Clearfield Republican. (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, March 30, 1859, Image 1

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.i
J. H. LARRIMER, Editor.
VOL VIM. NO. 26.
Terms of Subscription,
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ifLl.nr time within tho yenr, - . . 1 50
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v
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Drtt three weeks ami Inns than throe months 25
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itoti ler square tor eaoli insertion.
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Insertions desired, will bo continued till forbid
chirjed according to these terms.
J. II. LARH1MER.
tltrt'JJcftrn.
a.
r
Sonnet to March.
Oil wicked Murcb, foul mouth of frost and mire,
Thyself, of wintry iro malignant burn,
Ofsjucs, coughs, andgnunt consumption, dire,
.jlvauDt, with all thy horrors, hence, begono.
Like JudtM, wearing now a smiling fuce,
TIit humor seems like that of genial May,
Luring the unwary to each sunny place ;
' Tft, but an hour, or haply, half a day,
And lo ! thick, chilling vapors riso aloft,
"! ColJ streams along their icy channels flow,
The lord and polilied truck grows thin and soft
, itud pools abound, of mire aiirl melting snow.
Suck is thy smile thy frown so vastly worse,
ij mil despairs to find eullicieut curse.
From tho Home Journal.
Tales of the
BY A SOITI1ER.N
South.
MAX.
THE AVENGER.
' The puroliaso of Louisana by the Urn
led .Slates, from Erance, in ItitiJ, greatly
ktimulated thespiritof emigration through
cut the south. The fertile soil, navigable
alcis, ami ulniost tropical clime and pro
iluctinns of the new .State, invited a rapid
How of population and w ealth within its
limits, especially from the more neighbor
ing States.
" Among tho earliest adventurers win)
ftent to seek a home in the Kowly-ncmii-red
El Dorado of the south, was a Mr.
JI , a native nnd resident of the
State of Georgia. lie wa a
1 lanler of,
moderate means, respectub'e in all the re-j nuir icr in ins eyes, and implanted adeep
lati.nu of life, nnd much esteemed in the I seated, ineradicable purpose to avenge it.
-circle of his acquaintances. Having pur- j Tnongh young, ho posse-scd tho vigor of
chased lands in one of the interior parish-1 will and bravery of heart to form and to
re of the Slate, ho returned to Georgia for i execute tho most daring plan for tlic clo
the purpose of raising' fundi to i.v for i lection nnd punishment of the assassin
tlliin.and tn innkp I Jin tirpiimimirv nv.
'rangments for removing his family to his 'he 'se called for the infliction ol the ret
'Sei home. It was generally known j ributivc blow by his own hand, the guilty
throughout the neighborhood n't his resi..; should, if ever, be punished. Thus the
Uencii that ho hid bought hindi in Louis
iana, and was soon to return with the I
mtmey to procure titles to his purchase, j
The nocenry preparations for his do-
r''ure being completed, Mr. M
not out on his journey accompanied by his
xn A. , then 11 youth seventeen
jours of age. Poth were well mounted on I
good horses tho overland tinvel to Louis
-unahaving to be performed in that day
all lha way on horseback. 'J'ho father
was provided with a brace of horseman's
'Itoln, and wore next to his person a belt,
impermeable to perspiration and moist
iw, in which the jiurchase money to pay
for bis lands was depositod and carefully
wed up. I he grew older, and lost none of its ltiten-
'lie route of the travellers lay across tho ' sity by his greater, geographical inopin
prosent .Sl-ates of Alabama, ard Mississippi, quity to the scene of tho murder which
nicli were then embraced in the Mi-sis-
"ppt territory. The country was compar
atively uninhabited except by Indi an.
A few 'traggling settlements of w hites,
w eu here and there, the surface of the
. wilUtrnt-ss, and gave shelter and direction '
,'o.uea.ivcnturous travellers who visited
passed tlu-ongh the rountrv." The In-
.1-
.ns were noAoralllA
whites, tendaring a ready welcome
'w-io sought the hospitality of their
M and his son passeil safely,
and without adventure of nnv kind,
inrwigb tho territory of the present State
'r baiun, and had entered a densely
ooded section of country now embraced
m Leake count v Tir;;!,.; n-. ---
. "-ing, in the forepart of tho day. some
11H 11 p? r"il't' the f)ltllr ln front
" tho son imilliilmli.lv in ln l-njir tt-hen
"0 men sndilniitu mai.,n.l IVm-i n tl. !..!.-. 1
'Jr. -"-dergrowlh on tlio margin of the
T" "lly were pursuing. They werenrm-
rw"n muskets,, and had their faces
WCe"UO(l hilt. Itmi- unnbtuail l.on.la
Wl thorn ir. I, 1
.; Huue noar to Mr. M , a liltlo in
"ance of his position in the trail, and
th J. 10 olio 81,Je. As soon as ho saw
a,v"-'ne their pun.oso. . b
xjn In . .. -. . . - .. .
9 lo dusninimt
. . k WJ VJI IFUI iri'nu. A. - 1 If-t .
.i 'ii.t:iii 11, a ...... I ... ninoiimiiinuiiii n i.tiia ri rrn liiirv en 11
. ' "e conjectured. ntlnrAtliAwilvnrtiin
Jv, coTuVctured, toplncethebody ol'tho
W,.alhlti-:or.n l.i .1 .1 I K-... ..
"UOtl
ti!? n?ft favorable lo defensive opora
ll II 111 I Hill 1 LIIM lUUIiTII L
Im 1. pw'ols. lie had scarcely
. n .lus body, in the net of tlismount
l?' Whe" one of the robbers discharged
musket. ti,
n.. 1 1 v iva-i I'lbocuv-L 1 ill vum
.... -:v
ffrAt.k 1 ----- , ii iiu mil iu tiio
i. r.it i 11..
rP' PPi-feotly dead.-The other rob
koi 1 16 np"'-tiine, had ket)t hid gun
J Pd Rt A. M . tl.reato .intokill
j. " h either ndvaneed or nttemptcd to
r" "capon. An soon n.Vjiis father fell, '
AH
u rnol l, horse and fled in the direc-
"ii7 iiiui conic.
fl.nVV? W"n J"" '"M tO Wllilo Set-
tienmit. jV Kr i. . i
hope of revenue and tho f. l- . u
rode ivit I, ? , ' , 0t Pl,rsu".
r cite 1 1 ed . , i ! u s and noon
, U'ol'ouso ho and his father had
" j t mo nipit belore. Tidings of
tho
il,.oi,l. ,. .. .V, . ' -I'leao.
...v aiiurucr 1111(1 ITil.li. 1
"f-'ii tne set omont.
gi tlier iU entire male pojnilati.iii. Arm-
- ...... provwed with implements to in
ter the body of Mr. M , tl1PV speodi-
i?iiC t,ou,.ortl-uPt "heroic had been
Killed. J hey fuund the body in tho samo
place, and nearly in the same position, in
which it had fallen. The pockets had
been rilled of the money a Miiall sum
reserved to defray the expenses of the
journey; the pistol.", u set ol silver sleeve
in f t .. ,....i ,i ...
, ...
I " out u-e person or carried
"Mwti.ii.-., uilll SUI11C K1111111 nt't 11-I...1 it-.,.t.
in the nock.
.-, niTu uiso missing, nut liie belt, com.
laining a large amout of money, was un
touched, the robbers having failed to dis
cover it.
A rude grave was dug, nnd tho body,
still warm but entirely lifeless, wus placed
in it, und covered over with turf. The
spot was marked, for future recognition,
by deep cuts upon the nearest trees, and
is indicated, attliisdas, by u handsome
monument, roared, in after' yt niv, by the
filial piety of the bon.
After the burial, seach was made for
traces of tho robbers. Except in the im
mediate neighborhood of the spot where
the killing occurred, no signs of their
. . i . .. . . -
presence not even ol the way by which
they had come nnd departed could be
discovered. Upon tho left breast of the
white vest worn by M , the full impres.
sion, in blood, on the left hand, with the
ring finger shortened to tho lirst joint,
was distinctly visible, and carefully no
ted by all present. No other mark or
impression could be seen upon the clothes
or traced ujkjii the ground, beyond a nar
row circle immediately around the spot
where the body lay. Pursuit being thus
impracticable all idea of it was abandon
ed. The company returned to the settle-
mont, and A. M , having sold his
father's horse ami oquipmontsfor a fail
price to one of the settlers, went to GcOl-
! gia.
j Tho events just described, made, of
j course, a vivid and lasting imptv.-sion up
I on the mind of A. M . The sudden
ness mm bloody issue of the assault the
assassin unfairness of the attack, which
left his father no chance for defence, and
himself no opportunity for assistance n
suspicion thut the perpetrators of the
murder were from the same section of
Georgia ns h:s father, where, perhaps,
they had learned the facts which fired
(heir avarice and inspired the diabolical
Ian for gratifying it above nil, the un
timely loss of n parent whom he trrently
venerated and ardently loved all these
circumstances nggra ated the crime of the
slavers of his father, lip fell, indooil licit I
spirit ami me purpose ot tlio Avf.nuf.k en
tered into his soul. With what vigor
they impelled, and to what issued they
conducted, the progress of the narrative
will disclose.
I Having atfained his majority, A.M.
removed from Georgia to Alabama: mar
ried, settled upon a plantation of his own,
and become an assiduous and prospetoiis
I planter. Put theie changes in his outward
conditon wrought no change in his inward
I resolution. In strong and inflexible na
i lures, and such was his, a fixed purpose,
of any sort, loses 110110 of its vigor with
the lapse of time. The desire to avenge
I his father's death rather Rtrentrtheni'd ns
lus removal liom Georgia to one of the
western counties of Alabama had mod a
ced. Amid all the incessant activities of
his planter life, tho memory of that ror
rid scene of assassination in tho wilder-
ness still survived, undimmed in freshne
l.n.l In.iir..l.L .!. I! , ,.rl.
liiiu iiioi..inji; II1U lllll illJlUII IS Ol lOt-
SOU! upon which it was impressed. Tho
unavenged blood of his father seemed to
bo evermore crying from tho ground, and
demanding expiation for the treachery and
murder by which it had been spilt. To
avenge it remained still the cherished
purpose of his life, made holy to his heart
by filial reverence, and approved to his in
tellect by the precepts ot that unwritten,
perhaps erring, code ofellncs which teach
es that tho child is tho natural avenger of
the blood ol tho parent.
Jiut at what point lo begin his detective
inquiries, and bv what means to prosecute
tlioni. rein.iinodi.til1 ns it. bod boon from
the first, nn apparently insurmountable
uiiiicutiy in tito case, ror an the ordina
ry methods usually employed lor tho do
lection ot criminals had been already
tried. Howards, ollicial and privite, III
I eral In amount, nnd accompanied with the
best description that con fd be juivon of
tho murderers, had hoen ollerod lor their
nirr(iionHinn. IVrKfiiinl KMin-li hof-ii
I I ' ------ -- " - -
tiiruous to the tdace of assassination. In
ouirv had been pushed, by means of let
ters and handbills, into every more distant
locality likely tobetlio resort ol the
criminals. Put no tidings of them bad
been received. Year after year passed
by ; the balfied inquiry still went on, and
all but one had forgotten, or ceased to feel
any interest in the atrair.
After such repeated nnd prolonged
failure in the use of every availnblo means
of detection, llio best, in fact nil, that A.
M could do, has alicutly lo await
imi
"EXCKI.SIOK ."
CLKAKF1KLI), PA. WKDNKSD.W MAKCII 30, 'mo.'
tho development of time, tisirg every pre
caution ho could, to not
closures which wore calculated to lead to
a discovery ot the murderers. With this
view ho read then-ports of criminal and
police courts, the confession of convicts,
accounts of murders and robberies, proc
lamations of .state executives, otl'ei ing re
wards for fugitives from justice, published
catalogues and reports of penitentiaries,
end, in fine, the whole mass of thoe mul
titudinous publications of every kind
which compose the ciiminal literature, so
to speak, of the country, lie had full
faith in the adage, that murder will out,
and felt that the justice of Heaven itsell
was pledged for the ultimate detection
and punishment of theslayers of his fath
er. And, therefore, it was he continued,
through the long years of lail-ie. to be
lieve and assert that he should live to see
retribution overtake them at last.
A. JI was now a middle-aged
man, with sons and daughters growing up
around him. Two .States had been carved
out of the Mississippi territory, nnd ad
mitted into tho Union. The' wilderness
and the Indians' had disappeared from
both. In the one, tho wild moss was
waving, rank and green, over the grave of
the murdered father; in the other dwelt
the imforgetting son, palicntlv awaitlm.'
the coming of tho day ofretiil.tition for
the slayers, and losing none of his faith in
the wisdom and justice of l'n idem:.-, bv
ine delay (.1 its advent.
This strong faith of A. M in a ret
ributive visitation of Providence epon the
L'liilty, even in tho present world, was not
the result of any peculiarity in hi- mond
organization ; nor is it at ail irrational in
itself. All who observe and r lied much
see, and, therefoic, believe, that n ju t JW--ing
governs the world, and rules hi tho af
fairs of men. Reason alone would con
duct to the conclusion that this ju.-t l'.eing
must so order his moral aii,iiii-.(rat:oui
that guilt and expiation, iiniocet.ee and
immur.ity from penal intlietion, shall not
often, or even for any great li-n.-tli of
time, be dissociated. A-ide, however,
from tho deductions of riii-n, there is a
divinely-given nnd ineradicable instinct
of humanity which demands ilmt crime
shall be punished, and whisper-- evermore
to the heart that the relributive biow,
though ofttimes long suspended, is sure in
the end to Tall upon the guilty. Memesis,
avenging furies, s-nd w:rath'ful Heaven,
what are these, nnd all similnrcxprestions,
whether Christian or r.ncan in onVin. but
embodied utterances of this instinct, pro
claiming the supremacy of law, the divine
superintendence, and the amenability of
guilt to punitivo visitation. It was a stri
king illustration, how ever, of the strength
and activity of this common attribute of
our nature", that A. M should so
long, nnd utuW so many discouragements,
have clung to the belief that merited pun
ishment would overtake the assassin
murderers of his father, and that he should
live lo withers, perhaps to inflict it, him-
sell.
The truth of the naiativo requires that '
e siioiuo pasB over nn iniervul 01 manv
years, spent by A. M in the quiet
pursuits of his planter life, and the dili
gent scrutiny, in tho manner already
mentioned, of the annual criminal calen
dar of Alabama, Mississippi, nnd seveiul
of the adjoining States.
Continued next c-o--.
Mason and Dixon Line-
Many persons are ignorant of the orij
m 1
of Mason and liixon's Line, and think it ;
was established ns a separation H.rtt.on .
tha free nnd t-Iavo Slates. It ori 'inated I
bv the nrrnnscment of a dispute between
m. i cnn aiei i,oru Baltimore, begun as
early as 10S2 w ith referenco to tho boun
daries of their rospectivo grants of land,
now forming the States of Pennsylania,
Delawaro and Maryland ; Lord Baltimore
claiming to, and including (ho -P'th degree
ofN'orlh latitu.ie. Theea'o was brought in
to the English Court of Chancery, and do
cided nL'ainst Lord Baltimore. Put the
commissioners appointed to mark the day, stopped at l'unta Passu, nnd reeeiv
boundnries failed to agree, and after fur- j c'- M passengers the last of the Florida
ther litigation and delay the matter was '' Seminoles that wiil ever emigrate to the
settled by mutual ngieemcnt between the ' est. They were ubout seventy in mini
surviving heirs of tho original litigators, 1 ber, twenty of whom arji warriors. When
and in 1071,1 Mr. Charles Mison, of the ! "1C steamer touched ot l'unta Iiassa, the
lioyal Observatory was sent to lVunsvlvn- j Indians were willing and even eager to get
ma to measure the degree of latitude. This
duty, in connection with Jeremiah Dixon,
be accomplished established tho famous
Mason and Dixon's Line between the pre
sent. State of Pennsylvania on the north
and Maryland on the south nnd mnkiiig
his report lo the lioyal Society of London
in the year 1770.
Advertising. The Philadelphia Pullo
in, in some remarks upon advertising,
very justly remarks :
Discontinuing advertising is like taking
down one's own sign. It is a sort of inti
mation of retirement of business, and tho
public treat it ns such. Or they may re
gard it ns evidence that something has
gone wrong, which require pi ivaey for in
vestigation. Whatever construction may
bo upon it, tho result is disastrous. Now,
wo advise all our readers who may have
fallen into the common error of tho sea
son to come out of their holes, to put up
their signs once more, nnd to advertise in
ns many papers ns they did in the best
times. While business creates adverlising
it is equally (rue thnt it creates talk nnd a
stir in business circles and reminds men
that they have no right to be leading
drone's even in the worst of times adver
lising always pnys well, nnd the more of ii
there is, tho greater will bo (ho circulation
of money, nnd the sooner will ho restored
a condition of prosperity.
.Tons Nkai. soys "the eagle hns a con
tempt ior all other birds." The owl,
however, is more onleniptuous still he
hoots at everything.
lipMicw
lr.ATii or the Victim or a Lkuai. "Eu-i
koii. 'The ;..,,,, TnwUn-'s Pan's corres
pondent, under (Into of I'ec 30, furnishes!
the particulars of tho death, at. tint ...n-lv I
T ,UI uiiny-su, ot ono who, though vu.'
tirely innocent, sutTered seven veais' i:i
prisonineni in tho galleys, on a charge of
uuiiiiei nun arson :
i ms week earned to the grave a brok.
nuiKS mr lite, as being guiltv of murder
and arson. lie was in the hulks, treated
as a convict for seven years, when it was
discovered that hewas (fimviioftho crimes,
the true culprit having con jessed his guilt.
Thegovcrnnieiitdid everything thev could
to atono for the error: they made him
chief commissary of administrative inspee
tion of the Southern railways, and gave his
father a tobacco seller's T-iaeo : but seven
years of agony, seven year? spent in con
scious innocence and proclaimed guilt are
too heavy trials for human nature, and
tne unhappy man died a dav or two ago,
only six-and-thiitv venrs old ',,,,1 rU-
years suico Ins liljcration.
""-'V. JU1lill(-3 Jill 1 til IM-iV.M.ni in
France, where tho ciimimd nraclice is
very imjierfect, nnd the ju-lge is made the
prosecuting Attorney. Put the French
hold it better that ten innocent shnnld
stiller, than one irmlt v man shout, I "
, Cakkvi a ?teamiioit OvKiti.Axi, to Ur.1)
..ivr.it -A writer m (he St. Paul M;, ,.
., dated at trow u.g, says :AI.ut
Cakhvim.
I
tne flh nisi, the work n lakin.r 4 . 1 . , .
ihe Anson Northup, and .u paring the
frame of '.ho new boat, was commenced ;
and to-day, the I'Jth of l'tbruarv, the
w hole of the portable fi ame of the boat,
tho boiler, engine", machinery, and toois,
amounting to more than fifty tons ()
height, b. .'ides . stores and baggage of the
men, ami hay for the teams are trudging
away with their load over the prairies, and
through the pineries toward the lied liiv
er of tho North. The boiler and (ho hea
vy machinery must bo hauled on runners
the distance of one-hundred and sixty-live
miles. Tho new portions of the boat will
be taken from Swan liiver, one bundled
and ninety miles. The new bout, which
is to bear the appropriate mime of the P.
oii"er, is to be one hundred feet long,
twenty feet beam, with a depth of four
feet in the hold, and is calculated to cany
from seventy-live to one hundred tun:- of
freight. Tho train is reoonipanied by
about forty teamsters nnd mechanics, w ho
will commence work ns soon as they roach
the Ited liiver, nnd the boat will probably
be in running order by the first of May
The road ii good as fir ns Otter. Tail City,
and teams have been through to th" lied
liiver dining the pa-t week, so that the
track is prolably well broken all the way.
Masvji'eraders i Mii.WAt Kir. A cie.it
masquerade ball was given in Milwmtkio
about a week ago. The X.'vS of that eitv.
llic course of an article describing it,
savs
"One gentleman fell in love with hi
own sister, w hile another :111m dnuc.-.i, talk
ed, and promenaded tvi'liu gentleman in
woman's dress, three bonis, in the vain
hope of finding out who the dear creature
was. One young man look his mother to
the supper, and great was the surprise of
both on learning how mattcis stood. Ouc
of our leading merchants gave his ring to
a young lady if she would raise her mask
that lie might see her features, when it
Ma,s llls M,I(T' wl' '"' suppose.! was
at home with the toothache! Two gentle-
? " a .,v:"',n Uispute as lo who
certain young ladv w ith a black domino
I was, and after making a wager of two bot
itles of champagne, found out that the
I young lady was the younger and mischiev
ous brother of the losing party."
Departure or thk Seui voi.es i iiom Flo
rida Tho New Orleans True Delta, of
the 22d of Februarv, savs: "The steam-
ship Magnolia which arrived here vester
I0" hoard A lew hours belore that thev
were exceedingly dissati-ln-d, and mani
fested considerable opposition to leaving.
It required the utmost tact of Col. Hector
to induco them to await the comingof the
vessel. Had she not arrived at the ih-sig.
nnted time, they would havo lioUken
thf-ni to their canoes and fled to the jun
gles of tho interior. The few Seminoles
that remain in Florida Sam Jom-V band.
will scarce a.'-ain bo heard of. They are
engaged in digging "coonsie,"(nrrow root)
for co. tain traders on the eastern coast.
Ur.TiRFMKXTor Grxen u. Hors-rov. This
veteran hero nnd statesman has closed bis
i i ... i'.. i ii-.... . .. . .
ong nn.. eve,,, ,,, puniic career in 1 ,
hcMvnsa volunteer in .laekson's nr.nv in
the Creek war: more thnn for v fmr.-m,i
was a member of Congress; then Governor
of Tennessee, which ollioo he suddenly re
signed to take up bis residence among the
i i- i i i i ., . .1..
Indians, nnd adopted their modo of life :
afterwards, in conformity with a nlea for-
mod by himself ami General Jackson, he
nnd annex it to the United States, which,
utter encountering the greatest difficul
ties, and overcoming every obstacle, he ac
complished their purpose, nnd Texas be
came a State Previous to the nnnexntion
ho was President of Texas, and since that
time has represented tho State on the floor
of the U. S. S enale.
IVroi.OMixt, in reply (o a serenade at
Troy, said : "Shcntlemon : I am veer
mooch obligee for P.s toonipleuicnlz. 1
am veer pooro speak Ah'li-h, unt ( feels,
Mileepy. )
Speech of Senator Bigler
OX THE QltsTlOX or
Slavery in the Territories.
Jvltrered tn the Senate of the U S '.-, "t
1H;V.I ' '
luring the discussion of tin Appropri--ion
bill, in the .Senato nf tl.n i:,.;i.i
ation
States, on the 2:id ult.. Senator Ml
Upon this OUOStinil Sennln Hi
i.kr spoke ns follows :
Mr. Picsident, I shall occupy tho time
ol the Senate for a very few minutes, and
indeed, sir, J regret the necessity of saying
any thing on this occasion.
I think it was on the 2d of July, lS.lt.,
about 0 o'clock, in tho morning, when the
Senator Iroin Illinois (Mr. Trumbull) pro
posed an amendment to what wai known
as the loomb's bill, in which this ouestion
of the power of a Territorial Legislature
over the subject of slavery was raised, and
lor the lirst time presented to my mind
.... " .. , ",L Jl1 ;
i"i piacticai consideration. His omend-
ine tho view of
j - aii.T rmtJfLV.
ln that occasion I exnresced lUm.i,.
1011 that, by the Kansas and Nebraska
policy, the whole question of slavery in
the Territories had been referred to the
people, and that they, through a proper
law-making power, could control the sub-
p-ct : but at the sumo time, I held, as I
believe it had been almost universally held
- .y the friend of the Kansas policv, that
the question was a judicial one; 'that it
, "as ma one ior i. ongrcssionni decision;
that it must be decided by the Supreme
j Court of tho United Slates, and not by
, Congress; that Congress had conferred
j upon the people whatever power it posses
sed over the subject under the constitu
tion; that as lo the language of the Kan
sas Nebra-ka act, there c- uld be no tlill'er
ence of opinion ; it was explicit ; nnd the
only question left for decision was, w hat
measuic of power docs Congress possess ?
jTbat question was necessarily a judicial
one; and thnt was the very question, to
gether with that ot the rights ol slave
owners in the Territories, which it had
been agreed should be taken from Con
gress and referred to the Court
I was anion-' those who held the onin-
j ion that Ihe people of a Territory, through
j their local Legislature, under the language
ol" the Kansas law, had the power, if not
the right, to control the question of sla
j very. I say jmvef, if not the right because
there is a clear distinction between the
right nnd power of a people. They may
have the power to do th it whieh it is not
their right to do ; and in this connection
" ?, J ' . L:" '! "ne,?
i V, " - ' "I'"' ' .Ior 1 j a question of this kind for a practical end
take it, the question under discussion is L.i i ,. .. n prw uai end
more ono of legal right, lhan ono of tholjV ' L ?" Dcm?craV,C inendm
power of a majority, or the power of a'irVn ' ,-y .U- lh? Mfn,,euc''
people 1 ur 01 n;0! the Democratic pirty in tho North, a-,
The,"o is cerlainlv a very clear dislinc ' -V? m ftscc,'den7 f -hat orgoni.
tion between Intervention bv CW-ros to ! T, , mform,y - -heir
establish or abolish slavery in a Territory ) , l "-.not to force unne
or, if you please, to influence in any way I iTJ, '-"c-of this el.nrac.cr ; for the
tho question of its expediency, nnd the ' , 'l v.ll be even more inju -exercise
of the power of (Jon,ress to exe i V T be ik h of the
cute, a right established bv ii' decree of jn":lM ""' n, ... . .
court. Am. against all Cong.eJonul ,,- L ,T. lall
teilerence to encourage slaviav, or to ex-1 ""J V FT? U "I"1 h
tend, or to restrict, or to maintHh, the in -' "0 Vj ' X " '"os that 1
stitution against the will of the people of 2 1 , L ?-T . l-he eWW oi
a Territory" We have agreed to lea o all i "ny ' ,ew.w,,,ch 1 f 'tertain. What I have
que,. ions -that may arise as to the instil u" '"11,rf8Sed' WCrC 1,0hU of V'0 mo
tion in the Territories, to Ihe people and ' 'f i"' "7-Cr?r01l1 n'"1 a.
tho rolll.ts. 1 1 " for i anticipated no such debate as that
tfti, to r.r i -..... .. ...
impaired, his romed
j. .ii,- m.iiiooi nnv eni.eii ok seriously
.....:.. i i : f.. . .
.. . . i ' . i .. .
o...i;',M,
i lira onniTQ nmi
hul iii v oiiiiiess ; uui a iniestion mav an
behind nil these, nnd that is the qiiestio
of executing an established right.' Thor
remains io ' houK i I L Z
lll'llf I ill t XlU.l 111 I . .. 4 r. ...... .
to maintain the rights of the citizen as as
certained by the Courts. It cannot be de
nied that tho Senator from Illinois, (Mr.
Douglas,) at one time, entertained the
opinion that such an occasion might arise ;
for he held and said thnt, in referenco to
Utah, such nn exigency hnd arisen, nnd
that the law organizing the Territory ough.
to be repealed ; and thereby he claimed
for Congress the highest degree of power
ever pretended to by Congress ; and this
for the reason that the Mormons would
not obey the law or tho decisions of the
Courts. A similar state of facts in any
other Territory might warrant a similar
remedy. Should tho Legislature of Kan
sas confiscate tho property value of the
slaves now in the Territory, and the Courts
should decide such an act unconstitutional
would the execution of the decision of the
Court bo called Congressional intervention
for slavery ? Certainly not. I claim to
stand on the Democratic platform, as defi
ned nt Baltimore and Cincinnati, on the
broad doctrineof nonintervention by Con
gress in the matter of slavery ; but I can
not dose my eyes to the distinction be
tween the action of Congress to encour
age a policy, nnd the mnintainnnco of the
rights or the eition, as defied by the Su-
d i . I.,-. .
preino- ouri. ami tins point, more thnn
llllv other, has ballled my jud-ment- an
mv ,,, 'WM lo.,,av dJL. , , n ;
' . "I "" Ille
very inquiry presented by the Senator
form Alabama, (Mr. Civ,-., tow-it: if tho
citizen of a slaveholding State has n right
ns iieeidti iiv t he .supremo Court, to takA
i,;. .i... i.,' . t .i ' " ' . .
L J ,Poss: "
whonoo eomes thai right, and 1
existence.
1 how can its
enjoyment be destroyed by a community
not possessed of sovereign power? Nor
can I understand what is intended by claim
ing for the local Legislature tlie legal
means to destroy a oonstitutional right.
Mr. Pugh. Allow mo tonpk the Sena
tor a question.
Mr. Bigler. In a few monienfs if Ihe
Senator pleases. What is a right that can
not be enjoyed, but a delusion and a fraud T
The Supremo Court has held that the
right to repossess a fugitive slave h in the
owner; but what is that ridit worth, tin
less the means of executing it be furnish-
cd by Congress T And what is tho right
TERMS $125 per Annum
NEWSERIES-VOL. iV.-No "T7T
of,
a citizen in n Territory worth, if it cnn
H be oniovprlf Wl.-t . .
not be enioved?
,1 ... ', , -ivva I. at 1.11 VU
t ie citizen that he has thcriidit. nn,l..r
. nws 10 avail 10
the decision of the Supremo Court, to take
Ins property into a Territory, if a minority
may depnvo him of the enjoyment and
use of that property r There is no consti
tutional right unless it enn lie enjoyed; lh
value of that enjoyment, it is true, may
bo lessened by a general public policy or
by popular prejudice; but 1 do not sen
how it can be destroyed ; it is too true thnt
the constitutional right of tho owner lo
reclaim his fugitivo is, in somo instances,
almost destroyed in this way. It is for
the Courts, ntid not for Congress, to de
cide nil legal questions that mny arise ns
to tho rights of slave property in the Ter
ritories: that is tho Democratic policy
but is it not clear (hat a necessity will
never nriso for the inlerference of Con
gross to execute a right decree of the
Courts.
Now, sir, I do not intend to enter at
length upon the question of how far it
may be the duty of Congress to go toexe
cute a decision of tine Supreme Court
ngninst the action of a Territorial Legisla
line ; that exigency has not arisen, and I
hope it mny never arise: but I do not
think the enso so clear against all interfe
rence as some of my Northern friends ; I
nm not for intervention by Congress in
the popular fense ; Jam ngainstit; nnd"
I concur in nearly all that has been said
by the Senators from Uhio nnd Michigan,
as to the political consequences of such a
measure. I deprecate, too, tho precipita
tion of a question into tho discussions of
this l.ody which may never arise a mere
imaginary state of affairs, the discussion
of which must prove prejudicial to tho
Democratic paity a parly which, in its
career of usefulness, ol integrity, ofpatrN
otism, of Micros?, has had no parallel iu
the hi-tory of this or any other countiy.
I havo believed, and I still believe, I hat.
the best interests of the Nation, its prog
ress, nnd is glory, are closely identified!
with tho perpetuity and ascendency of
this organization. Why, then, should its
ship bo wrecked on imaginary breakers?
Why should it bo stranded on shoals that,
should never be encountered t J regret
exceedingly that my friend from Missis
sippi, (Mr. Brown,) should have felt re
quired to initiate a discussion which evi
dently can lend to no other result than,
disaster to tho Dcmawatio party. Sir, it
will bo time enough to. determine how far
Congress should go, to maintain the legal
rights of a citizen in a Territory against
the notion of the local Legislature, when,
the necessity phall arise. 1 hone we mm-
'"ever have "occasion for the dhWiokof
i "l
e nine uau to-oay. jsut, sir, l preferred
. ,1 , V .
to express to tho Sonn e and to mw mn.
,'iBt'tuents, just what 1 feel on this subject.
. - - j -
e '.,.,,i;..J "r r ,
I1!-'""" un.y i.unsequences to mysell
i uo not lavor iho idea of
iCongrcsionid interlerence. The Demo-
' ' nr? .l apinst that doc
trine, tuey ought not to entertain it now :
.1. : i 1 1 .i. .i . . - . '
uuu uur- it louotv inai, a siuie or anairs'
may not ariso in a Territory, when it
would be necessary for Congress to inter
fere, not as to questions of local policy in
tho Territory, but to cxecuto a law ; to.
executo a right that had been established
by the proper Courts. I havo made it a
rule iu my political career, to maintain
the Constitution of tho Uniled Slate9 as
defined by the Supreme Court, nnd shall
ever do so. In reference to this very sub
ject, the decision of the Suprome Court in
the Dred Scott case, has, to some extent,
overruled a doctrine which I had enter
tained ami expressed freely ; but I say, it
is now my duty to stand by that decision,
regardless of nny peculiar views I may
havo hnd on my own nart. or of nnv ma.
judico I may therefore encounter.
Mr. President, I shall not tresspass ttp.
on th Senate further. I tun deeply sen
sible of all tho responsibilities that sur
round this subject. I'erhapa I should
nmpb'fy ; perhaps I should say very mucin
more in order to protect myself ngninst'
misrepresentations; but I care not to trou
ble the Senate further. "Sufficient unlo.
the day is tho evil thereof;" and if it ever
become necessary to meet exigencies so
momentous ns tho.e anticipated here to
day, . mist, tney may bo met in a spirit ot
forbearance and of patriotism : that spirit;
which will maintain the unity of the
States; that spirit, loo, which will main
tain tho unity of tho Northern and the
Southern lemocraoy for tho sake of the
Union of the States nnd the future grotfth
and glory of tho country.
I observe, sir, that my friend from New
Ilampshiro (Mr. Hale) is exceedingly anx
ious to pet the floor, and he shall have it
in a minute. I am quite desirous to hear
bia musioal voice on this aubject. I know
that he hns very cloar opiniona on the
question, and Is not so much concerned'
about tho great constitutional question
involved ; not go much agitated about then-suits
to Kansas, or Utah, or cny other
Territory ; but he is especially b.-Iightf-d
becnuso he thinks (ho Democratic party
are getting into a disartrous muss. Laugb,,-
. 8-iT The lady w hoso heart swelled with,;
indignation has reduced it with poultice!-,