Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-26
's'sse Richmond SS'snS@.
Speech ofJAMES MCDOWELL, Ir. of
Rocllbridgc, OH the ''Slavc Questions"

wanahjp OF his own han,ls-to the very commodity
the very property by which hc intended to aid and
accommodate his person. No Government will do
iaiS-no government can DO ii. Constituted to
Protect property On!y it the If per-
sans, government cannot protect it 10 the extent
al banging those persons into danger. Bat, sir.
the danger from an unchecked accumul ltion of
our slaves Is, on all hands, acknowledged. Then
may that danger and i'll the very way i'll which it
arises, tic Justly prevented There is sacred
ness III this property which is equal to the sacred
ness OF personal sccurty-no right in it which
must not weld when its continuance would subject
that security to hazard. The tcnuro of i; is for
good--not for cvil-tor tho general benefit o..
society, not for its cndangcrins its calamity.
No one DISCUSSES the danger of this property
that 1t Is inevitable or that ii is increasing How
then is the Government to aver; IT? BY precau.
ionary and preventive Legislation or by permit
ting it to ''grow with growth" until ii becomes
inoerable and then correcting II by tho sword
In the one way or the cthcr-by the peaceful pro-
cess Of Legislation the bloody one of tho bayo.
nct-our personal and public security must be
maintained against the dangers of this property:
either the right to acquire retain il must be qua
lIcd by some limitation of time or service which
shall have the effect of diminishing it's increase
or all restraints upon it abandoned and the coun-
try be made to depend upon tho final remedy of
force. An unlimited right to the purchase and the
possession OF the slave cannot but favor tho pro-
grcSs OF his numbers to aggregate so formi,ia.
bic us may place the safety OF the Commonwealth
IN his actual and violent cXtirpation The Claim
10 property cannot balance, much less, cancel the
CAIN TO security and when the two come into col
lS'on, as come they must if things continue as they
arc, then the property must yield and the claim to
security must be satisfied should il require the inl
mediate and total abolition of its adversary.
Let 1t not be said that this is the extreme case
tho very one 10 which the law of necessity an
piics-thc very one, which is admitted to sanction
Ii circumstances require it, tho suppression of pro
pcrty rights, why await the sure arrival of that
day when these rights may have to be annul!cd
without any reservation whatcvcrl Why not an
uclpatc 1t 10y suitable regulation of them and
and thereby save them, if they are so hiuhly va
luc1, from Instruction.
Sir, this "srpreme Ia,r" of the public safety
which is thought to arise only when a State is in
actual Jeopardy of life and limb and is then so Mo
nary for all the purposes Of dcfcncc-this law is
best understood when it is believed TO possess pre-
vcntivo as well remedial agencies 1t is thus
understood and applied, already stated between
nations-t would be no less correctly understood
and applied to all cases of domestic policy. Thcrc
exists no Just reason why this law is not as oblica
tory upon Govcrnmcnt-not as supreme over all
who are charged with its administration to pro
vide against any forcsccn and probable event which
will put the public safety to hazard as to provide
Tor The restoration of that safety when the hazard
sha! have been incurred.
9 1t would he easy to enlarge Il on this point but
i trust that enough has been said TO sustain the
principle assumed, that it is the right and duty of
every community to qualify, limit and prescribe the
terms on which property shall he held by its citi.
zcns and therefore, the duty of the citizen to sub
NIT his prosperity, at all times, TO this reserved
right OF control in his government Were this
principle false one and the opposite of it true,
then 1T would follow, that whenever property is
"I'cc introduced mt" comuIunity---ii introduced
through u consent casually given through igno-
rance OF It's qualities or through the suggestions
OF temporary convenience ncccsSitatc, as is
known to have been the with our slave pro.
pcrty--lt introduced, no matter how and no matter
what he It's character, il is forever after INTANGIBLE
not subject to rcsraint--not subject to rcnova
but vested private right, & therefore too sacred 10
he touched Call 1t but private property and be il
ever so evil, you ondow it according to this Drnc
PIE with perpetual IMMUNITY. Let it be gifted
with nothing but Observation-Disclosures as the ina ri
nation can paint 1.-THE very 'smoth and rust,
which corrupteth and cndangercth socictv--tbc
source OF sorrow and dissenSion-if it be once al.
lowed as property you cannot recall it--you can
not mitigate 1t; restraint upon it would be profa
ndt!on--control would be tvranny--vou must pcr
NIT IT and cherish 1t if it were a blcssinr--vou
must endure 1t in despite Of its evil despite of its
tcrrorS-you cannot you dare not intcrDosc ,till
your existence is at stahc-ti fear and dancer have
lett YOU no choice but choice between the cyt;nc
ton OF the property or the extinction of the State
Maintain the inviolability of property without rc
ference to its its effects and this &c thc ruo
strous result. If it happens to be dangerous ono
violence and force the only remedies which rc
allowed. Surely can adopt the principle
which fairly applied and extended, leads TO his
Icsult--dnd yet tins is the principle, contcndcd
tor. Under this principle slavery is held to he OK
tlnguIshobIe but no otherwise than by insurtcc
ton and blood; under that, which | have attempt
ed to support, it is held to be cxiinruishabIc also
but by gradual legislation, which, operating on its
future increase, shall qualify and limit it accord.
ing to the demands of p ,bc sacty.-Tbe slave
cohSiGcrcn as person multiplying more rapidly
than his owner and soon destined TO outstrip him
IN number--is a dangerous property and if the
"|Ti"S PoPHt," the "suprcme law of public safe
W be correctly understood as comPrehcnding a
power to provide against a danger to the public
security from an anticipated occurrence email,
with power TO preserve that security when ~
occurrence toroSecn has actually trunspircd--and
this understanding Of 1t is uuGuos;ionaby the true
onc-ihcn IS slavery as properly the subject of
present regulation of future force and nav be
restrained in It's future increase in lust consistcn
cy with an admitted aud fundamental principle in
every g3ycrHHcDt3
After this argument it may be urne ccssary 10 say,
that there IS IN my Judgment nothing wrong in the
post nai OF aitor.boFn principle which has been
presented on tins subject, by HE gentleman (Nr
Randolph from Albcmlrlc. decline, however.
expressing any opinion, none bCIDg called for &C To
we terms or manner in which he proposes 10 car,
Ty that principle INTO effect.
n contemplation of this subject Mr. Speaker,
mas cd to much remark the dangers Of slavery:
'hef' dlH.'r and lIvcry, are, in truth rScparable
-th" co1couIiants OF each other under all cir
cnmsianras, and arc peculiarly associated under
those IN which 1t is hereafter tobc tolerated in Viz
una I'M gcuilomCn assure us thlt this DANGER
is 'HT, Tar OF. ask thom TO say when ;lcv Will
consider II as cErstrng7 VIII they understand if
I" eN~Si some ~ years hence when, according to
'ho statistics Of tho gentleman from Dnwiddie
'1"' h''InAA) the slave population, all other
'hng~ Tomuung ~ they low are, will exceed
t"d' OF The white man in this state by some 300 or
moro iHyHsIad2 No sir, not then for this u,r,c
Hca' #J"riy will weigh nothing against tho in.
''."Ho"o' ana resources and military skill by
which, IN nny struggle 1T viii be easy to ovcrpov;
or 1t. VIII ,hny understand it to o. ist should the