Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-01-26

which neither this nor the other House Lad |
any power whatever; and that stop might
be put to that agitation which prevailed in
so large a section of the country; and
which, unless checked, would endanger tie
existence of the Union. That the petitions
iust read contained gross, false, and mali.
cious SANDER on eleven States represented
on this floor, there was no man who IN his
heart could deny. This was, In itself, not
only good, but the highest cause why these
petitions should not be received. Had 1t not
been the practice of the Senate to reject pc.
titons which reflected on any individual
member of their body; and should they
who were the representatives OF sovereign
States, permit petitions to be brought there,
wilfully, y,maliciously, & most wickedly, Sian.
dering so many sovereign States Of this
Union? Were the States to be less pro.
tected than individual members on that floor!
He demanded the question on receiving the
petitions, because they asked for whatswas
q violation Of the Constitution. The ques.
ton of emancipation exclusively belonged
to the several States. Congress had no
jurisdiction on the subject; no more IN this
| District than in the State of South Carolina:
twas question for the individual States to
| determine, and not to be touched by Con,
eress. lie himself we'll understood, ana
the people of his State should understand,
| that this was an emancipation movement.
Those who have moved in it regard this
District as the weak point, through which
the first movement should be made upon
the States. We (said Mr.. c. of the South
are bound to resist it.. We will meet this
question as firmly as if it were the direct
question of emancipation in the States. 1t
is movement which ought to. which must
be arrested, in zmipe, or the; e;glards Of the
Constitution will give way and be destroyed
He demanded the question on receiving tho
/ petjens, because of the agitation which
| would result from discussing the subect.-
The danger to beapprcheaded was from the
/ agitation of the question on that floor: He
did not fear those incendiary publications.
which were circulated abroad, and which
could easily be counteracted. But he dreaded
the agitation which would arise out Of the
discussion in Congress, on thcSsubject. Ey.
ery man knew that there existed 9. body oi
men in the Northern States who were ready
to second any insurrectionary movement OF
1 the blacks; and that these men would beon
the alert to turn these discussions to taeir
advantage. He dreaded the discussion, in
another sense. 1T would have a tendency
to break asundcr. this Union. What effect
would be brought about by the interference
4 of these petitioners Could they expectto
produce a change Of mind in the Southern
people? No, the effect would be directly
the opposite. The more they. were assail-
ed on this point, the more closely would they
cling to taeir institutions. And what would
be the effect on the rising generation, but to
i inspire it with odium against those whose
i mistaken views and misdirected zeal menn-
i ced the peace and security of the Southern
/ States. The effect must be to bring olirin--
I stitutions into odium. As lover Of the
| Union, he dreaded this discussion, and ask,
ed for some decided measure TO arrest. the
course of the evil. There must, there shall
! be some decided step, or the Southern pco-
i pie never will submit. And how are VIC to
treat the subject? By receiving these Pefi-
tons, one after another, and thus tamperinsg,
trifing, sporting with the feelings Of the
South? No, no, no! The aboItionists
| well understand the effectsof such acomse
of proceeding. 1t will give importance to
their movements, and accelerate the ends
they propose. Nothing can, nothing will,
stop these petitions but a prompt and stern
rejection Of them. We must turn them
away from our doors, regardless of what
may be done or said. If the issue must be,
let it come, and let us meet it, as, hope,
we. shall be preparedtesdo. -
4 Mr.. Morris made few remarks, the sub.
stance Of which was, that Congress have
no power to meddle many way with slave
ry in the States but that in the District of
Columbia it has primary and exclusive pow.
er of legislation, and may therefore under
the Constitution regulate or abolish slavery
in that District. -
Mr.. Hill moved to lay the whole subject
on the table, but afterwards withdrew the
motion, lestsuch motion might be deemed
equivalent to a.rejection Of tile petition y !:
Mr.. Porter; of Louisiani, next addressed
the Chair in a speech of some length. :. He
alluded to the former practice in both sHod-
scs of referring petitions on this subject 70
a committee, and thus letting them sleep;
| He would be willing TO continue this pracs
tice, if the distlHbers Of the peace Of the
country would learn alesson to discontinue
their incendiary petitions, but SO far from
this they are becoming more and more bold. !.
1t was evident that they now believed we
are afraid to meet this question. They
must be undeceived. They must betaugbt
at once that on. this subject. Se are deterni.