Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-01
VIRGINIA R.s.GHsE.A'TE'SsE '.
HOIJSE OF DELEGATES.-Sut"ra"y, JaH' TO-
,rni IrinN RE.;OLuTtONS.
DEFERRED .-[CosrISCED.J

DEFERRED DER.ITE.-[CosrISCED.J
HOUSE OF DELEGATES ut"rA0y, JaH' TO-
ABOLITION RESOLUTIONS.
MIR SUMMERS sa.L that he did not propose gong at
lprre into 4 consideration OF all the topics c"nhee"u
with thcis drtute If he understood correctly 'ie rue
" ncasdpu rs adapted By the Chair, tl.' present
f,, ~. the onIy opportunity which lie would nave, ni
;r;nr the grounds upon which he had, voted against
the amendment offered by the member from Orange
which denied Congress the right under the Ionstltu.
ton +, interfere in any with the existence Ut
,v.rv in the District Of Cuiunbia and which DECLARED
.auv uclnpt Ike part ct Nat body I" Eoerate the
say YES in that District, violation OF The Cohs't"-
ZION He felt anx"uS t. he should not br mlsnnder.
stood on that question, and begged the indulgence OF
the House for very short time, while lit explained
the ground Of his vote, without gong mnutey !nlo all
the reasoning by which IL thought 1t might be suSaI'i'
ed The lacid view OF this question:, taken by the gen
enan from Jefferson, (hlr GrygS) VIII" had just pre-
cedrd him. Mr. s. sald had relieved him tr" the ne
cessity OF entering large upon lis discussion" even II
otherwise he might have considered 1t proper 70 90 So
EIe said that man, here elsewhere would 30 iufte
than himself in deprccating or resisting Tie sctoh oi
Congress upon this subject Against the policy and rX-
peducv of any interference by that body with the gnes
ton of slavery in District oi Columbia, no one coG.1
be more firmly fixed than ir lie CONQUERED most
heartily in the sentiment embodied IN the srcond res"u-
ton of the substitute Offered b. the gentleman lrol
Goochland (Mr. Watknsj-and in the lauguage there
emploved. would ''regard any attempt on MG pnrt u
thai Jody HGerae the s'ares IN "t Oi%Trt as r'"a-
ton Of the rights 0 property, dFe"rh n jdtM t0"FaS
The stare hoiRp S0teS md precursor In $Chcmc or
The ybojiti0u of Slarery az tic southern HatsS He
equally prepared adopt the terms of the seventh reso-
luton in the series originally re"rlcd by the commit
tee which declared, that the action OF Congessupon TINS
subject would be an impticd not direct dsRuncta0m
of The slurc-hotdns States by Tie gorernment thcy hnd
contributed to crcatc-aJordtag just grounds Of "pPre-
hcnsion that future schemes against the rights " nc
sarekodinS States medtated, and rendering Il GER
tau erLd The SchemtS 0trtady Turned, 'cH DC jus
bjrLyI pJ,uf
be curri.d on tcuh and mtSchterO$ act
rifyund SUCCESS" He willing To 30 further, and de-
cure that any the part OF Congress having tors
object The liberation of the slaves in the District OF Co
unba arh0ut tic conSent IF the otcncrS, or tcah"u just
comDcnmoa made them therefor, would lie rtOt0ttOn
of the Conscientious But the resolution under consI-
drratuiI perfected by the amendment OF the ntni'
Der iru.l Orange, denies to Congress the power of
action under any conceivable circumstances wiatsu-
ever and is made TO assert the broad pr"posiuun a,
any Arrrrr! on the part of that body 10 ibrrac The
slaves in tia, District would be ciOatt0n o The (on'
Stu,:oa The gentleman iom Jefferson had sufficiently
shown. ul attempt TO commit an offence was not IL
able To the ceusue could 1t be followed by the pun
ishncnt Inch belonged to the offence when coliIilltrG
lie would not dwell upon the improperly vi language
and averuent which the resolution was thus mace 10 eN-
hbi,, though in themselves sufficient tn warrant the
withholding OF his Appreciation MI B SAID, that wnich
Interpretation OF constitutional law to-day,
must lie true through all time, unless the instrument IT.
self be changed The powers granted thereby cou!o not
be enlarged diminished by circumstances, oul must
remain the same He aware that the human mind,
p,rlaknr largely AS il die Of human nrnltes rarely ar.
rived Mt lis upon any question, speculative or
practical without III degree being either adcu or re-
tared in progress by the influence OF existing cIrcuul'
In enquiry the existence ni power, from
the exercise Of winch q 1t does EXIST we nave reason u
tear evil We have less difficulty III prrsuadng ourselves
that It's claims ale un!unded. The deuia OF power as
asserted in the resolution, was one which had reference
to the iuue as well The present. turbdting to C"n-
gress the rs hit Of nrrrrrMcr not only with the slave
population now in the District but with that which is TO
he there III all future years, by birth or engratlon ana
this whether with or without the consent OF the owners
and whether with without compensation, IN The event
of liberation II now hereafter the entire population
OF that territory, with voice, should ask oil congress
the passare Of act whatever in aid OF their own Wish"
get Of their slave property, such law must br
withheld, tia, ht the true CONSTRUCTION OF lie toiSuu-
ton insisted upon by the resolution in the amended form
II be SAID, that If the owners are des'rols OF ;eeihS
their slaves, and sending them off, they would nave
right TO do So aid conld effect it without The ana
of the Government Suppose them to determine on
this course, and they s'mply pray Congress to en-
act such laws as will prevent the future llgrrSs
OF slaves to that District The power so TO provide
does not exist, accordn. 10 the resolution winch
you have adopted tor, let il be borne IN mind, said Mr.
S. that il is not by individual enanc patton that slavery
could lie abolished in the Dstrlct!at might remove
the present slave PnpuatIon belonging I" the owners
who had thus determined no longer 10 hold ihrl but II
could not prevent me- rs citizen of Virginia, removing
to AleIauGria Washington, and carrying my slaves
with me- This could only Of prevented by law OF Con-
gress prohibiting the further importation OF slaves int
the District. The continued existence of slavery in
that District, then, could only be " by the "t
Congress, not by manunisSon the part of the c,ti-
zens. Could such action the part OF Congress
thus called for and the extent supposed be held
t.vioation OF the Constitution; Such construction
would form most singular commentary Upon the ruth,
of.exclusive jurisdiction the territory in question
Guaranteed 10 the Congress OF the u. States
MIR S. said that however lncxpcdcnL and dangerous
The exercise of such power ghl be regarded hv HIM lie
wss forced to admit that the power 10 anhliale slave
~ in that District ,chuut The consent of the owners, be-
onoed TO Congress, upon their making nSt cOmpen$a
r;u 70 such owners tor the slaves liberated. 1t
10 repeat his utter aversion to such
bis conviction that in all probability, 1t would lead 10
dissolution OF the Union itself In voting upon the rso
luton referred to- could have nothing To co WIN TIT
one.on of policy or mpocy, which belonged to the er
rrc;.. Of the power We compelled to affirm OF de
nv the of the naked power ITSELF apart from al
tbs benefits or misclefs which might spring from
nroner or improper Of 1t When, II ever, the I'M
n,oppr and dangerous exercise OF the right shall be re
or,ed 10 by the Federal Government he said, his hum
Bic Efforts would be found sustaining Southern interests
nd Southern principles. hence comes the power o
S,noreas over the District Of Columbia and what is ts
ev,ents The eighth section OF The first article OF The
adopted in l7oS among other things
rov;des that the Cungess shall have power to exercise
t.;rs iegsluton tn all cases 1ohatSocrsr over such
D;.,r;ct fpot exceeding ten miles square) as may, by
cession of particular States, and the acceptance OF Co
,ress become the seat OF government Of Inc
f. had hepn fund absolutely necessary 10 the due ano
n,onrr administration Of the Federal government not
nny that more central situation should oe ootainsu
-: ,dirfjon Shclont el1Nl