Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-03-28

west, ana Inc Constitution oil The United
States"
The resolution contains three propositions
]. That, in receiving the petition the House
would disregard its own dignity;
9. That il would disregard the rights of
large class Of citizens at thu South and West;
and
3. That it would disregard the Constitution
Of the U. S.
These several propositions let it be obser-
we'd, have respect TO a petition, the purport Of
whose prayer is not stated, the preamble 10
The resolution containing not the slightest al.
fusion 10 it whatever. In affirming the propo-
stions therefore, no reference was bad TO the
question, whether the prayer of the petition
was respectful or insulting, lawful or unlawful,
proper or improper The simple, naked fact,
that it was signed by slaUes formed the founda.
ton, and the only foundation, for the PROPOSE
tons contained in the resolution. No matter
| il it were signed by slaves residing within the
District over which Congress has exclusive ju.
risdiclion, and whose legislation necessarily
acts directly upon their rights and no matter
if it prayed even for protection from the exer-
else OF the most excessive cruelty, for liberia
ton from confinement by Shareholders in the
dungeons oil the public prisons in this district,
or for rescue from transportation to, and sale
in, q foreign country. No matter if it were
it, the resolution afiirms, would be disregard.
ing the dignity of the House, The rights Of a
large class Of citizens, and the Constitution Of
the U. S.
Now, how wonld the dignity Of the House
be compromised by receiving prayer for MGR
cy, anG, may add, for justice, as in the cases
/ have supposed, from slave What sort of
Legislative dignity is that, which shuts the door
il the face of ga man aud brother" merely
because he is Gin bonds? 2" Can there, on the
contrary, be spectacle more truly dignifed
than that Of legislative body bending lis ear
to the supplicailons of the poor, the helpless,
and the opprcssed2 How beautifully and APP
propriately are mercy & justice illustrated,
when neither wealth, nor power, nor patron
age, comes in aid Of the prayer for their exer-
else.
And how, in the hcxt place, does the mere
fact that petition is from slaves render it's re-
ception a disregard of The rights of a large
class Of citizens at the South K West and of
the constitution of the U. ST. If the citizens
of the South & West have, under the consttu-
ton, rights in regard TO their slaves, does it
follow that they are without limit and that,
beyond that limit, whatever ii may be, other
rights may not exist? If the slave has no right
10 liberty, q speak OF u conventional nght,)
has he none TO supplcate that precious boon
at the hands OF any power which may rish-
fully grant il And has he no right to life
none TO exemption from excessive cruelty .
and none 10 implore protection 10 the one, and
security TO the other? Is there no power on
earth 10 which he may look for help in these
extremites ?
To disregard" in any sense, applicable TO
this subject, the rights of the South s. West,
is TO invade those rights; and can we invade
them in the legitimate exercise Of powers gram
t.I, -, al, A..
vests Congress with the power 81 cIcluSire ie-
gislation over this district. Does not that row-
ef necessarily involve the right and tn, duty of
hearing petitions from the governed, and from
all the governed? Would it not be a very
strange kind OF Government which could not,
or would not, hear such petitions
If the hearing oil petitions from the governed
in the territories of the U. S., conscuuentiullv
affects the interests oil The South s West, is it
consequence OF which the South & West
have right TO complain? They were parties
10 the Constitution which created the exclu-
sive government, and they must abide its con-
sequences Suppose the inhabitants of this
District should continue 10 press Congress- as
more than eleven hundred of them did in 1925
TO abolish slavery and The save-rade within
its limits i; and hould, as in that peitioA, de-
nounce, in severe and almost unmeasurtd
teims The enormItles of both: would this be
an invasion OF the rights OF the South & West
and disregard Of the constitution Did Con-
gress ovince such disregard in receiving that
petition, and ordering it TO be printed And
what is the difference in principle, SO far as
concerns this argument, between that case and
the present? Eleven hundred free white citi.
, zcns Of this district besousht Congress 10 aboI-
: ISL slavery and The slave trade within lis linn
it's; AID pressed it by abolition arguments.-
al l,,,r 81.
J OF the opponents OF the right of slave petition,
TO create unensiness among the slaves in the
! South & West, and thus affect " the rights OF
{ large class Of citizens u in those sections of
the conntry2
There is great looseness in the reasoning
which infers violations Of the constitution from
possible and remote consequences Of parlic-
, ular course of legislation. Admit the sound
ness Of the reasoning in this case, and shut the
doors of Congress upon petitions from the
bond and the free Of this District, touching the
subject OF slavery, merely because of their re-
mote tendency 10 The abolition OF slavery in
the States, Uor that is the argument,) and
what shall we have next? Why, the doctrine
that no State can abolish slavery within its
limits, because, being party with The other
slave states, to the constitution which recogni-
yes the existence of slavery, and makes it the
basis of representation, il cannot rIghtfully do
any thing which shall tend 10 the abolition OF
slavery in the other states, and thereby deprive
them Of their slave representation in The Con-
gress of the u. S. This may now seem very
strained construction; but passion aud inter-
est have pushed sensible men to stranger alb.
] surdites than this
The second resolution 10 which have re-
9 fcrrcd, declares "Thal slaves do mol possess
, the right of petition secured 10 the People OF
the U. S. by the constitution"
} What does this resolution mcan7 Does it
mean merely that the guaranty OF the right OF
J q.