5.  THIS POWER HAS BEEN CONCEDED BY BODIES OF CITIZENS IN THE SLAVE STATES.  The petition of eleven hundred citizens of the District, has been already mentioned.  “March 5,1830, Mr. Washington presented a memorial of inhabitants of the county of Frederick, in the state of Maryland, praying that provision be made for the gradual abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.”  Journal H.R. 1829-30, p. 358.

March 30, 1828.  Mr. A.H.  Shepperd, of North Carolina, presented a memorial of citizens of that state, “praying Congress to take measures for the entire abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.”  Journal H.R. 1829-30, p. 379.

January 14, 1822.  Mr. Rhea, of Tennessee, presented a memorial of citizens of that state, praying that “provision may be made, whereby all slaves that may hereafter be born in the District of Columbia, shall be free at a certain period of their lives.”  Journal H.R. 1821-22, p.142.

December 13, 1824.  Mr. Saunders of North Carolina, presented a memorial of the citizens of that state, praying “that measures may be taken for the gradual abolition of slavery in the United States.”  Journal H.R. 1824-25, p.27.

December 16, 1828.  “Mr. Barnard presented the memorial of the American Convention for promoting the abolition of slavery, held in Baltimore, praying that slavery may be abolished in the District of Columbia.”  Journal U.S.  Senate, 1828-29, p.24.

6.  DISTINGUISHED STATESMEN AND JURISTS IN THE SLAVEHOLDING STATES, HAVE CONCEDED THIS POWER.  The testimony Of Messrs. Doddridge, and Powell, of Virginia, Chief Justice Cranch, and Judges Morsel and Van Ness, of the District, has already been given.  In the debate in Congress on the memorial of the Society of Friends, in 1790, Mr. Madison, in speaking of the territories of the United States, explicitly declared, from his own knowledge of the views of the members of the convention that framed the constitution, as well as from the obvious import of its terms, that in the territories, “Congress have certainly the power to regulate the subject of slavery.”  Congress can have no more power over the territories than that of “exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever,” consequently, according to Mr. Madison, “it has certainly the power to regulate the subject of slavery in the” District.  In March, 1816, Mr. Randolph of Virginia, introduced a resolution for putting a stop to the domestic slave trade within the District.  December 12, 1827, Mr. Barney, of Maryland, presented a memorial for abolition in the District, and moved that it be printed.  Mr. McDuffie, of S.C., objected to the printing, but “expressly admitted the right of Congress to grant to the people of the District any measure which they might deem necessary to free themselves from the deplorable evil.”—­[See letter of Mr. Claiborne of Miss. to his constituents published in the Washington Globe, May 9, 1836.] The sentiments of Mr. Clay of Kentucky, on the subject are well known.