Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-30

aud the "'iirr apppuliGs committee OF two nitf'oe'I
from each Sat to rep"T, upon tue best ,ra"I :"
peaccuh!y GiasuvIng it, Many OF ilIs newspapers
in the Union haze thought proper to pass sirc'ues up
this letter. you will perceive by The t"iio"@ rH
tue! lrnm he Evening Star, Of New York, OF ~" van
inst " Has he Char!"stun Mercury any o'Jrc'"'' /"
state wlo was line neHheT Of Congress WI" "ro'e Tie
above letter and w,o he declares, was about /" pro
pos" in Congress 10 dissolve the Unoh Inc people
Of that State, and Inc friends OF The Snu'', ana VI lie
Union have right 10 know vino II is. AS nave no
private opinions that rlraia openly 10 EYo"; ana
have ever recognised The right ~ lie people 70 Rhow
thea, upon oil affecting The public Interest or
bnno;-o urs", could rot hrsitar promptly acKno"
lodging authorship OF the letter referred to- ana com
punica,inr 10 the public the resolutions which had
shown to many of my friends and was prepared 10 oneF
in my SEAL and maintain in the Congress Of the United
States Yon will perceive that writing e1Ire"c ra'am0
to friend did correctly desrrna their whole Pur-
port Such as they are, however, the public are wei
cone 10 ,hen in To any q:rsIinn or demand
tniciup Any gh'. real iua'nary. IN the premises.
which uny PARTON Of thu people I'll the United States,
cost wssi north, south, rnay be surprised to possess
am however Immediately responsible 10 you,
and seize the opportunity their pubcstlGn offers, Of
addressing you. yoor representative, upon the mo-
nennus subjects they Involve. Had presented them
in the llcust should have given my rcas"ns nj large
for presenting them; und III submitting them DOW 10 your
consideration, trust you will bear with me, whilst
submit you Of The r-esons which caused them 10
exist.
Before entering upon The merits of The resolutions,
however, permit IN remark, (wbG; suppose might
be apparent TO all that had expectation t passing
them, or of even taking vote upon them They were
intended amendments 10 mutton. 10 reier with IN.
stluc.inus report bill, abosinI slavery in The DIS
rici VI Columbia expected lhrn 10 share the same
fate, which inevitably awaited the original motion, 80
HE floor could have been obtained VIZ: 10 be
laid upon the table My design in presenting them was
10 place brore Congress and the people, what IN my
opinion The true issue upon This greet and vital ques'
lion and 10 point out Tie nt policy ~ which
should be by The Southern States. he resolutions
as follows
-" and the Constitution OF the U. States having
proved inadequate protect The Southern States IN the
feuceablr enjoyment OF their rights and property, is
expedrn that the said constitution should be amended,
The Union Of the S,aes be dissolved.
"Rtsolesd, That committee Ct two members from
each Slate in the Union be appointed to report upon the
expediency and piacticubity Of amending the constu
ton, the best Of peaceably dissulving the
Union
These resolutions contain two propositions first,
fact, that ,he Constitution o.! the S. having proved
inadequate protect the SouieT States in The peace
able enjoyment Of their rights and property second,
that it is ezpedisn that the said Constitution shond
be amended, or the union OF the States be dissolved
The FIRST o.! these propositions, containing the fact allrg.
ed, is, trust, the only one concerning which, III The
minds Of rrlrcling the North or South there can
BE- any difficulty. That tie South has right under The
Constitution, to the peaceabe enjoyment Of her slave
institutions, will deny and If the Constitution is
perverted iun the purposes for which II maLe, and
proves inadequate to pInircl i'r Southern States from
aggression upon this val iis'itu:na-noar but an abo
lilionist open stcrr in the North traitor IN the
South, could fail 10 10 Tie coEcrS"n that ie Con.
stilu,!"n ought to IL amended lr Union b. dissolved
To ack lrTr the right ur 10 tolerate TIE act ct IN
reference al all with this institution Is 20 give il up-to
abauhon il entirely and, this must he The consuDnra
lirn al itrrncp Tn. sooner II IS caclrd the bet
.cr The Suulh ni,l hold this Institution, not amidst
alarm aud m"'rsalInbuiin pencrpriifct peace, from
tic interference aga;;"a "f oiss; or, repeat il,
she cW-s!e caHEold IL not at ali. Let us. then, con-
slider til" fac; maintained III The first proposition "t the
.rsolulinm-lias the Constitution proved Inadequate In
project the Southern States in The pracsa6s enjoyment.
of their rights ard property;
Without Enirg step further. nigh appeal to the
crcurrs,ance under which The assertion penmrd, to
suhs!a niiae lis truth In hall designed ir the pur
poses Of elaboration upon the mitG subjects contained
Tic Consultation. ares h"ndr'A CaSend petitioners
allowed ntntsr for the purpose ul assaInI the lns'i
,u,inn If slavery The Snu Day after day, and every
DAY the week, denounced III l;'sr pi;ii1nS as
thu most a"cnns "rIdrIs against God and man. But
Few days b !Tr iis Jnncinrr we Heard ourselves and
the people represent d"c'ard Ia be actnaled, as our
Iiabllual characteristic. by r spirit al murder and
We tainted with being afraid o truth aud light,
end trembling for ntierIng institutions Three
BEFORE upon Tins very floor, On the spt "t concession,
thai collateral should be made In the right nt
petition and their consideration had been determined
receive these petitions. CONSIDER them immediately,
and lay them upon he table; but. in all Of n.y.
erosion, the demand arises wllh the cOnceSsnn and
being endured brcntaes slnched into right; and II
was npw cunirDdeG, that these petitions should not
only BIZ received, bu. be treated exactly in The way
the petitioners thought proper 10 rsqnrebn referred
tn committee !rc.n wh:ch save!I"des should se
excluded, and cunppsrd o. a!rmbers, ma inrIly oil
whom should be favorable 10 their demands In other
words, tint their petitions should he grun.ed And this
most reasonable request ae upon one branch OF these
Petitions by the whole delegation of State. Another
State had sent her memorial into the other end of the
Capitol, calling upon Congress n abolish slavery The
District Oi Columbia and the TeIriurIes-lo prohibit
slaves from passing from Stale to another. ana to
exclude Texas OF her slaves, from the Union:
md of
the Hnuse, Instructions 10 select cnnntce which hr
required to abolish slavery IN the District OF Colunaa
The occasion Ized deScant upon slavery in the
Southern Sa,es and 10 prove that 1t Is inconsistent with
all natural and revealed law; and that Those who uphod
il, on"xi"as 10 the wrath an6 curse OF Gud and man
Now, under llsse circumstances ri wanon aggression
and insult The 'urie nt the S"rti in this the cum
mon hall Of drhheralI"n with their conrdernes in tho
praceabe enjoyment Ut their rights and pecnut inslilu-
tons;
But there ohc: circumstances rilout the bulls OF
Coug,rss under which these resolutions penned
s:sr b"dy "f citizens, consisting Of one hundred and
fifty Thousand. is organizd into thousand five hun
dred societies, increasing al the Of one day, with
boundess RESOURCES and ably conducted presses, and
agents, mis- aTits and martyrs, Sno pant for distinction
in this holy causc the best rnU OF ifr virtue and
sanctIiy, permitted. in sister States 10 band Il"
gehrr Tor lie openly declared purpose q" destroying
institutions Three yeats ago, told these societies
about three hnndred their numbers abaut six tIous.
aud; their petitions about ten thousand Now. they ure
hundreds Of thousands control two States increasing in
all The non.s!arsho!dmg States. aid feared by ALL Uni.
ted together upon but principle, they throw their
weight the scale amongst the oonlending parties OF
the counlry, without uniting with any, to con:ol
the maturity, aud advance the at purpose OF their or
ganizaliun. In defiance Of The cunslulion the Govern
or Of Maine upon the demand of The Governor Of Geor-
gia has refused to surrender up ugilives from ust
ice brcauss the felony committed carrying off
slaves from Southern port. Massachusetts has passed
replerin law giving Ia fugitive slaves trial by jury
and her supreme has determined that slave who
enters Massachusetts, with the assent OF his master shall
be free The press the mig klesl instrument Of revuu
lions in all enlightened and civilized nallons-hrough
out NIL the Northern ard Aidir States puurs forth.
checked its abnmindbe hels; and by the most arlful
and passionate appeals, whsle nosses--und