Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-15

course Of ilr coumcn iaw, AND iliC laws
aud usagcS IN farce in said territory 10
ihs benefit Of tile writ of haheas corpus
! In all criminal cases, the trial shall be by
iu,y, ofgood and lawful men ofthe ,icin.
| ag'. All persons shall be bailable, unless
for capital offences, where the proof
shall be evident or the presumption great.
All fines shall be moderate. and no cruel
! or unusual p1nlshmen, shall be inflicted.
No man shall be deprived of his life, Ii
berty, or property, but by The Judgment
OF his peers, or the law of the land. II
the public exigencieS require, for the
common preservation, TO take the pro-
perry %! any person, or 10 demand his
particular services, full compensation
shall be made for the same. No ex post
tac!o law, or law impaiing The obligation
OF contracts, shall be made. No law
shall be made which shall lay any person
under burden or disability, on account, of
his religious opinions, profession, or mode
ell worship, in all which lie shall be tree
10 maintain his own, and moi burhened
for those OF another. Religion, morality,
and knowledge, being necessary 10 good
Vrrnmeni and The happiness of man
KIND, schools and the means of education
stall BE- encouraged aud provided for
from The pubic lands of The U. States,
IN SAID territory, IN such manner as Con
Sress may deem eXpedIeni.'
Here are some OF the essential princ"
pies OF civil aud religious liberty, secured
to the territory by statute. Trey are, as
lar as they go, the principles OF the ordi-
nance OF 81 but They are merely sialu
tory, and not compact and if tIiey be
omitted IN the constitution Of the new
state, they cease 10 have effect. 1t has
hitherto been the unvarying policy, III
admitting new states, 10 make these fran
ct!srs matter of Interchangeable compact.
lhe idea Is somehow entertained, that
stale, once establishing the iuSl pru.
ciples OF civil liberty, may at pleasure
wlihdra" the security on which she has
placed them; and, of course, religious
liberty also. Ii this be the fact, we are
not so Tar removed from tyranny aud OPP
preston as | have hoped and b. lieved US
TO be. Can Vermont, New Hampshire,
Pennsylvan or Ohio, authorize and cs-
tabiish slavery! hold, the idea is wl,h-
oui foundation. Such power in the
constitutions OF all these states, is held
to be Incompatible with the nature of
Legislative trust, and is excepted out of
the powers OF government. would gladly
give Missouri the same franchises Penn
sy.vania enjoys, whose humble represeii-
tallve | stand here, and whose rights as
member OF the federal union, annot
abandon on any plea of conpeniency TO
Missouri. do not deny PENNSYLVANIA
has her slaves-but her laws have allowed
no child born since 1880, 10 be held as
slave. In pursuance OF the declaration
OF independence; she has acted on the
LA hnf oil
she has broken The rod oil oppression on
Inc altar OF justice, and the opprcssor
has disappeared before her uncrealing
word.
Mr.. President, if this amendment is TO
be rejected, il must be either on the
ground OF a want of power To arrest The
evil of slavery, through the operation
OF the constitution, or The treaty, or
irom uncomfortable necessity. 4 irusl
II will be- found the Constitution Imposes
It's adoption the treaty uues not touch tn,
case, and there exists no necessity to ex-
tend slavery III any future admission OF
States. There Is no ground on which
slavery can be extended IN Gliss0n7I, than
Will not apply to the whole region YVES,
OF The Mississippi, and here what an
abyss for reiieclion opens ! Shall we
depart from those truths that lighted
our fathers TO Independence au,i liberty {?
and 10 what end! Surely not for a0y
other but unavoidable necessity. That
nsceSslty, | am Coatid NJ, will not be
found 10 exist; and therefore hope this
fearful policy viii not be pursued, of ex-
tending, to endless generations, the evils
OF slavery over the VI ely spreading Ter
rltory beyond The Mississippi. pro
missed you, sir, IN The ouise', To avoid, If
possible, Z course of observations thai
might awaken feelings OF heat, impaii-
ence, and unkindncss, without necessity.
Tie proposition advocate is founded
TOO much IN Truth and reason, 10 admit
The language OF elimination and reproach
IN The discussion if. As far as human
iral!iy would allow me, hope nave kept
my faith. On a former dav, NV friend
from Virginia, (Mr. Barbour,) seemed 10
incline to the opinion that men had dege.
nerated since The formation Of our con.
stllulon. Prosperity is tr, ing season
TO virtue, bW sill hope tie vigor OF
our principles wIIl be found unimpaired.
In this, as III another jurisdiction, it max
be wise TO commence the contest viii
missiles. For the present, / am disposed
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