Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-04
VIRGINIA EEiGESElATEEREi.
DEFERRED DEB.7TE.-[CoSrrsuEp.l
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.-.aonday, Jan. II

DEFERRED DEB.7lE.-lCoSTINUED
HOUSE OF MISUNDERSTANDING, jan II.
ABOLITION RESOLUTIONS
Mr. PARKER said 1 rejoice very much that l called
upon the gentleman from Mcckenburg (Mr. Garland)
to give the House reasons tor his proposed
amendment. When it was offered, most profound and
awful silence pcrvadcd the House, though
mighty evil had fallen upon it. Seeing this felt II TO
be my duty 10 call upon the gentleman for reasons And
sir if he should have better for other amend
uents he may concmr!lte offering would recommend
to him to cease his opposition to the report Of the
mice His for prcferring the proposed substi
tute have been completely demolished by the gentle
man from Richmond that lie does not dare 10 vnd!cate
thcn-but has changed his ground lie tells u.s. that our
rights may be invaded by The citizens of other States
without. violation Of the Constitution. But, what is
the right which he alludes: Hs resolution does not
that we have right TO hold slave property,
and 10 control and leg lslae upon it, under the Com
sltution Nor does he advance that opinion. Now
Sir what does the resolution which he seeks to strike
out declare? Why, sir, that Virginia alone has the
right to egsatc upon the subject OF slavery within her
lim,s-a right which is recognized and guaranteed by
the Constitution Of the United States and that all inter
ference Herewith by the General Government the other
States, the citizens of those States, and is invasive Of
the rights Of the States and violates the obligations of
the Constitution Docs the gentleman mean BY his mo.
tion to deny this constitutional guarantee Docs he
to say to The people of the North that the interior
by the citizens Of the other States with this subject
within the limits Of Virginia, IS not violation Of the
obligations OF The Constitutions Such is the plain and
obvious inference to he drawn from his amendment in
consequences of the omission it of declaration of
constitutional rights Now, not only agree 10 the prin
cpes asserted in the resolution the gentleman wishes
jected but am DESTROYS to remind the Northern people
OF their constitutional obligations and TO announce to
them what acts believe violation OF them. Let US,
as often bring TO the recollection OF our North
ern brethren the undcniable TRUTH that they are bound by
the Constitution to refrain from interference with our
social condition. But il they shall forget their du.
ty-if this warning shall not induce them to provide
for security, |, for one, am ready to resort to
stronger Observation-Disclosures they may be Of that kind
contemplated by the gentleman from Mecklenburg,
in such event. l cannot say. 1t seems to me
idle TO say, that interference with slave proper
ty may be violation Of rights and not a violation
Of the Constitution. We believe that those rights
guaranteed to us by the Constitution: and why should
we carry home TO the bosoms Of brethren this
important prncpc Can there be any lection to this
declaration' Certainly not to those who believe our
right 10 slave property constitutional right
l understand (suid MIR. P( the gentleman from
Mecklenburg TO deny our right 10 call upon the
slave.holdng States 10 pass laws FOR the suppression Of
the inccndary and sedtous associations existing within
those States.
Mr.. GARLAND said, we had such right because
the Northern States had not the constitutional
suppress such societies.
MIR. PARKEH-Ies, sir, the gentleman not only says
have right to make the demand but that the
slave.holdng States possess constitutional power to
comply with it. This is surrcndcring the whole ques-
ton He not only gays So in explanation, but he has
to-day declared, that the nslave holding States have
much right TO suppress, by law, the female sewing
societies for charitable purposes within their limits
TO suppress these inccndary aud scdous assucia IONS
While the ladies of the North attend to their appropriate
duties, | would not have their governments Interfere
but when they shall abandon their shuttle aud dslatf,
and mngle in the internal ianatcisn which aims blow
at safety and happiness vii! denuunce them, aud
invoke the punishment upon them from The 60.
vernmcnts under which they live as would upon the
lcss fair portion OF the creation The gentleman from
Mecklenburg, was member of the Committee, at
public meeting in his county, which prepared and
reported to that meeting the resolutions connected with
this subject beg leave TO call the attention of the
House to one OF these resolutions, 10 shew how ut
terly inconsistent is the opinion now expressed by
the gentleman with that asserted in the resolution
to which | refer " Resolved, That we cordially re-
spond TO the sentiments and resolutions of fel
low-citizens Of Richmond, expressed by public
meeting i'll that City, on the 18th instant, and that We
will firmly cooperate with them, and with our t--
lowcitzens Of the South generally in such measures
as may secure the undisturbsd enjoyment of COM
mon rights To understand fully what is here de-
clared, let inc call the attention of the House the I'd
Resolution of the citizens of R;ehmond-it is in these
words Resorcd, That have us claim on all the
Notwithstanding States for the enactment of suitable
and ebeen a'es TO rneSS and PIT dozen Ly ADEQUATE pen
allies, all ncsnatdry and sedous ossoctuous " hose
avewed purpose is 10 disturb peace and excite n,pr
recton among slaves; and eonGdcuiv rein on Tn.
oisdom and trmneSS OF the General Assembly by pro
per appeal to those Salcs TO procure pass1y. Of such
lo,cs wish the House and the people to seq how IN,
present opinions of the gentleman stand in relation to
this subject What appears 10 the gentleman not
sanctioned oy The Claims VI right or the authority of the
Constitution. he assisted as member Of the committee
in asserting BY the Meckleburg Resolution. Where is
the genleman's consistency On the one hand we have
his declaration at the Neckcnburg meeting, that the Peo
pie of this State have just claim upon the nonslave
holding States to suppress these wicked combinations of
their citizens by penal enactnents and the other his
declaration repeatedly and deliberately made to-day that
we have no such claim, because the non slave hoaing
States possess no such power thus TO suppress these
socations There is, it is true, consistency in this
for IT they have not the constitutional power TO pass
such laws, we have just claim upon them to do So
1t would be- indeed perfectly idle and ridiculous in US to
assert claim tor protection upon those having the
constitutional power to give il. And the absurdity of
the gentlemans change of opinion is wn in the in
eontroverGle TRUTH that declaration that you have
right to make demand is concession that those on
whom the demand made have the power to grant what
is demanded. And does the gentleman mean to saw,
that the members Of the Mecklenburg meeting were
guilty Of this idle and ridiculous assertion of unjust
claim Sir, what magical influence has seized pom the
gentleman, that he thus renounces the principles main
tanned by bis own constituents in public meeting'