Nearlyonehalfoftheentirepropertyoftheslave—holdingStatesconsistsinthisrighttotheservicesofhumanbeingsofaracesodifferentfromourownastorenderanyamalgamationtothelastdegreeimprobable，ifnotimpossible。Anyonemayeasilyestimatethedeepinterestthatthemastersfeelinthepreservationoftheirproperty。Thespiritoftheageisdecidedlyagainstthem，andofthistheymustbesensible；itdoublyaugmentstheiranxietyforthefuture。Thenaturalincrease，moreover，ofthesehumanchattelsrendersanoutletindispensable，ortheywillsoonceasetobeprofitablebytheexcessoftheirnumbers。TothesefactsweowethefigmentswhichhaverenderedtheSouthernschooloflogiciansalittlepresuming，perhaps，andcertainlyverysophistical。Amongothertheorieswefindtheboldone，thattheTerritoriesoftheUnitedStatesaretheproperty，notoftheseveralStates，butoftheirindividualpeople；inotherwords，thatthenativeofNewYorkorRhodeIsland，regardlessofthelawsofthecountry，hasarighttoremovetoanyoneoftheseTerritories，carrywithhimjustsuchpropertyashemayseefit，andmakesuchuseofitashemayfindconvenient。Thisisanovelco—partnershipinjurisdiction，tosaytheleast，andreallydoesnotseemworthyofaseriousreply。
TheterritoryoftheUnitedStatesisstrictlysubjecttotheGovernment。TheonlyclauseintheConstitutionwhichreferstothisinterestconveysthatmeaning。But，weretheinstrumentsilent，thepowerwouldremainthesame。Sovereigntyofthisnatureisnotdeterminedbymunicipallaw，butbythelawofnations。Thus，forinstance，therighttomakewar，whichisinherentineverystateofFOREIGNRELATIONS，inferstherighttosecureitsconquests；andthatclauseoftheConstitutionwhichdeclaresthatthewar—makingpowershallabideinCongress，says，atthesametime，byanunavoidableimplication，thatthenationallegislatureshallhaveallauthoritytocontroltheconsequencesofthiswar。Itmaydisposeofitsprisonersanditsconquestsaccordingtoitsownviewsofpolicyandjustice，subjectonlytothegreatprinciplesthatmoderncivilizationhasintroducedintopublicconcerns。
OnecanunderstandwhyadifferenttheoryisinfavorattheSouth。Itwouldbeveryconvenient，nodoubt，totheslaveholdertobepermittedtotransferhisslavestothegolddiggings，andgatherthepreciousmetalinlieuofacropofcotton。Butthis，thepolicyofthewholecountryforbids。CongresshasveryjustlyleftthedecisionofthisveryimportantmattertothepeopleofCaliforniaitself；andtheyhavealmostunanimouslyraisedtheirvoicesagainstthemeasure。This，afterall，isthereallysorepointincontroversybetweentheSouthandtheNorth。Thefugitiveslavehasbeen，andwillbegivenuptothelegalclaimsofhismaster；and，inavastmajorityofthepeopleoftheNorth，thereisnodispositiontodisturbthelegislativecompromisethathasbeenmadeofthismatter。ItistruethattheNorthstillowestheSouthagreatdealmore，thoughitmaybequestionedifthemachinationsofdemagoguesandtheravingsoffanaticismwillpermitittodischargetheobligation。Penallawsshouldbepassed，punishingthosewhomeddlewiththisgraveinterestoutofthelimitsoftheStateinwhichthepartiesreside；andenergyshouldbeshowninrenderingsuchanactofjusticeeffectiveandsure。Good—neighborhood，alone，wouldexactsomesuchprovisionfromeverywell—disposedcommunity，andtherecannotbeadoubtthatgoodpolicycoincides。Theabolitionists，beyondadispute，haveonlyhadatendencytorivetthefettersoftheslave，andtodestroythepeaceofthecountry。
Emancipationhasnotbeenextendedasinglefootbyanyoftheirprojects；whilethewholeSouthhasbeenthrownintoanattitudeofhostiledefiance，notonlytowardsthesemisguidedpersons，buttotheirinnocentanddisgustedfellow—citizens。Theremightbeahopethatthewell—intentionedportionofthesepeople，anditisbothnumerousandrespectable，couldbeinducedtoadoptawisermodeofprocedure，wereitnotthatdissolutepoliticians，whocareonlyforthesuccessofparties，andwhomakeastalking—horseofphilanthropy，astheywouldofreligionorpatriotism，oranyotherextendedfeelingthathappenedtocomewithintheirinfluence，interposetheirsinisterschemestokeepagitationalivefortheirbenefit。This，then，istheactualstateofthings，asbetweentheNorthandtheSouth；andwewilltakeahastyviewofitsprobableconsequencesonthegrowthandcommerceofthetownsatthemouthoftheHudson。
{California=California，newlyconqueredfromMexicoandwheregoldhadbeendiscoveredin1848，hadin1849adoptedaConstitutionbanningslavery，atthesametimethatitappliedforadmissiontotheUnionasafreeState；itwasadmittedin1850aspartoftheso—calledCompromiseof1850，whichincludedtheFugitiveSlaveActempoweringtheFederalGovernmenttoseizeandreturnslavesfleeingfromslavetofreeStates}