Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1836-03-29

j A.
.,ae,,',,n IA The s.tu.ioned fotms Vt proceeding
aud ,haeeh It ma, be formal sud ic hnics' cnm.
/ plt,ces ~ib The Consultation it is bfcr AL, ~
every practical and r.-eni,sl pntposc cqai,sen, Ia
r...~,ou OF the peiiii,,a lt-clE II wc are honul
! 10 receive w. are bound To bear aud considei and
| On abrupt aud premature fcIec,inn oi the prayer
If tho peiirion II mol a dcnia, of the thing be-
longing TO toe right which az any importance.
| WLrn PETITIONS pre dccorous IN their langna-
&C. aud cnhinin nothing which can b" Justly deem.
ed Intentionally offensive when they come from
pefsois competent t. renilon and treat ui subjects
npnn which /. Is cnmpe'ent ior Congress 10 act. !
J hold that We buund Ia receive Them, aud give
them a respectful cunsidsra,icn. No petition, in
my opinion, ought to be rejected or can constitu,l
rually BE- rejectod aud reused hearing, on account
ct the nature of the su6'cf Of which II tttats, un-
loss the subject be ojypusly and unqucstiUnsbiy
beyond the constitutional power of Congress- -
With this limitation Of he right it belongs, aud
must, from the very natire Of the right necessat.
~ belongs exclusively e Inc petitioners themselves
To ind,c Of the ubleci matter. II Congress can
discriminate between t,e sobjrcls, and say that
upon SUBJECTS petriuns may b. received but uopn
Others they shall nuS bereccived what ask, be
comes of the rightto petition, what is the night
worth IL VIII he IN vain, sir that We acknow-
ledge the right, 7 We thus limit its extent, if we
thus control u. exercise.
These preliminary u"tions for can call them
nothing else - directly. 1t appars to me- 10 impair
to narrow, and obldye The right. If we really
mean that tho righ, shall be enjoyed in lis ia,
lie legitimate extcai, shall forbcar to embarrass
it, TO rcudor ii nugsiory, by questions of this sort
We shall rather treat tie petitions, as think we
are bound TO treat them, and as they have always
heretofore been treated according 10 the ordinary
rules and usages 81 parliamentary bodies IN such
cases.
regret exceedingly the harsh expressions which
gentleman have th,ugh, fit to apply to the petition
ers. They have b,en denounced as incondlarics:
they have be, clnrged with criminal, with trca
sonabie intentions; with intentions to excite ser
vile war, and subject the whole Southern country
to pllage. havoc, and devastation. Sir. we are
ap: to fall into the ery common error Of suppos-
ing that all who differ from us, especially on sub
jrcls Of M interesting and exciting nature, do 60
from unworthy nt,t,e, aud no from bones, con.
yictlnn. W. .ptc f ne persons who hav.
sigocd poiluoo. on ,Ai. snjlec am well acqnain,
eo- b1oA tlers 10 oc iuieiiigeo', po;tinrc, high
iy Respectable. ihei proposition, ,rag he strong.
IS stated; then a'tumrnt ma, ,e cold. thci- .llns
''atuas tna! be sued 90 ife taste or tho Judo.
mcni Of aosc vbaee opinions ;hay oppose: ba:
that all, the wiI'Je coio.iur9, proceeds ifon
consciousness on their pnG, oil d2ng and saying
what is r,Ghi | neither have nor can entertain
my dnuh,
Wnh me, sir, i, dos not admit of question
that the petitioners beheve sin ccrcy believe " hat
they profess to think hat the honor of the country
the prosperity of the country, the bes, and highest
IN erests Of liberty and humanity, are involved in
this question. II they are wrong in their opinions
or express them with too much huldaess and in
dependence, the fanlt If it be one,i to DC found in
The institutions ct the cotntry; in the evil aud
political principles of The country; in the educa
lion of the country. II io from these source, thai
the petitioners have i,nhibeI their opinions as well
as the spirit which prompts them To express them
with manly irced"m: and, SIR YOU cannot by any
law you can make, or by any vote which may be
here given. reprcss restnin, the free expression
ct their opinions, any more Than you can stop or
cheek, by legal enactment, legal coercion the
course aud current Of their thoughts. Ii wouldl
be unwisc to attempt to do so. We sboolJ rather
treat them as they have heretofore been treated
we should resort To do extraordinary meosures.-
We should observe the ordinary rules and USAGE.
OF this body aud permit the petitions, as usual to
go 10 committee. This l., not only the i,s
constitutional course but the course in N, opinion.
enJ"lned upon us by every consideration Of policy
as well as of dJty.
Sir, upon the constitutional question whether
Congress has power 10 abolish slavery in this Dis
'fict, We had some dayf ago, a very compact and
ihciigiblc argument from the Senator from V,r
gina; aud from the known ability and habits of
close and through research of The Senator we have
night 10 presume and. indeed must presume tha,
every consideration was presented. ia snppprt oil
his doctrine, of which the subject is susceptible
Although the lucid simplicity the exact and elo
qn'nt breyity Of his style aud reasoning interested
ana charmed me much, tho Senator must mar
iod me If say that hs argumcn, failed to convince
me.
TWO propositions were rallied upon as the pin
cIple basis of the argument. IL was insisted first
that the act Of cession Of Virginia expressly in
'crdicted the exercise Of the power Of Con
gress.
The act, after cedng the territory and rellnqush-
20 to the o. States "absOiute night and eNclu- |
,iyc jurisdiction over IT," provides "ihat nothing
iereiu contained shnll be constructed 10 vest IN he
L. States any right of property IN the soil, or to
effect the rights of individuals therein otherwise
ham the same shall or may be transferred by such
To the l.. s."