Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-11-26

ne constitution gives Congress authority
10 admit new states into the Union and i,
requires that there sbonld be guaranteed to
every state republican form OF governm.n Mt"
The treaty Of cessiOn Of Louisiana stipulates
Tor the admission OF the inhabitants INTO the
Union according Co the principles OF the federal
constitutions. Hence. ~ is inferred. that their
IiEht 10 admission is obsotase, and that the pow
ef OIL Congress is limited 10 d single enquiry,
respecting the form of gorernmeit
AZ TINS iaterence were true, we should sub-
WI III Siience, but with sorrow and have only
10 regret that the good men who framed the
constitution, had in this particular los not only
uheir moral sentiments. bat their political
forecast, and withheld from the charter of our
onioh, u principle, vitaiy essential To justice
anu IT'S own perpetuity
ihey were not thus blind. They found the
eNii Oh slavery in existence and i'm strength
III could not be eradicated al once but couIJ he
clfcumScrihed and restrained aud time would
pave Tie way for tie introduction of more pow
eitni ana controlling laws. They therefore
"s' JARED III reference to the domestic condition
VI slavery as well as the slave trade, " tina, the
migration aud importation or such persons as
any OF 'he states now existing, shall think pro-
per TO admit, shall not he prohibited by the
N9neress prlor to the year lSOS"
Tue iighi ts prevent the migration of slaves
ieH,s upon the same basis with the right to
prevent their importation /; and the more e,fcc-
'uaiIy TO contiue the evil within the Limits
where II was then found, the prohibition was
-" Nbihucu " tue SlatpS men glfSfIlip. Over
tne territories and The new states that might
thereafter he formed, the authority of Con-
sVesS was lett absolute; and in the undispu,4d
nercise OF that authority, the importation of
saves mo tAe Mississippi Territory, from
abroad was prohibited in l7gS the entire ev-
clnsion of slavery from the Nortlwes,crn
ieffitory re-contirmed in 1889 and subse-
gmehtiy, from the latter territory, the state, of
Chl0, isdlanaand Illinois were admitted iuto
.ne chioh we therefore are fully convinced
fIsa,
Congress 10 prohibit the Introduction of sla-
very ihto any ot the new states or territories
ana that ~ rs competent for them to enforce
snch prohibition by the legislative acts under
Union. ~ ~ 'ie
we torbear TO esnmerate which we might
saN'y 20, oiher constitutional considerations
tea"i'ig 10 The same result. We forbeer also
~ ehIdfse ON the impoicy of our southern
"'e'hIth IN wishing TO extend an evil-tle r. r
foiS OF which they even acknowledpe In he
"Pp"ii"S-ahd 10 lose their safeguard AGAINST
.he dangers OF some future serriie war. which
Iney VIII look for in vain unless the western
states are peoplcd exclusively nv q race of
lteemen. Nor shall we dweII mon Tho ini,S.
"ce oil inrther extending that principle of re-
presentation, That was granted in . sniri, nj
concession by which freemen are lerislatcd
TOT though votes derived from the possession
Va ".d'es. we fetl constrained. however I'm
declare, in relation TO all the cons,J, rationS
connected win this subject that i'm ouropinisn
Inc dictates OF sound policy. the PRINCIPLES of
morality, AID the best interests of the ma
t =, imre.ions!y urge the inIerdc,ion OF the
'"I '"ef PROFESS OF slavery in our country.
y maJOriIy Of the Legislature m both Louses
OF congress represent states from which slave
n may be considered az excluded; and we
atdeHiy hope that more OF their representa-
u'es VIII assist IN LAYING the foundations and
rearing IN 'ab'ic of that ininstice i'm other
states which they have so nobIv nros,rsted
aud demolished in their own.
MATTHEW GARRISON.
Chairman