Debate At Kensington

VvTe liad the pleasure of meeting Dr. Curiis, in debate at Kensingtonj upon the following QUESTION. "Doos tlie Congress of the United States posLess the constiltiüonal power to abolish Slavery in the District of Columbia?" Wc took the afiirinative of the question, and spoke onc liour olternately unül the debate closed. Althpugh the weather was somewhat boistero'is, the house was well filled wiih attentive licarcrs. The Doctor spent much time to show tlint the States ivere sovereign and independent," and tliat Congrcss could no! nbolish pl.iverv within "their jurisdiction," all of wlnrh we were cheerful to admit; and as all must see had no bearin whalever on the question nt issue. There were hut two points discussed by the Doctor. The first was upon the r?scrvationjon the part of Virginia, when 6he ceded her part of the District to the general governnient. It is as follows. "Provided, Tliat nothing lierein contained shall be construed to vest in the United States the right of pioperty in the soil, or to affect the right of individuals thcrein, olherwise than the same shall or may be transíerred by such individuáis to the United States.'1 The Doctor contended that the term "therctn," referred to the rights of the people in the District. L 'm ev enj thing," and that it had no special refereuce lo tlic soil, or the rights of mdividiiald therem, - i. e. in the soil, by which construction [ believe, it waa thouglit hc did himself but liïtle credit, or tho tJie cause he advocatcd. Sccondly, he made an attempt tcshow "ihat Congress had declared, that she does not possess the constitutional power to abolish Slavery in the Distiict." Tn doing this he gave sumo extraets from pro-slavcry speeclies made in Con-ress, for a few years past - read somc of the gagresolutions by which the right of petition has been trampledin the dust nnd a professedly iree people insulted in our national councils, fcc. All of which were■■ mii- iimhw ■■■■■ ii ii a ui Mi jhm- JUJIJmB)_J any íhinr: lint saljsfacïoiv lo un intelligent pcopie, ns llio sccjuel abundantly "èhowcd: for nt the close of nur debate, a decisión was callea tor, rrom lïïe house, and nèat'ly all present votejíí in ííin affinn-itive. thordbv ëii'üWiijjr that ! (in tlicir ojiin . . cempetent to do Joll tbat we, :is : . Give onr 'principies nnd measürra n bb'orötrh cnuv.-.sfciijg eforerin intrl.jnt coniuniuity, and our succéss is c, rfaín. ü'ur principie obj v. in n lic-i'jg tiiiá debaie is to gro fríeñfi Curtía nn nporttuiity, f he Uvíshcs, ' óf'ést'aíí&líTng. lliroiíglj Üie columns of the Sfjr'níii tho fíiHÓ'wíng pnipositions, viz' 1. Tnatthe inliabilnn's of the D=trct of I rolnmbia rcsx-rvcd the fi'iit of ''-propertij in rtitves;' or ftny thincls-e, o.-cfrl.;'in die soll.' when thnt territory was ceded lo the general ; govétñfíferit'. S.That the cnn?tiin(ion oftho U. S. recogjni-ze slnvcsas "pnyerty," n tho District'; or any oïlier place- or that it .poafis of tïicir nny where, excëpi as "persons bound to service." 3. Tliat CongT9ss has evor, xtncondürvtlly, 'deci.ircJ, that kJio éftéa nol possen cVinSHtutiona) power to ubolisli slavery in the District of Columpia. Let the Doctor be plaiu and explict on theso points - and if he fucceeds n out hih ense, lie w;!l hrivc the honor of dóirif that ! which no ot her person hn.-i ever done. 1. We fearlossly nssert, that there was hut . one single reservation made wlien the District was ceded on. the part of Virginia, tondiin? the subject of property, nnd Ihat was in Ihc iLw7," and not in slaves, or in ary Üúiw elsc. 2. Thai the conMi'.nMon of th'j U. S. no wiiore, rccori!ves "ttttvcs as property," anr that in the D. C. tliey are not reconizcd tby that instrument at tl!. . Tliat Congres has declarod "that to ab&isfa iOavory in the District of Col'Jiubi-i wilh a view of altolis!u'ig il in the. staies tcoiild be uticonstitiitionah" and for Concrrcss to exorcice tilia power, would bo a violation of a ".-oleir.n compact," an :implicd faiih." hut it would he "unjust lo the States where slavery exists," fee. Sic, but to our knowledge she lias never said urcor.füiionolly, that s!.e "does not possess the conslitutional power to oholisli slavery in the Dislriot of Colurnbia.' We sliall wait. however, to hear from Kensington on theso poiuti--.