Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-06-09

The Joint resolution from the Senate authorizing
the President of the United States TO cause rations
TO be distributed 10 suffering ugitves from Indian
hosillltieS in Alabama and Georgia, being under
debate
MIR. ADAMS rose, and after some preliminary
remarks, complaining OF the manner in which this
appropriation had been asked for, &c. &c. during
which he was several times called TO order, he
proceeded thus
return tolny first position, thai thctc are two
classes OF powers vested by the Constitution OF the
nited States in their Congress anu lyecnti,e
Government the powers 10 be exercised IN Time
of peace, and the powers incidental 10 m0r Tha,
the powers OF peace limited by provisions with
in the body OF the Constitution l.cll but that the
powers OF war are limited aud regulated onl, b,
the laws and u>agcs of nations There are, IN
deed, powers oil peace conferred upon Congress,
which also come within the scope and jurisdiction
OF the laws OF nations, such rs the negotiation OF
treaties OF amlt> aud commerce, the interchange
o public ministers and eonsus, and all the person
al and social intercourse between the individual in
habants of the United States and foreign nations,
and the Indian tribes, which require the nterpo-
silion of any law. But the powers of war are all
regulated by the laws Of nations, and are subject
to no other limitation. 1t is hy this power that
am justified in voting the money OF my constituents
for the immediate relief OF their fellow citizens sui
icring with extreme necessity even Tor subsistence
by the direct consequence of an Indian war. Upon
the same principle, your conSuls in foreign ports
are authorized 10 pIovid, for the subsistence OF
sedmcn in distress, and even for their passage to
their own country.
And it was upon that same principle that voted
against the resolution reported by the slavery
ron - ri I'm
tional authority to Interfere, IN 0RQ rdU, with the
institution of slavery in any of the States of this
Contcdcracy," TO which resolution most of those
with whom usually concur, and even my own
colleagues in tins House, gave thcir assent. do
not admit that there Is, even among the peace
powers Of Congress, such authority; but in mdr
there are man, ways by which Congress not only
have the authority, but are bound 10 interfere with
the institution OF slavery in the States. The exist
ing law prohibiting the importation Of slaves into
the United States from foreign countries, is Itself
interference with the Institution OF slavery in
the States. 1t was 50 considered by the founders
of the Constitution Of the United States, in which
it was stipulated that Congress should not inter
icre in that ray, with Iii" institution, prior to the
year 1908.
During the late war with Great Britain, the mill
tary and naval commanders of that nation issued
standards, with promises Of freedom and of settle
mcnt in some of the British colonial establishments.
This, surely, was an interference with the insiu-
ton Of slavery in the States. BY the treaty of
peace, Great Britain stipulated to cvacnate all the
forts and places in the United States, without car
rying away any slaves. 1.-THE Government of the
United States had no authority to interfere, IN amy
way, with the institution of slavery in the States,
they would not have had anlhorit, TO require this
stipulation. Ii is well known that this engagement
was not fulfilled by the British naval and military
commanders that, on the contrary, they did car
nv away all the slaves whom they had induced to
Join ilcm and that the British Government inflcX-
IDLY refused to restore any Of them TO them mas
tiers that "A claim OF indemnity was consequently
Instituted ia behalf Of the owners of the slaves and
was successfully maintained. All that series OF
transactions was an interference by Congress with
the institution of slavery in the States in ono way
in the way of protection and support. |, was
by the institution of slavery aono that tie rcsi
tuition of slaves cnccd by proclama,ons into
the British service could be claimed as property.
But for the institution OF slavery, the Brtl>i' com
manders could neither have alIured them to their
standard, nor restored them other" Sc than as
liberated prisoners of wal. But Tor the INST
tuition Of slavery, there could have been no stipu-
aton that they should not be carried away as pro-
perry, nor any. claim of indemnity for the violation
of that engagement.
But the war power of Congress over the insilu-
ton Of slavery in the States is ve far more cAten
siye. Suppose the case OF IA srryile war, compll-
Gated, AS to some extent is even now with'an ln
dan war suppose Congress were called to raise
armies, to supply money from the whole Union to
SUPPRESS a scrvile insurrecton would they have
no authority 10 interfere with the institution of sla
very The issue of scrve war. may be disas
trous BY war the slave ma emancipatc himself ;
it may become necessary for the master To recog
Mise his emancipation by the treaty Of peace can
for an instant be pretended that Congress in such
a contingency, would have no authority to interfere
with the institution Of slavery, IN any W0Y, in the
States! Why, it would be equivalent To saying
that Congress have no constitutional authority to
mako peace.
! suppose a more porifntous case, certainly with
in the bounds of possibllily-l would to God |
could say not within the bounds OF probability.
You have been, fyou not now, at the very
point of a war with Mcxco--a war, am sorry to
saw so far as public rumor may be credited. slim
ulatcd bv provocalions ON our part from the very
commencement Of this Administration down TO the
recent authority given to General Gaines to in
wade the Mexican territory. 1t is SAID that one OF
the earliest acts of this Administration pro-
posal, M ade time when there was already
much ill-humor IN Mexico against the United
States that she should cede to the United State,
a very large portion. of her tGrrtory-argc
enough ITO constitute nlne States equal in extent tt
/ Kentucky 1t must be confessed that a device bet.
ter calculated 10 produce jealousy, Suspicion, ILL.,
ui III and hatred coull nof laV, hppn rontriypd /