Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-07-24
FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS, SPY.
MISSOURI TERRITORY.


Jury, from the body of the county aforesaid,
beg leave to present to the honorable court,
that they conceive it not only their privilege
but t heir solemn duty to present all grievances
what ever, of public nature; that among
these the greatest which tn ey have ever wit
messed, and which, through sense of duty to
themselves, and the good people generally of
this territory, they are now constrained, how
ever painfully and reluctantly to animadYert
upon, do present, that the late attempt by the
congress of the United States to restrict us in
the free exercise of rights in the formation Of
q constitution and form of state government
for ourselves, is an unconstitutional and un.
warrantable usurpaton of power over our I'M
alienable rights and privileges as free peo-
pie that these privileges do not now depend
upon the will of congress, or any other power
or body polite whatever, since our cmanci-
patton from British tyranny and oppression,
but were virtually and essentially secured to
us by the original declaration of American In
| dependence, and set forth i'll our bills Of right,
and secured to us by the constitution Of the
United States that it IS a restriction and as
sumption of power never before attempted or
assumed as ii regards any of the other states
or territories, and moreover is violation Of
the third article of the treaty of cesson be-
tween the United States and France, which
guarantees that we shall be maintained and
protected in the free enjoyment of our libcr-
ties and property, and that we shall be admit
ted into the Union upon the same terms, and
with all the rights, and privileges, and immu-
mites ofthe other states.
| Although we deprecate any thing like an
idea of disunion, which, next to our personal
| liberty and security of property, is our dearest
right and privilege-and cannot entertain for
a moment the most distant probability of such
| IL II ,utIy In fox n
y and dignifed stand for our rights and priv
eges, as far as iswarranted by the constitution
of the United States, and the act of cession,
and from which we will not depart. And re-
quest that the clerk Of the court may be di-
rected to hand this to the printers in this town
! publication. Signed By the Jury.
REMARKS.
1.-THE subject of the preceding article
had not become one Of serious moment
to the people of this country, this singu-
lar " presentment" would deserve no
other notice than ridicule. For the
people of Missouri to efafm admission
into an union of governments, whose
fundamental principle is that all men
are born free and equal, and at the same
time to claim the right to hold their TEL
low men in slavery, is no less ludicrous
than preposterous. That slavery is
tolerated in some parts of the territory
included within the bounds of the states
which first entered into union, only
shows that the union was the result OF
compromise and conc essjon; and by IN
means proves that slavery is among
{" the rights and privileges" intended to
be secured to territories which might
| from time 10 time desire to be admitted
into the union. The thirteen states
which formed the union, had, each of
them, right to stipulate for the preser-
| walton, to themselves and their territories,
of their existing privileges. They were
independent sovereigns, treating with
| each other on an equal footing. lndl-
vidual states, therefore, stipulated for the
continuance of slavery in their own ter
ritories. But they did not, and they
could not, stipulate for territories after
wards to be received into the union.
| We trust that in the next congress
there will be no disagreement OF the
two houses on the subject of restricting
slavery in Missouri. II slavery cannot
be abolished in the states in which it
now exists, humanity, the honor OF our
name, the interests of our country, all
| demand that its evils should be circum-
scribed within their present limits
What becomes of our boast, that we
were the first to take measures for the
abolition of slavery, if we will not, when
we have the power, prevent its exten-
sion?
| We cannot conceal our regret, that
any New-Englan members of Congress
should have been found to oppose the
effort, made at the last session, to pre-
serve the immense regions Of the west
free from the pollution of slavery. IL
so triiing subject as the COMPENSATION
Bill called for the animadversion of the
people, ought they to view with compla-
cency the conduct of such of their re-
personalities as voted for the extension
and perpetuation of a system which OUT
RACES humanity, and disgraces the
American character?
This subject brings to mind an attempt
lately made, in the National Intelli-
gencer, to vindicate us from what is
termed the " Islander" Of the Edinburg
Review, in relation to slavery in this
country. The Intelligencer attempts to
repel the F" slander' by retorting it up
on England, and charging her with ha-
wing entailed on us the system of slavery
which we "tolerate from necessity."-
The Boston Yankee, paper with whose