Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-12-31
VOL. XEV....JvO. AZ


moderation supernduced by an active CONNECT.
ton. Indeed, the Post Office law, so far as i re.
"'cs to the advertising and making Of contracts,
Is prcdicaled upoR the expectation that there
would be general competition for them, and
does not provide for cases where the Department.
has TO deal with monopoles, such state Of
things having then been anticipated.
new question has arisen in the administration
OF tins Department. number Of indvi.luaIs
have established an assooia on in Inc Northern and
Eastern States, and raised a large sum Of money.
Tor the purpose OF clceiing the immediate abolition
OF Slavery IN the southern States. One Of the
means r'sorted to has been tho printing a Isres
mass ri newspapers, pamphlets, tracts and alms.
macs containing exaggerated and in some instances
'asc accounts, OF tho treatment of slaves, Illustrated
with cuts calculated to operate the passions Of tho
coorcd men. and produce disconte nt assassination
and >crsc war. These they attempted to dissen mi
nate throughout the savc-hoIdng States, by tho ~
Grncy OF the public mails
Us soon as It was asccriaincd that the mails
contained these productions, great excitement q.
rose, particularly IN Charleston, :. c., and, to
ensure the safety Of The mail in its progress sou,l,-
ward The postmaster at that place agreed to re.
tam them IN his office until he could obtain in
stn'ct'ons from the Postmaster Gcpcral. In re-.
ply to ms appeal lie was informed that it was .
subject upon Which the Postmaster General had
no legal authority 10 instruct him. The question
again came up from the Postmaster ut New York.
who bad refused to send the papers by the steam.
boat mail To Charleston, ). G.. lie was also an.
s"rrcd that the Postmaster General possessed no
legal auhorl, to give instructions On the subject;
bo as the undersigned had no doub, ,ha, the cir
'nnsancos of the case justified the detention Of
the papers, he did not hesitate 10 say 80. Impor.
an' principles sro involved in This question, and Il
mers the grre consideration Of all d parimcnts Of
the Governments
1t is universally conceded that our States are
united only for certain purposes There are
interests, IN relation TO which they arc believed TO
be as indcprdrnt Of each other as they we're be.
tore the Constitution WAS formed. The interest
which the people OF some oi tho States have IN
slaves Is one Of them. No State obtained by tho
Union any right whatsoever over slavery in any
Other State, nor did any State lose any of its pow
or over II, within lis own borders. On this SUBJ
eot. therefore, his view he correct, the States
are stu independent, and nny fence round aud
protect llcr interests i'll slaves. b, such laws
and regulations as in their sovereign will they n,sy
deem expcdicnt.
NOT have the people Of one State any moro
right To interfere nth Tins subject in another State,
tlan they have to interfere with the Internal re.
euldionN, rights oi property or domestic police Of
foreign nation. If they were to combine and
send papers among the lah' ring population Of an.
other nation, calculated TO produce discomfort and
rebellion. their conduct would be good ground Of
complaint on the part Of that naion and in case
II were not rcprcsscdly the United States, might
hc, If prcscr,nply persisted ill., just cause of war.
The mutual obligations of our several States 10
suppress attacks by their citizens on each others
reserved tights and interests, would seem to be-
greater, because, by entering into the uuion.-
they have lost The right of redress which belong Ia
I,ll,y ,,t.t.,,
he set up or maintained. 10 right of free dis
enssion .%nhin their own borders, of the nstitu.
lions and laws Of other communities, over which
Ihcy have no rghiiul control, few will maintain
that they have right, unless i, be obtained by
compact or treaty, to carry on such discussions
within those communities, either ornllv or BY the
distribution OF printed papers particularly If il bo
IN violation Of llcir peculiar laws, and 1T the ha.
aard OF th'irp peace and existence. The constitu--
ion OF the United States provides that E" the eiti-
hcns ofcach STATE shall be- entitled to all privileges L.
mmnoliics OF citizens in the several States" but
this clause cannot oonirr on the ciiizens Of ono
State higher privileges and mmuni,ics in another.
han the citizens .ofthc latter themselves possess.
u ~ not easy, therefore, 10 perceive how the c-
zeis OF the Northern States can possess, claim.
he privilege of carrying on discussions within Inc
Southern States, by the distribution of printed
papers, which the citizens of Tie latter are forbid
den to circulate by their own laws
Nclther DOES ii appear that The United States
acquired, 10y the constitution, any power whatso.-
"'tI over tins SUBJECT, except right to prohibit
Ihe importation OF slaves after a certain date. On
Tho contrary, that instrunni contains evidences.
that ono object of the Southern States, in adopting
It, was to secure 10 themselves more perfect
control over this interest, and cause il 10 be res
pcctcd by the sister States. In the exercise of
their reserved rights and for the purpose of pro.
tcciing TIN, interest, and ensuring the safety of
heir people. some OF the States have passed laws
rrohbine, under heavy penalties, the printing or
circulation of papers like those in question, within
rier respective territories. 1t has never been a..
legged that these laws Incompatible with the
constitution and laws Of The United States Nor
does it seem possible tina, they can be so, because
they relate To n subject over which, the United
States cannot rigln.ully assume any control under
that constitution, either BY law or otherwise, II
these principles be- sound, it will follow that the
State laws ON this subject are, within The scope 81
their jurisdiction, the supreme laws of the land, OBJ.
gatory alike nll persons, whether private citi.
zcns, officers of the State, functionarcs Of the
General Government.
I The Constitution makes it the duty of the Uni
ted States ito protect each ofthe State. against
invasion and, on application of the Legislature.
or ofthe Executive, (~len the Legislature cannot
be convened, agans, domestic violence" There
Is no quarter whence domestic violence is SO much
to he apprchended IN some Of the States, rs front
the scr,,le population, operated upon by mistaken
e. dc> ing men. III is ubyiatc tlapOcr