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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1850
derive all the elements of their strength and capacity for mischief and notoriety from the agitation of this subject, were spoken of as a contemptible minority, far less harm would be done, and · justice would be rendered to the feelings and the claims of those who reside at the South. It is wrong to malign the numerous friends of the South in the North by confounding them with the fanatics to whom I have referred, and with whom they have no other connection than that they inhabit the same division of this great country. This importance ought not to be given to a handful of fanatics. By this means they obtain oil for their lamps; but neglect them, they will perish; the oil of their lamps will become exhausted they will give no light; they will be disregarded; and even if they continue to exist, they would be powerless in their efforts to effect injury to the South. They can do little by their own exertions to disseminate their pamphlets and documents of various sorts, if they are not aided in their efforts to destroy the peace of the country by politicians who desire to manufacture capital for themselves. I do not hold the great North responsible for all this. I do not hold responsible those men who are patriotic and sincere friends of the Union. I regret that the disposition to interfere with the institution of slavery, to inhibit the exercise of their rights to the southern States and people; rights which all free people have to regulate their own domestic institutions-exist at all at the North; that any should wish to interfere with, or obstruct, the rights of ·the people of the Territories to adopt such form of republican govern- ment as they may choose; for they would, subsequently to their admission to the Union as States, have the obvious right to modify their constitution so as to adopt or prohiblit slavery according to their own will and pleasure. But I do not charge this disposition upon the people of the North, and to do so is, I think, to discourage our friends there, and to misinform and mislead the South. We ought to draw the line distinctly between those who are disposed to support the Constitution by sustaining the rights of the South, and those who are willing to carry on a crusade against rights preexistent to the Constitution of the Union itself. If the power, Mr. President, is not clearly and definitely given to the Congress of the United States to legislate upon the subject of the Territorial Governments, it strikes me that there is great force in the position, that to assume it would be to violate a fundamental principle of our Government, which is, that the
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