r SRI c LEW RG Volume VJX, Number L E C. HICKOS, Editor, a N. WORDEN, Printer. LEWISBURG, UNION CO., PA, APRIL 3, 1850. Whole Iamijer---313. The Iowlsbure Chronicle is issued every Weiliiesuej mowing tt Lewishurg, Inion WTVijW wt mi. for ca-b. actually in advance; $1,7?, paid withiu three months; $2 if paid within the year ; 2,50 if not paid belore the year etwre; single numuere, a cents, oun- errimione tor .ii monih. or lea. to be paid in advance. Discontinuances optional with mm! Publisher except hen the year i. piiJ op. j per square one mk, f 1 for a month, and 5 for year : a reduced price lor longer umimiiTOw. ZKSS5 e listed, with to. real and judicious atten Csaual advertisements and Job work to ba paid, tion ffom his father, thnn had been be or when banded in er delivered. s,owed on he fc lfee ,he vine A II ii mimiiniriliAni har mail ifltlwt mUlA tlAat. t paid, accompanied bv the address of the writer, to receive attention. Those relatine; exclusively to lue Immortal Lf-anmem in oe airevJiru w n. j. !1ickoe. Era., Editor and all on business to be id)rea.-ed to the Publisher. Ollice. Maiket St. bi twren Second and Third. O. X. WORDEN. Printer and Publisher. For tht Lswisburg Chronicle. JAHE3 ESLL AND HIS UNCLE. We fesr our leaders nay have almost foi gotten a ceitain idle, truant b y, named jjtmfs D'l.u hose deficiencies in his studies were t' osed tiy good Uncle Grey to the sad mortification of his too confiding par ents. If, however, any have borne in mind the idle scholar, and his father's de termination to turn oner new leaf, we will ask them to look with us tit l ho results of this determination. Mr. VII was a sensible man ; though, as we have t-eea in the case of his son's t duration, he sometimes acted injudiciously. H Jt still we say he was a sensible man, tiit, if )ou would prove to him that any rrjrse he h id been adopting was wrong, t would endeavor to alter it, instead of Mindly and obstinately adhering to it, mereiy because it was Uis own. loo many folks adopt the latter plan. We take the liberty of doubling their good tnst. When Jjnies appeared at the breakfast t;.L!e, ou l tie morning after his Uncle's visit, his downcast looks and silent demea nor plainly indicated that his mind was ill nt ease. No allusion, however, was made ty cither his father, 5i his mother, to the circumstances of the preceding day. All went on as usual, except that when James was collecting his books to start for school, his father said : " Stop a moment, my boy, I am ready !i go down to my office, and we can walk part of lbe way together." James changed color, and the prospect of a tete-a-tete with his father did not seen very agreeable to him. However, after a len minutes' w alk, they came to Mr. Bell's office, and with a nod and a " Remember what we have been talking about,' uttered in a kind and pleasant tone, James was left to pursue his way alone. As he went down the street which led ti the school, reflections such as these jassed through his mind : " It certainly would be pleasant to have a good standing in school, and to earn a better character than I now have. I don'i much caro about pleasing Mr. Smith. He is so cross, I am sure he would never be satisfied if I were to try ever so hurd. Bit father would feel pleased ; ha said he would. Let me see ; what were his ex act words? Only let me see, James, that you really try to do your best, and I shall feel satisfied.' Oh. if that' all, I will try. I thought father did not care much whether I studied or not. But if he is smirtg to ask me questions himself, I will toon show him that 1 am not such a dunce, after all, as Uncle Grey thinks me. I can do as well as George Ashton, or any of the be-it in school. I think I can, and, what is more, J will." This was a determination which was sasier to form.than to carry into execution. Poor James met with many a check, many a mortification, before he succeeded in his laudable efforts. He did, however, try to do his best. And as the first step in the new path he meant to pursue, he made a full confession to bis father of all the arti fices to which he bad resorted in order lo impose on his teacher. He even brought home that evening all his school books, exactly as they were, and submitted them tj his father's inspection. Mr. Bell turned over the scrawled and blotted leaves of the books with AirpgiedTJ, feelings of grief, of joy, and of self re. prnach. Ur'trf, as various instances of: duplicity mot his eye. Latin and Greek sentences, intended to serve as exercises ofthe pupil's skill in ready translation. were Interlined with pencil translations obtained from somn more industrious student. The margins of the cyphering books were cor. crd with minute figures, exhibiting the working out of the more difficult sums.and copied off from the slate of some too ac commodating neighbor. In short, all the tricks and devices, which idle scholars are but too ingenious in inventing, were laid open before the eyes of the grieved and astonished lather. Yet we said joy mio' gled with bis grief. He rejoiced in the thought thai his son was thus making a free and lull confession of hit past miscon- auct, and in tht bnpu which, this course lo .urn over a now ear The self reproach draughl of unmingled bitterness ) Mr. Bell felt that he had been greatly to H)J wouJd hae 8hf0nk fr0B lhe . . thought of allowing even a choice grape. vine in his garden, to trail ita neglected branches lbe gro0d. Yet his son, his eldest aon the cho-ce plant in the garden o(- home bad been allowed to Brow ns These thoughts crowded on the mind of j ; Mr. Bell, as he sat alone that evening in his study, with his son's books open before him. He leaned his head on the table, while tears, hot tears, such as a parent alone can ween, fell from his eyes. He remained long buried in thought, and left his study that night a wiser man, a better father. James, as we hove before hinted, (bund it no easy task to adhere to his newly for med resolutions. The difficulties which he had so ingeniously evaded in days gone by, now stood like mountains in his path, impeding his onward progress. He tried to do his best. But even his most strenu ous efforts he found to be wholly unequal to enable him to overtake those who by pa tient and faithful industry had beeo for weeks and mouths far in advance of him. painful sense of failure and discourage ment began to creep over James' heart, and he felt a'm ist inclined to give up his appa rently fruitless efforts. "1 can see plainly that Mr.Smith thinks me a mere blockhead, and I am almost in clined to be of his opinion." Such was James discouraging exclama- j lion to his friend Frank Hartley, as they walked home slowly together one Friday afternoon. Frank was an intelligent boy; he was greatly attached to James.who was three or four years younger than himself, and he had watched with great interest and anxiety the change which his observing eye had marked in his friend during the last two weeks. "You are no blockhead, James,' was Frank's abrupt reply ; "nor does Mr.Smith think that you are. "How can he help thinking so when he heart me make so many blunders I And why do I hesitate and blunder more fre quent' y than any . other boy in the class, except that great dunce, Joe Sims T" "If you will not feel offended at me for my plain speaking, I can easily answer that question," replied Frank. "Indeed, I shall not feel offended, but on the country I shall be very much obliged to you. I have been lately thinking seriously, and making eo.-ue good resolu tions" 'I felt sure that you had," interrupted his companion, "and I am heartily glad of it. 1 have noticed a great change in you of late, James, and if I can help you to any way, why, I shall be glad to do to, that's alT. The other boys have been trying to do their best for months past, and you have only lately begun the same course. In Greek, most of them are familiar with the j declensions and conjugations, and have all the rules of syntax at their finger enns." "Ah, I wish that I had 1" interrupted James, with a heavy sigh. "That is the very thing," rejoined his friend, "those first difficulties lie in your path. Nominally you have passed them, but, in fact, they are still before you. And now you find them more formidable than you would have found them when we first began. It is the same in your Latin, and the same I think in your arithmetic and al gebra, is it not !" Ycs.indeed!" replied James, "and now, can you help me still farther? Having show n me where the difficulties lie.canyou show me how to overcome them ! " I think that perhaps I can, James. But my 6rst and best piece of advice to you is, go yourself to Mr. Smith, and talk with him upon the subject. He will advise you kindly, and far more judiciously than I could do. ' James shrank from the idea of speaking to Mr. Smith, tie entertained towaros that gentleman those feelings of dislike, with which careless and idle scholars are 'ery apt lo regard their instructors. The persoaoioos of Frank, and the advice of his father, whom he freely consulted on the subject, at length overcome hit repug nance ; and the following morning he called on Mr. Smith." At toon as Jam ea made known to him the object of his visit, Mr. Smith welcomed him most kindly and cordially. He had been greatly puzzled by his pupil's conduct during the last two weeks. , He thought that he perceived in James increased efforts to 4k right, and greater application to studv, but still his" recitations" were far more imperfect than tbey had beeo for a long lime previous. Mr. Smith ( could not account for this teeming contradiction; and it had been hit intention ! call on Mr. Bell, that. very afternoon, to have iome conversation with him respecting bit ton. Jaroei' iit entirely ntnoved tbe necostity : inspired (hat James wan realty about lor any such conversation ; and the hon est, open confession which he made of his previous course f wrong-doing, greatly relieved his teacher's mind. And now, sir," added James, ' I have been trying to do tetter. But it seems as if the more I try, the liws 1 sum d. Father, I see, feels mortified, though he is very kind in trying to encourage rrv. But I feel so discouraged I am ready to pive up, and go to digging, or ploughing. What do you advise me to do?" Don't give up, James,'' replied Mr. Smith ; "don't allow yourself to feel dis couraged until you have made regular, systematic elFirts to recover your lost ground. If after having pursued lor a rea sonable time the course I shall recommend to you, you still find your best efforts fruit less, then I will say throw aside your books and give up study. But I fear no j such result. You have good abilities, tho hitherto you have let them run to waste. You know the good old motto, "Persever. ance conquers all things.' Yes, sir," replied James, his counte nance brightening ; "and if perseverance ran conquer my difficulties, they shall be conquered ; for I'll persevere.'' "Even if I propose studying extra hours, and studying during vacation V " Yes, sir," said James, firmly, " I will do anything you advise.'' Having once overcome his dislike to speaking with Mr. Smith, James' heart had become entirely won by the kind in terest evinced in his teacher's language and manners. Mr. Smith proceeded to advise him to turn back to the difficulties which he had before eluded, and not to rest satisfied un til be had completely mastered them. James knew that he could depend on Frank Hartley's ever ready assistance. And he determined during the approach ing vacation to devote four hours of each day to study, and to request Frank to hear him recite. Encouraged by his father, his teacher, and his vounz friend, James carried out his plan with steadiness and perseverance. During the vacation, Mr. Bell took all his family to spend a day in the country with Uncle Grey,' whose infirmities bad prevented him from relating his visit to his nephew, as he had intended. James asked and obtained his father' permission to stay at home. He was unwilling to lose a day's study, and also felt anxious to be more fully prepared for a second en counter with his Uncle. On perceiving James' absence from the foreily party. Uncle Grey shook his head ominously, and drew his own conclusions, which were by no means favorable to the young student. Mr. Bell adopted the wise and prudent course of saying nothing at all about James. He thought it best to leave it to time to prove the reality of his son's im provement, and looked forward, not with out strong hope, to the result of a future visit from Uncle Grey. His wife,however. could not imitate his prudent conduct. She could not refrain from throwingout sundry hints respecting James' love for his books, which would not let him enjoy even a day's pleasure ; for her part, she really leated the boy's health would sutler from studying to hard in vacation. ' However, the significant and incredulous smiles with which Uncle Grey received all such" re marks, toon caused good Mrs. Bell to desist. Weeks rolled away ; the vacation was over, and the duties of the school were re sumed with their usual activity, when one Friday evening Mr. Bell told his wife that he had received a message from Uncle Gray, announcing a visit for the following day. James who wat present, colored on hearing this, but his open brow betrayed no trace of confession on vexation. On the contrary, looking up in his father's fact he exclaimed : " I am glad to hear, A, father. I shall not be afraid thia time, even if Uncle does ask me to walk into tbe library.'1 fjucle Grey came. He teemed wearied by tbe ride, and during his stay the conver sation turned more on hit rheumatism and other ailments, than on any other subject. Mrs. Bell made two or three attempts to lead lbe conversation to the topic of books. She asked Jamet several times about his studies, his books, or hit slate. But all in vain. The old gentleman appeared ex tremely obtuse. Nooe of her hints took ef fect. And at latt the sunk into mortified silence. 4 Jamet himself was not insensible to his Uncle'a apparent indifference and neglect. But the consciousness of oo longer desert- ine it, preserved him from discouragement. Father knows that I am no longer the fellow that I wat once. Mr. Smith knowt it. too. And, one of thete daya, perhapt Uncle Gery will have a letter opinion of me. Bui no matter lor roai. Yet I ahouldlike to hear him tay, Well, I must own I wat greatly mistaken in that boy.' Perhaps Uncle Gray's seeming indiffe - rencc was in fact a greater spur to James exertions than either his blame or his praise at that juncture could have proved. At all events, James' diligence increased rather than slackened. Several years pnssed nway, and James Hell arrived at an important era in his life. A day dawned to which lie had long looked forward. It was commencement day at I ollege, and Jatnt' name was on the list of the graduating class. Amonf the orators of the day, the last place the post ol honor had been assigned to him. His heart glowed with honest exultation. Mr. and Mrs. Bell succeeded in obtaining good seats umoog the crowded audience, Hnd by their tide, with his hands crossed on the lop of his ivory-headed cane, was seated Uncle Grey. To judge by his countenance, one would have supposed that he felt no special interest in the exercises of the day ; but Uncle Grey is not apt to allow his featuies to disclose any more than he chooses to reveal of what is pass ing within. He listened with grave and ei. r nest attention to all that wat passing. But a peculiar flash brightened U his calm blue eyes, as a young man the last speaker indicated in the list of exercises appeared on the platform, Mr. and Mrs. Bell almost held their breath, while their hearts beat high with hope and fear. The valedictory was such as did honor both to the head and the heart of the young speaker. It was listened lo with profound attention, and at its close a murmur of ap plause ran 'round the hall. The President Ihen rose and addressed the graduating class- After which, the diplomas were conferred. The eyes of James had more than once sought the spot where his parenta and Uncle were seated, and, at the close of the exercises, as soon as he could free himself from the crowd of congratulating friends who surrounded him, he approached the little group. Mrs. Bell could scarcely re strain her over excited feelings ; his father with a warm pressure cf the hand ex pressed his joy ; while Uncle (Jrav uttered an emphatic " Well done, Jimcs!" "But what of the inheritance .1 Did old Uncle Grey leave Jamet tome sub stantial evidence of hit approbation and his good will !" . Ah, gentle reader, on this point your curiosity must remain unrati fied. May many a year pass away ere that question is decided ! Uncle Grey si ill lives ; hale and hearty as ever. He often says were it not for the rheumatism, he should be as brisk at seventy-five, as ho was at seventeen. James has com menced his career as a lawyer, with every prospect of success, and often lie looks back with a grateful heart to the unpleasant two hours spent in his father's library with Uncte Gray. - Thai ikouiint of ;ha old gen tleman's wealth seldom, if ever, crosses his mind ; he possesses what is far more val uable than the richest legacy, treasures of knowledge and the power of securing in dependence by his own efforts. We may add, however, that when Mrs. Cell, with a mother's honest pride, aks ol her ton's talents, or relates some new instance of his love of literature, or of his success in his profession, Uncte Grey no longer receives such remarks with his for mer incredulous, ominous shake of the head. X. X. X. MB Ta lawisacaa caaosicaa. Tbe freh grave or twenty-five hundred persons may be wD at SutUT's Mill. Uyour companion gives out. leave bim and ru.-h Sir tbe nearest water. irone out often of you make fortunes, you will do better than thousands wbo have (on before J'W. lis". II. C. -The route across the plains may frequently oe tmeeo tat miles by the graves and bones of emigrants and their beasts and property Humanity ! how weak in all its strength and pride 1 And, Wisdom t bow strangely thy precepts an defied ! Time's sage monitions are like cobwebs brushed away, And men to ruin rush like tigers en their prey. Thy bread thou shalt earn by Un sweat from off thy hrow" Has been the one command from the mil of man till now : A taw as wise as stern, for men's best good decreed A "curse" to blessing turned by all who do tt heed. How strong his nerve and bright his eye who plows the field And all they who the skilful tools of mechanism wield ! now sweet their simple tndnd haw welcome is their rest, And happiness reposes within each virtuous breast. Foolish man, unchanged, the syren fklsehood hears. Shuts his eyes against the light, and to truth bis ears : Thou shalt not die need not toil f" this the tempter's song That draws him like a bird in fowler's snare along. And now from California's fenvbesprinkled shore. Where buld and vile Impiety a wretched race adore, The cry of Oold is raised echoed bark by score on scare Who ne'er shall bear tba wares of Ul Pacrfie roar. Frantic, a million ties are broke asunder now The faithless husband Jim nates his solemn plighted tow, Tbe gold-mad son neglects his grey-haired parents kind, The sin li suits to Heaven's can each one he leaves behind; His "outfit" wastes the fruits of years of toil and care, Ha quits his hearth with mere of euniag than of prayer; By no necessity impelled, nor for the love of (iod. But by demon Av'rtoe led, he easts bis lot abroad ; ' By sea around tbe Cape, er 'cross the Isthmus' ttrasd. Or wearily e'er the Plains, be seeks th' El Dorado land. He toils and bints and wants and bears and pines and dies With no soft hnd to press his brow or dose his fciing eytK (For, themselvea to save, bis companions on have sped, And left him to rest with tba desert for his bed ' The wolf and the savafe and tba wilder birds of prey To watch a'sr hie cores and Ha sepulture to pay.) And such is tbe history of numbers now unknown Wbo but yesterday bad friends wkhia a kssivy home ; One in many htmdreds reap a golden harvest there, Wbiis thousaaas gather nought but suffring and despair. Ho,Toath! the gilded bait of sal are riches spurn Prom the 1 1 1 G r i of the past, wisdom timely team; With leva of Truth and Knowledge let every bosom burn, And to our "goodly heritage" your toots contented turn. Isjroatme, March tt, lie j Speech Of Hoa. Jeph Casey, of Fa., . On the President's Message, communi cating the Constitution of California. De livered in the Hou of Keprentatives ol ihj Uuiud States, March 18, 1830. Mr. Chairman I have not sought the flour with ihe expectation r.f saying any thing which will shed new light u;)CC the vexed and difficult question ; but more par ticularly for the purpose of-exhibiting to my constituents that I am not indillereni upon a sulj tct, ia the settlement of which i hey, in common wiih the whole country f e! a deep interest. 1 shall express, sir, the sentiments i entertain upon these topics B4 tecorties the Representative of freemen. "without fear, favor, or aflection,' and re gardless of denunciations or criticims here or eloew here. I am not one ftf those w ho assume the extrerre grot'nd on either tide. I do not regard the institutution of slavery as it exists in our Southern States with that degree ot horror which some of my Northern brethren express i neither do 1 regard it as a "great mural, political, and religious blessing" with some gentlemen from the South. I timply view it in the language of Thomus Jefferson, as "a great moral and political evil." Taking this view ol the subject, it could not be expected that, J should engage in a crusade for its extinc tion where it exists on the one hand, or oo the other desire, and much less promote its extension to territory now free. 1 am willing to leave it where the Constitution and the laws under which we live have placed it. Iam not responsible either for its continance there ; and if it is a "curse and a disgrace,'' those who uphold it are to answer it, and not I. The gentieman from Louisiana, (Mr. Morse,) says, we ought to "talk'' upon this sullied, anu misquotes a great nuiuor to furnish proof. Sir, we have bad too much "talk" already, and loo little reason upon this question ; the quotation is, "He that will not reason is a bigot, he that dares not is a slave and he that can not is a fool. The whole difficulty, as I apprehend, originates in the different construction of the power of Congress under the Constitu tion to legislate on the subject of Slavery in Territories the North asserting the right, the South denying if- This is,i here fore, a fair subject of argument ; of sound. calm, dispassionate reasoning. If it should be found i hat we do not possess that pow er, the North is bound to submit ; if, on the other hand, it is conferred by that in strument, the South are equally bound to bow to its mandates. Before I proceed to this question, I de sire to remark, that so far as the territory acquired from Mexico is concerned, that it is now free. The constitution end laws of Mexico made it so beyond a doubt ; and the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr-aToombs) admits this, and insists that we are bound to remove this impediment, and thus enable them to carry their slaves thither. Being, then, free when ceded to the United States, this territory must re main so, until this law is repealed by Con gress, or until some local sovereignty, hav. ing jurisdiction over the subject shall an. nul it. FoT my own part, I most ardently de sire that it shall remain free ; and I shall never, by act or vote of mine do aught lo make it otherwise. Slavery I hold exists nowhere in this country, except by local laws and positive regulations. So far as the States are con cerned, they have the sole power over it ; and so far I agree with the Baltimore plat form, that "Congress has no power to in terfere with Slavery in the Sta'et, or to ake even incipient steps tending thereto." But with regard to the Territories, it pre sents a very different question. They are without local legislatures, and the power of makiog laws for them must necessarily devolve upon Congress, or else does not exist at all. That Congress has this right, I infer fromthe very act of acquisition, and that whether acquired by conquest or by cession. Can it be possible.that a country may be transferred, and the right of the conquered or ceding country to govern it be thus extinguished, and the conquering country acquire uo right to legislate for that territory T Where I ask is the sove reignty of Ihe country 1 It resided in Mex ico. She certainly neither does nor can claim it now. his not in the people of New Mexico and California, for they are seeking to acquire that, with your consent, by admission into the Union. According to the logic of gentlemen oo the other side, it has not vested anywhere, but it simply in abeyance- v , . These conclusions, which would place this Territory beyond the action of the Congress, I hold to be unsound, and not only not supported by precedent, but in direct conflict with all the action and expe rience of not only thia, but every other civ ilized government on the eorth. Thia pow er hat been fully recognized by all the de partmtnuof our Government Legislative, Executive, and Judicial ; by a consistent and uninterrupted train of action, fro.n the foundation of the Government to the pres ent day; and it eppears most passing strange that any gentleman should deny it on this floor. The gentlerrcn from Georgia, (Mr. Toombs) rites ihe provisions in the Con stitution in relation to the importation of slaves, slave representation, and recapture of Itigitives, and exclaims, " Gentlemen, deceive not yourselves, you cannot deceive others. This is a pro-slavery Govern ment. Slavery is stamped unou its heart the Constitution. You must tear that out of Ihe body politic before you can com mence the work of its eradication." Now, so far front this being the case, I defy that gentleman, or any other here, to point to any clause or word in that Constitution that confers tke right upon any mortal ms n to own a slave. It confers no right it merely secures you in the enjoyment of what you before possessed. This wasi,erior aa subordinate power .' mat pow the compromise of the Constitution noth- er whi! recognises the right of expatrit- oe more. II by eradication he means its . a. . abolition in the States, I agree with him ; if he refers to the territories, I join issue with bim. This power is not, in my mind, left to doubtful construction. The clause in the Constitution is full and ample. "The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respceting the territory, or other property, of the United States." Now, the gentle man from Ohio, (Mr. Disney) argues that this conferred no other power upon Con gress than to dispose of the land. That if the framcrs of the Constitution had intend ed to cooler upon Congress the right cf le gislating generally for the Territories, they wuuid have used other expressions, such as to "make laws," "lo legislate,'' Aic, and that Ihe terms " rulet and regulations ' doS,a,e :) lber """ly confer complete y to the higher objects of govern- jndwwn. It necessary to confer it not apply men!, but merely to some minor and unim portant subjects ; and particularly does not apply to persons, but merely to things- In answer to this permit me, sir, to re mark, that if those who framed this Con stitution intended merely to confer the pow. er to dispose of the lands, why was it ne cessary.io add " and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the ter-itory ''? This instrument was drawn with much care, and is in every part expressed with great terseness and brevity. No redund ancies, such es this would present no am plifications, no repetitions, such as the gen tleman's construction shows are exhibit ed anywhere in this instrument. And all this too, remember, to express an inferior and subordinate power. The natural, and I have no doubt the correct, construction will strike any man of ordinary judgment at a glance. The power of disposing is conferred in terms t nod, in addition, ihe ! power to make " all netful rules and regu lations. Let us, now, examine the meaning of those terms "rules and regulations. And in answer to the inquiry why the Trainers of the Constitution did not use some other mode of conveying their meaning, I can only say, that I know of none more full and expressive, and yet so concise, in the com pass of our languaue. No man will cer tainly contend that the power of settling, fixing, and controlling the commercial re-" lations of a country, is a matter either of minor importance, or their proper regula tion a subordinate power. Yet, sir, this vast power, (and no one has disputed that Congress has not the most full and unlim ited control over it,) is conferred in the Con stitution by this very same term, "to reg ulate commerce with foreign nations," embracing in its provisions some of the highest acts of sovereignty which a nation can exercise. The same reasoning ap plies to the clause which gives the power to Congress "to coin money and regulate the value thereof." Will any person, for a moment, contend that the circulating me dium, which forms the basis of all the trans actions of society, and measures the value of all property, and the price of every com modity, is an inferior and subordinate sub ject ? If this term in these instances and in these clauses conveys powers of such vast magnitude and importance, I ask, by what fair rule of interpretation can gentle men contend that a different rule of con struction should obtain, in reference to the clause now under consideration ? And that, too, in the lace of the fact, that it is used by the same men, in the same instru ment, and at the same time. The gentleman from Ohio, in my hum ble opinion, is still more unfortunate in re fcrence to .the word "rules" used in this clause. If the gentleman inquires, why those who draughted the Constitution did not use the words "to make laws," to le gislate," &e., I answer, simply because the word "rules" is a better and more signifi cant word. It hat not only in the Consti tution, as I shall presently shew from oth er clauses, a very significant and compre hensive meaning, but bad then, and long before, in legal phraseology or instruments, a certain tnd well-defined impor. The very first sentence the t'.udent of law reads is, "Law it echoed to be a rule il acuoo, whether anitnate or intoiimate.'' Wheth er applied to persons or things, it ia still a ru!o i whether lo objects of superior or infe rior magnitude and importance, it remains the tame. Burke says, "law is Lcoifi cence ecling by rule." A t!alu:e or law ' is a rule of civil conduct. Tbe greatest lexicographer of the age defines a rule to be "government : sway : empire : control : supreme command or authority." And, to rule, "to have power or Command : to ex ercise supreme eti'hority." This being the ordinary and accepted definition of the terms, let ns aee in what sense it has been employed by the igr-s who framed cur Constitution, ia regard to other powers which are nut disputed. It authorizes Con gress " lo establish a uniform rule of ca I Mralixition." Is that to operate upon ,nins ,D(1 not uPon persons ! Is it an ia- I tti-kaya am st .-f r rv. '. t . ll.ma t sannln at no i""" ,u "."' n ... ji sonal obligations; allegiance to country, the most btbdiug and solemn which man can assume upon earth. Ot a similar na ture is the auiiiority to "make rules con cerning captures on land or water." And also, "to make rules for the government of the land, and naval fcrces." I repeat, therefore, ih.it a careful , review of the meaning and ordinary acceptation of the terms " rules and regulations,'' as well as their acknowledged signification in other pans of the same instrument, shew beyond the possibility of a doubt, and even beyond the hope of cavil, that in this connection they were ielenfed in the language of the Supreme Court of the United States, in Peters' fj. S. Sep., 44 ("rules and regula tions respecting the territory of the United ilhout limitation to enable the new Gov ernment to redeem !h9 pledge giveu to the old, in relation to the formation and power of tbe new States." And, again, in 14 Pt teia' U- S. Reports, 53?, "this power (of governing the Territories) is vested in Con gress tcithoul limitation, and bat been considered the foundation upon which the territorial government rest." I might cite many more decisions of the Federal and State courts to the same tflect ; but I will mention but one mote, and that is, the Su preme court of Louisiana (a slave Slate) decided, as lata as 1830, that Congress had the right to exclude slavery from the Northwest Territory ; and that a colored person born there, subsequent to the ordi- -nance of 187, was free, and set him at liberty. 8 Martin's Reps., 699. The ele mentary writers on our Constitution- fully . concur in these judicial decisions. Setf Kent, 1 vol. Com., page 335, and Rawle, pege S27. It will be remembered too, that the ordi- nance excluding slavery from the North west territory wat passed on the 13th Ju ly 1757, by Congress ; and. at the saints time, :lie Convention, which formed the C.ms'itution, was in session, and remained . sitting till 17tli September, more than two month i after. Now, I ask, if it is not abundantly clear, with this recent act before them of the ex- . ercise of this extensive power by Congress, if they did not intend to confer it, would . they net have introduced some restrictive . or prohibitory clause, which would have limitej and controlled the subsequent ac tion of Congress ? With the kuowledge of this ordinance before them, and the ab sence of any disapprobation, it is but a fiir and legitimate argument to assumu. that they intended to grant and confirm this power to that body. And the fact that Congress has, from the adoption of the Constitution down to the present time, con tinued to exercise this right in its .length and breadth, places its existence beyond all controversy. " The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Toombs) says : "Until the year 1820 your territorial legislation was matked by the same generel spirit oi .fairness and justice. Notwithstanding the constant assertions to the contrary by gentlemen from the North, up to thut period no net was ever passed by Congress maintaining or asserting the prU mary constitutional power to prevent any citizen of the United States owning slaves from removing with them to our territories and thcra receiving legal protection for this property." - , I maintain, sir, that Congress, on the 7iS of August. 1789, did. in effect, re-affirm the ordinance of 1787 ; and have no doubt from lite preamble, Jr,at ihey felt well as sured ofthsir power to do so. When they declared in that preamble thut it was ia or der that the ordinance "might continue to have full eflect,'' tho slavery restriction was a part of it, and could not have full effect unless that restriction remained in full firce. To show, howeter, that) Congress pos sessed full power over this subject, I hal! refer to toine of the lawt in relation to the iTerri'fric if which ths power to leecg- 3N-
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