Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-05-17

was taken in the House of Represent af;ves
and failed by one vote--a former decision of
the House, several days previous, having ne
| satIved itby two The advocates for conveu
ton, however, unwilling to be defeated BY this
disunct and second expression OF the will OF
the Legislature, made another, and q more des-
! perate effort TO sustain desperate cause. The
vote of Mr.. Hansen on Tuesday. stood record.
ed against convention. On the morning of
The next day reconsideration of his right to
a seat eyentuates in his removal the introduce
| ton OF MIR. Shaw into the House as member.
| and in the success ofthe convention question:
An exposure, IN manly style, of these
proceedings, by writer in the Illinois
lntellgeneer, produced a resolution in
he House, by vote of II 10 S, that the 3
editors forthwith inform the House who
was the author of the piece signed A. B.
charging the Legislature with corrup.
ton and dishonesty. 1t does not appear,
however, that the legislature yenured
to do more than resolve. The article
concluded in these words" | trust in
Tod he will not permit these fairest por-
Ytions oil his earth, to be trodden for ares
10 come by the foot oil slavery; that he
will not suffer them to be desolated by
the greatest evil that ever escaped from
Pandora's Box. trust there is redesm-
ing spirit in the people Of Illinois--a
deep-toned moral feeling on his sobiect,
which on the day of trial, shall raise its
voice upon the bank Of TIC 0a,. riyeY,
AID proalaim to slaver,, :. Hltheao
shahthou come, ard 10 farther, and here
shall the proud arm ofthy oppression be
stayed.'
We observe in re htion to this subject
the following paragraphs IN the Louis
vile (ky.) Advertiser OF the 18th ult.
" Indiana and Ninois-The people Of these
two rising states will have to determine at the
next election whether they arc in favor ofcall.
ing conventions, TO amend or new model their
constitutions.
"ln Illinois it is well understood, hat the
party in favor OF calling a convention. which
comprises large majority Of the people. are
disposedto advocate the Introduction of slavery
into that State. we understand that some Of
the members IF the Legislature, elected last
year, cpeny aeowel heir OPTIONS on dis in-
tersaa.g aras Oh. nd were elected BY tiium-
~ siH HaJoriiies; and scarcely a doubt exists.
taat IN Illinois the measure in centenplat.o,,
will succeed.
" In Indiana we esteem the result of the
question Tar more doGbtfai indeed we do NOT
know, that the advocates ofa CaBvenfioaip the
last mentioned state, have made any explicit
declaration OF their views on The SUBJECT Of
slavery. few Of her Journals have iakcn
violent stand against it, but most OF them ap-
PEE = so tar, 10 have remained sent.''
he louisville paper obiiqueiy re-
se.nnsends the introduciioa OF slavery
5lnlo both states, and puts this query in
conclusion I;
"Should Indiana and Illinois, in amending
their constitutions, determine to admit slavery,
will Congress attempt, or has the power been
delegated to that body, to legistate them out
ofthe Union :"
We cannot say what Congress will al
tempt, nor would we as yet pronounce
upon the question, whether the degene-
rate states might be legisla,ed ont of the
Union; but in the case Supposed, we
should without hesitation, contend that
they violated The Federal consti-
tuition, besides trampling on the prin-
cples of sound policy and moral du-
ty. What do We find ip the preamble
TO the constitution Of Illinois p" The
people Of the Illinois Territory, having
TIE right II admission INFO the general
government consistent with the constitu-
ton Of The United States, tie ordnance
Vi787, and the law oil Congress, entitled
an act for the admission of Illinois," &c.
&c. Here, we see that the right of
admission is limited, by conformity with
the ordinance of 1897 and we know
thatthe ordinance expressly torbids slave
ry. 1t forms the basis ofthe several acts
of Congress for the admission Of the
States north west of the Ohio; the per-
petnsl exclusion of slavery from that re-
gion was IT'S main object.
We do not wislbto dwell on this SUBJ
Iect at present, because we can scarcely
admit the possibility of the success Of
the neiarious aim in question. That
those parts of the Union, in which the
evil OF negro slavery has been long root
ed, should be resigned or even welded
to it, isnot matter of surprise; but that it
should be spontaneously and deliberately
adopted by any ofthe States which have
been exempt from it, and have had con-
stantly before them practice Illustrations
olits manifold noXiousnoss, inpli de-
gree of infatua,ion, perversion of the
understanding as well as deprivation of
the moral sense, too great 10 be admit
ted unless proved by the act. An indi-
vidual who should of bis own accord and
| Il Il l. l.