Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-02-08
Comgress---2d sess.
IN SENATE.
Tuesday, january To, 100
THE VERMONT RESOLUTIONS.

10 notice given on former day. present the resolutions
of the Legislature Of his State and in presenting them.
cd ihem former OCCASION he did not anticipate any
opposition To the motion he then made to lay the rrgolu
tons the table, and print them and more especially
he did anticipate any opposition from those Senators
who the most tenacious of the rights OF The Stales
but in this lie was Disappointed they had been The hrst
to oppose them
He had apology 10 offer for presenting hem other
than contained in the resolutions themselves NOR
did the people OF bis State need nny vlndcann rom
him of their right TO entertain, express, and maintain,
here and elsewhere, the opinions expressed in these re-
solutions. As one Of the States Of this Union, they
claim sacred and secured 10 them by the Consutu
liun the light Of expressing their opinions not only on
ali which before Congress, but alsn as 10
Whist are legitimate subjects for its legislative action
He said the Senate light condemnther opinions, but
lie protested against t-s ght OF denying Them the Pr-
vege Of expressing them, or OF imPfaching ther mo
tives for doing go: and he would call The attention
Of the Senate 10 the resolutions and the opinions there
in expressed He should not advert To them at this lime,
or make any remarks respecting them, had not tie rcso
lulnns and the motives of those who adopted them been
(unlustly he hoLght nssaed by honorable Senators
this floor.
[tlere Mr. Swift read the resolutions, which are as
follows j
Res0ircd by the Senate and House Of Representatives,.
That Senators Congress be instructed and our Ne
representatives. be requested 10 Use their influence IN 'a
body prevent the annexation nf Texas 10 the Union
80 ResDircd, That representing, as we do, The REQ
pie OF Vermont do hereby, in their name, sotem"y
protest against such neHation in any form
"3 RrSolred, That as the representatives OF the Eco
pie of Vermont VIZ do soIemniy protest against the ad-
mission into this Union Of any State whose Constitution
toeraies domestic slavery.
"a. RcSUirsd, That Congress has full power, ny thr
Constitutions 10 abolish slavery and the slave trade IN
the District Of Columbia, end IL The Territories OF the
Us
as Resolrcd, That Congress has The constitutional
power to prohibit the slave trade between the several
States Of this Union, and 10 make such US shall efectu
ally prohibit such Trade.
s'6 Resoircd That our Senators IN Congress be m
sructed and our Representatives requested to present
The forepony report und resolutions To their respective
Houses in Congress- and TO their Influence to carry
the same speedily into effect
81 ResOirtd That the Governor OF lhS Slate be re,
orrs,pd to transmit copy Of the foregoing report and
resolutions 10 the President Of The U. s. 10 the ESscu-
tycs Of the several Sars and to each OF our Senators
and Rrpresen latiycs III Congress-
sir S said he supposed exception would be taken
To- any Of the resolutions, by any Senator excepting lhe
9TH and 9Th. The 4th resolution merely asserts the
7o,etr OF Congress abolish slavery and the tnde
in The District Of Columbia, and in the Territories Of The
United States without expressing the exPedency "l ex.
ercising tina, power aud yet from The whole tenor o
the resolutions he had doubt that those who supported
them did believe that it expcden for Congress- IN
some FORM and at least TO some extent immediately to
exercise that power They, common With other Gilt
zems Of the State, complain that slavery is allowed 10
exist IN any portion Of the country where Congress have
exclusive cgisa,ion and that until abolition is effected,
s,ch S;n,e par,icoaes in slavery and that the Govern
ment obnoxious the charge Of being slaVeholdlng
Government He believed that comparatively few
would deny the power asserted IN this resolution how
much the expectancy OF exercising hat power may
be doubted.
The fifth resolution which much excited the sensi-
tiyeness OF the honorable Senator from Georgia, (hlr
Cuthberl) not appears By minutes appended 10
the resolutions passed BY the Legislature though was
b,iI If In
srr,s the power Of Congress TO regulate commerce
among the States to prohibit the sale ana transfer o.
slaves from one State 10 another. ME- D dIu mol ie'i
himself particularly called at This time to assert anG
maintain the principle here cxPres:ed' YET he "ouG re-
FIR the Senate 10 the article Of the Constitution which
this opinion vas founded, and which is IN these words:
The Congress shall hav" power 10 regulate commerce
W tn urcign nations, and among the several siates
Il cannot be commended That the grant Ut power 10 regu
late CONNIE: among the States Is not as great III teThS
~ i, is To regulate commerce with foreign natnns and
vet under this grant Of power foreign commerce has not
onv been restricted, but The importation OF articles OF
Ceirn commerce has been prohibited; and II VIII not DC
commended by Senators FROM slnVchoIung states mat
snyrs are moi articles Of commerce. they are said To be-
part Of man goods and chatles, things, not PERSONS
The People of Vermont not singular IN The opininn
asserted in this resouton il opinion which prevails
extensively md has been lately asserted on TINS oor IN
I resolutions oil the honorable Senator from ONO, (hr
Morris which have been entertained and printed by or
der of The Senate and laid on our tables And when
huse resolutions discussed as lie supposed they soo
would be- all the light necessary TO decision wIIl no
doubt be elected
pu the bonurabe Senator from North Carolina (hlr.
s,,nasI that the Legislature of Vermont in pass
ur these rcsnulions degraded Itself Now, CIR: some
,ouc NAV think degrading To those who Giiier with
iben in upninn this or any other SUBJECT out NE vas
wiuu to take issue with the Senator, and leave That
;ssr n the People 10 decide whether tie State Of YER
mon, is most dgraded by maintaining opinions in flavor
q, liberty humanity, and freedom, or the Stale winch
oiu,ons opposite opinions and he should have no euEs
of the result .,,
The reoor alluded 10 in the resulutons but as The report
h. sp nrorouuced BY the honorable Senator from Ia
hama MI Kinpl an Infamous libel on the SuIlth, he
would call the attention OF the Senate To mat part oi lhe
,p,nr which seemed offensive to Southern Senators,
bourb whether The Senator 10 charge The report
uh both malice and alsity, to insist the doctrine,
he greater the truth the greater the LIBEL he shoud not
pretend TO say lie would however say that whatever hee
was Of fact stated in The report il was stated is the lou-
daiiun Of an argument against the annexation IT Texas
IN The Unnu and not for the purpose OF asking Con-
rress TO inerftle with slavery where IL exists III me
States for neither the Legislature nor People Of his
State claimed for Congress any such power or nave 10
his knowledge, ever expressed deslfe mat IL sho""
o,emvt 10 exercise such power, or any other power
which they do not think clearly granted by the Consil'
tniiun Yet they do claim the OF protesting against
Tho annexation Of Texas The Onion, M" only on con,
,uiinnal grounds but the grounds oil Proprety aud
cxpediency. nnd VIII avail themselves o' every t W."
arGumen, against measure fraught, as they believe,
with the mast serious evils 10 the country. The report
INSERTS that il is the ayowed object Of The advocates OF
the annexation of Texas the Union as sleveho!dng
country, to add to and confirm the slaveh"ldng nau
cncc in the management of The government ono pro-
creds 10 point oui some Of the evils which have grown
out of the state of slavery The South Which the L.
slaure was unwilling have extended by The add
lion of large slavchoIdng country or these evils The
report states that illegal ourages have been committed at
I Soui ON such uefsons as ha been suspect
cd of entertaining anti slavery principles who have i'd
vocated the cause Of liberty and condemned slavery and
i,,t there was an apparen, of power well as
disposition on the part Of the authorities OF The slave
holding States TO punish The perpetrators OF thnse out.
roges and WIN ha ve hitherto passed with IMMUNITY, and
lhs, he People Of the slavehoIdng States have denied
10 the People of the North the subject OF slavery IN
The Dislrc, and Territories under the exclusive eg'la