Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

664 ABRIDGMENT OF THE H. OF R.] Slavery in the District of Columbia. [FEBRUARY, 1835. session, and at the present, similar petitions, Legislature to abolish slavery and the slave from various parts of the Union, signed by trade within its own territories. Congress many thousands of citizens, have been presented must have such power over the District, or, to this House and referred to the Committee on whilst slavery may be abolished in every State the District, and no report has been made in the Union, it must be perpetual here. We thereon to this House. should then have a Republic, rotten at the core, I mention this as a fact only, and do not in- boasting of its fieedom and tolerating the most tend to cast any censure on the present or past cruel and odious oppressions. But if the concommittees of the House. They may have had sent of the people of the District be necessary, good and sufficient reasons for the course they the entire consent of the whole people must be have pursued, unknown to me. But, sir, I obtained. The majority cannot act; the madiffer with them entirely in opinion, as to the jority have no power, no will, and if they had, course they have pursued, and must frankly they have no legislative organ but Congress to declare that, on a question of so much impor- express it. So that by this doctrine, whilst tance, of so great magnitude, I believe it would slavery may be abolished in the several States, have been better for the majority of the com- it must still be perpetuated here. For never, mittee to have made a report favorable or ad- until human nature is entirely changed, or verse to the prayer of the petitioners, and thus until the millennium, when enslaved man will have enabled the minority to present a minority be emancipated by a power more than mortal, report. And thus would all the facts and cir- will all the citizens of this District unite in the cumstances connected with slavery and the abolition of Slavery-! slave trade in the District, and the views and And are the measures proposed by the petireasons of the whole committee, have been tioners expedient? It is believed that they are. published, and seen and read by the American And here I would beg leave to notice some of people. But the petitions are not published- the objections that have heretofore been made there is no report-and no light is shed on the to their adoption. It has been said, by a former dark subject of slavery and the slave trade. committee of this House, that "the question A right " to petition the Government for a must, in the end, unless suffered to rest, be redress of grievances," is secured to the people. productive of serious mischief, if not danger, But, sir, of what use to the people is the right to the peace and harmony of the Union." Not to petition, if their petitions are to be unheard, so. Slavery here has no necessary connection unread, and to sleep "the sleep of death," and with slavery in the several States. It exists, their minds to be enlightened by no report, no so far as that is concerned, under separate Govfacts, no arguments? Have Congress the power ernments, and the action of one of these Govto abolish slavery and the slave trade in the ernments, in relation to slavery, has no necesDistrict? It is believed they have. Of the sary connection with the action of the others. three committees who have reported very Again, it was said by the same committee, briefly on the subject, one expressed no opinion, the question " creates a restlessness in the slave another admitted Congress had unlimited pow- for emancipation, rendered incompatible with ers, and the other admitted that they had by the existing state of the country. Humanity the letter, but denied that they had by the may sometimes fail of its object, and rivet scope, spirit, and meaning of the constitution, tighter the chains it would loose, by injudiwithout the consent of the people of the Dis- ciously interposing its good offices, in cases trict. where it belongs more properly to others to By the constitution, article one, section eight: act." "Congress to exercise exclusive legislation, in Sir, the petitioners claim, and I claim, an all cases whatsoever," over the District. equal right to act and to be heard with any Could language give higher power, or greater citizen of the District or of the Republic. authority? The power of Congress more un- Strange, indeed! if we have only to give, give, limited than that of Legislatures of the several and have not the right to petition "for a States! They are limited in many instances by redress of grievances," wrongs, and cruel opthe Constitution of the United States. To the pression. Shall humanity be told, shall the power of Congress over the District there is hundreds of thousands who have petitioned be no limitation. It is undefined, unlimited, and told, that her and their efforts will only rivet absolute, or it has no foundation and no exist- tighter the chains of slavery in this District? ence. Congress never did, it had no power, No danger of insurrection can or will be feared and never could have received and accepted, in the District. The number of whites is near without a convention of the States, a cession five to one of the slaves, and considerably more from the States of Maryland and Virginia, than twice that of the entire black population. abridging, in the least, such unlimited powers. The excess of the white population, the miliCongress has, then, the same power over the tary, the marines, the arsenal, arms and ammunisubject in the District that the several State tion, are a complete and entire security against Legislatures have in the several States. Several any and all insurrections of the slaves in the of the State Legislatures have abolished slavery District. in their respective States. And the power, I Again, it was said by the same committee, believe, is universally conceded to every State "it is not the District of Columbia alone-that

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 664
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

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