Presidents mind led
him to this conclusion, that this is his honest
and heartfelt belief am not standing here to
question; but appeal to you, Mr.. President,
and to Senators of all parties who surround
me, and to the country, whether it can be
justly said that there has been no interference
with the rights Of the masters the slayehold-
ers in Kansas in view of all the facts which I
have pointed out? Then, the President con-
tinuss


"Had any such attempt been made, the
judiciary would doubtless have afforded an
adequate remedy. Should they fail to do
this hereafter, it will then be time enough to
strengthen their hands by further legislation"


That the Judiciary of Kansas have done all
iEssaeir power to maintain the constitutional
= ITS of every citizen, and of citizens Of
every section, do not pretend to deny. That
they would have done even more, If their
arms had been strengthened by the Legislation
of the country, l am quite ready to believe.
But, sir, do not admit in the language of the
President that, when it shall be further shown
that the judiciary is not upholding the rights
of SHAREHOLDERS, as guaranteed by the Consti-
tuition, " it will then be time enough to
strengthen their hands by further legislation
Sir, it will not be time enough It will not
be time enough to strengthen the arm of the
judiciary when that arm has been stricken
down in fruitless effort to uphold the Con-
stitution and the rights of the Southern peo-
pie 1t is never time enough to pass addi-
tional laws after mischief has been done. And
if shall be enabled to show, as think shall,
in the progress of my remarks, that the law
as it now stands, is utterly insufficient for the
protection of slave property in the Territories,
then shall conclude, contrary to what the
President says, that it will not be time
enough when this fact shall be shown in q
court of justice, but that the time has already
arrived, and Congress is to-day, at this very
hour, at this very instant, imperiously called
upon to pass additional laws


/ will not say that this position taken by
the President and maintained by others IS
taken by one or maintained by the other be-
cause slave property happens to be the specific
kind Of property IN controversy; but this /
will say, that when property Of every other
kind and description upon the high seas or
upon the land, whether within the limits Of
this Republic or beyond its limits, Is assailed,
Is destroyed, or Is threatened with destruc-
ton. we are not told By the President that Il