The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-03-02

ny ihe Constitution--as they were before th,
formation of the Constitution. And as SLAYER,
exists in the Staes-not by virtue Of the Con
sstitaiion, but by virtue of State .soureigah
aloae--it necessarily follows that il is without
s4n,ibeyoal the power of the Federal Government
no abolish it. Congress have no more right to I'm.
xerfere with the institution Of slavery in the States
Khan they have to interfere with the internal insti
tutions OF a foreign power. The power 10 abo-
Eish slavery in the States never having been dele
gated to Congress. cannot be exercised BIZ Con
gress without violation Of the Federal Consti-
tuition. On the subject of slavery, the States are
not only independent of each other, but also oil
the Gneral Government. The States having
reserved 10 themselves all the rights of sovereign
ty, not directly and explicitly conceded TO the
Federal Government, they are just as free to ex-
ercise those reserved rights as if such Government
had never been established. This proposition
hold to be self-evident. The rghtto hold slaves
not having been coded to the General Govern
ynent. hut retained by the States il follows that
an attempt on the par. oflhe citizens of the non
slayeholdng States, or of Congress, to interfere
with the Institution of slavery in any of the
sayeholding States, would be a violation of the
rights OF sovereign and independent States na-
tons, and, OF consequence, in direct and positive
contraveniion Of international law.
The Abo'itioaists, by warning against the rights
aud sovereignty Of the States, encourage viola
tion Of the national faith, sanction the infrac,on
oflaw and eIidanger the stability and Integrity of
the Federal Union. I'm taking this ground TO
adopt the language Of one of the most original
thinkers and energetic writer's of the ages they
the Abolitonists-set the law at defiance, and are
either mob or band Of inslrrectionists. In
taking this ground, they Justify all the lawless
violence against which they have so yehemenAy
acclaimed. II one class of the community may
set the laws at defiance, why may not another!
If the Abolitionists may set at nanght the inter-
national law, which gives the slaveholding States
the exclusive jurisdiction Of the slave question.
why may not other citizens say they have right,
by mob law, to prevent them, If they can, from
doing il ! 1t were not difficult to convict the
Abolitionists Of preaching the very doctrines the
mobocrats attempt to reduce to practice. They
ought not, therefore, to think it strange that they
have been but in too many instances the victims
oflawless violence. When portion Of the COM
munity take ii into their heads that they arc wi
ser than the law, and commence the performance
Of acts in contravention Of law, they ought to be
aware that they open the door to every species
Of lawless violence, unchan the tiger, and must
be answerable for the consequences"
What must be the certain and inevitable ten
dency OF the Abolition movement, and what It's
moral and political results, if its progress shall be
onward and its march be throughout the Union?
The consequences, alas must be but too appa-
rent and appalling TO all rejecting men--to all
who prize the Union-all who love America
The efforts ofthe Abolitionists, whether triumph
ant or not, cannot fail to rock the battlements, if
not rive the foundations of the Republic. Tn the
name Of liberty, they seek TO overthrow her last
fortress-the American Constitution. In the
name Of patriotism, they strive to revolusionize
and uproot the very foundations Of our Federal
system. And in the name Of humanity, they
would tear down the prop and pillar Of the last
fond hope Of human kind--the sovereignty of
these United States! Such is the political char
acter and tendency Of the abolition movement.
But this is not all. There are fearful moral
evils involved in the designs of the Abolitioniss
the violation of law and of plighted faith. Nay,
more-allied to Abolitionism, is blind, reckless,
feverish fanaticism The wild, enthusiastic, and
impetuous spirit which kindled the fires Of Smith
field, and strewed the plains Of Palestine with
the corses Of the Crusaders, sands-with lighted
and uplifted torch--harl by the side Of Abolition
ism, ready to spread conAagration and death
around the land.