Year: 1860

lave law, have never hesitatcd to say.


do not now hesitate to say, that think.


the Constitution Of tho United States,


beoplc ofthe Southern States are entitled


Congressional Fugitive Slave law. Hav.


aid that, have i,..d nothing to say in


ri to the existing Fugitive Slave law, fur.


than that think it should have been


bed SO as to be free from some of the OBJ


Ions that pertain to il, without lcssening


Efficiency. And inasmuch as we are not
in an agitation in regard to an alteration


modification Of that law, would not be


man to introduce it as new subject Of


tation upon the general question Of slavery.


In regard to the other question, Of whether


m pledged to the admission Of any more


We States into the Union, I state to YOU


y frankly that would be exceedingly sor.


ever to be put in . position of having TO


ss upon that question. should be exceed.


ly glad to know that there would never be


other slave State admitted into the Union


must add that, il slavery shall be kept


Of the Territories during tho territorial


stcncc Of any one given Territory, and then


people shall, having fair chance and


ar fold when they come to adopt the Con-


tuition, do such An extraordinary thing as
- adopt Slave Constitution, uninfluenced
by the actual presence Of the institution
among them, see no alternative, if We own
the country, but to admit them into the
Union. Fr


The third intcrrogatory is answered by the
answer to the second, 1t being, as conceive.
the same as the second.


The fourth is in regard to the abolition OF
slavery in the District of Columbia In rcla-
ton to that, have my mind very distinctly
made up. should be exceedingly glad TO
sec slavery abolished in the District Of Col
umbia. Ibelieve that Congress possesses the
Constitutional power to abolish it. Yet 20 :
member Of Congress, should not, with my
present views, be in favor of endearoring 10
abolish slavery in the District of Columbia.
unless it would he upon these conditions -
First, that the abolition should be gradual
Second, that IL should be on vote of the ma.
jority of qualified voters in the District; and
third, that compensation should be made 10
unwilling owners. With these three condi-
tons confess would be exceedingly glad to
see Congress abolish slavery in the District
of Columbia, and, in the language Of Henry
Clay, sweep from our Capital that foul blot
upon our nation"


In regard to the fifth intcrrogatory, must
say here, that as to the question Of the aboli-
ton of the slave-trade between the different
States, can truly answer, as have, that
am pledged to nothing about it. II is sub
ject to which have not given that mature
that would make me feel au-
thorizcd to state q position SO as to hold my
self bound by it. In other words, that qucs-
ton has never been prominently enough be-
fore me to induce me to investigate whether
we really have the constitutional power to do
it. could investigate it if had sufficient
time, to bring myself to conclusion upon
that subject but have not done so, and I
say so frankly to you here, and to Judge
Douglas. must say, however, that II I
should be Of the opinion that Congress docs
possess the constitutional power to abolish
the slave trade among the different States, I
should still not be in favor Of tho exercise Of
that power unless upon some conservative
principle, as conceive it, akin to what havs
said in relation to the abolition Of slavery In
the District of Columbia.


My answer rs to whether ! desire tl,st
slavery should be prohibited in all the Terri.
tories Of United States, is full and explicit
within ITSELF and cannot be made clearer by
any comments Of mine. So suppose in re-
gard to the question whether am opposed
to. the acquisition of1apy more territory unless
slavery is first prohibited therein, my answer
is such that l could add nothing by way or
or making myself better under.
stood than the answer which have placed in
writing.