Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-09-03
VOLUME XXyyE.---No. 3A.
party 90 whom such service

aud that applicable to the legally bound apprentice
and Of The free States equally plain and lfut
Does The fact that the provision IS brand enough u
embrace the slave. vIiiaie IT, and make Hr"iE !l'
insertion part Of that sacred INSTRUMENT: Is II h"t
Iust nd proper in itself ard ungh not the friendly re-
l,nn to exist. and be- perpetual, among the States 81
the Union: As applicable the slave, IS II not dHe 10
the pre- provisions, which recognize and tolerate
r institution OF slavc-Y. AMI respect lii" rights aGe To-
teress Of the sarehodipg sates' Could the Gir ia i
implied by those provisions D. carried out without tins
one, and they be available, in the irue spiTt
Of The compact between the States, without ia'tteI
observance of ihIs covenant alsc
Are there any who viii blame venerable Fathers
the dele III the Congen,ion of 1851 for giving E,.
10 This clause Of our Constitution All The old
thirteen States asSened 10 1t and 10 all the olhrr con
c.ss'ons and compromises which had been nfn''H'
cd. connected with The subject Of domestic slavery
The people OF all the States assened TO them, aud hy
years OF internal peace and abundant prosperity have 49,
tested the wisdom Of the Convrntlun the pstrots ard
d"v"ton OF the States 10 the Federal Unnn, and the
intelligence and justice aad tdl.h OF The people. What
American citizen vii now rise, and, claiming TO he
purer than Washington. the President of that Convpn
non, pDfer and mare patriotic than the sages who
,"ried hun IN the great work OF forming our C0nsG'
non, they had previously The achievement OF our In
Fprntencr will east the ,s' stone al that temple oil h1
nan liberty which they erected: Who, that loves has
"untry. Will open again The delicate and Troublesome
compromises thus so!tmrly formed, thus settled, s't
now consecraled by time aud happy experience, WIN
h" hope o reaching better results from the prsserI
temper ana feeling OF The country: Who Will cast up
on the ocean al Time and chance the invaluable bcs'-
ngs we have gained, the triumph 10 human liberty
have secured, Tor the dark and stormy prospect winch
presents itself Ct more perfect success new effort
Who will wunt"nIy trample upon the faith we have 50.
emnv pledged 10 our bTe lhren Of the States upon
ering the c"u.rderacy, msan ofmouItng them t. i
more yielding disposition IN some future compact: HtD
will boldly slIIkr al The Union ITSELF and stake liz !a,s
against hIs sympathes Tor the slave?
Look fellow cIlzens, at the pivot upon which the fate
OF this lair fabric OF ours turned One State was entire
" unrr prrse ned the convention OF l7e7. ma orrv
OF The delegations from two oi the States, among the
largest class, and them both slave States declined t.
sign the Constitution as adopted by the Convention.
merely equal portion Of the delegates from two o'h.r
o The States, and one The second population, cnuii
consent TO give it their signatures. Anprliies, and ~
bare majoritles from four others sobscrbG
to the instrument and bu iou States out o. he .wea
did the entire delegations III attendance give their sI
natures. Thus inpertecy sustained and recOmmenGed,
the Constitution LAS submitted 10 conventions of he
people OF the severa States. il received with much
prompiEcss could iInve been reasonably anticipated,
he ratification aud adoption OF eleven uf the States,
Hhl!e five Of Tie eleven accompanied their assenf
ait! the IpositiUns Of their understanding OF the true
intent aud meaning of various provisions Of the ~.
strument. with proposed amendments To IL, or bot,
strongly indicative OF their disrust aud fear OF tie
workings OF the system Ia which, from the most soerr
CONVICTIONS o public necessity and duty, they wrrr
yrldng reluctant assent These raIcations enabled
ihr Congress 10 declare The Constitution in force "Ser
he States which had adopted it, and 10 take measures
Tor The organization 81 the government under H. whcl
done on the 18Th of September, 1855. The 1th day
# March l1eJ fixed upon for the organization o.!
he government and the elections OF PresideE',
Vice President, Senators. am members OF the ll"rs.
Representatives, III conformity with the provisions
IT thu Constitution, were 10 be ntermetiatey made -
The elections made, and the government orgon'k
d on The GuY appointed. aud still two of the thtrrn
Stairs, The North and the other South, had gwen
their assent TO The system, and were not members 4
the comic daracy under it. The twelfth State ~
,t,, 81
thirteenth held out unl The 2h day OF May, 1880 and
hen accompanied lis ratification with long expostir
md with reconme ndaons for amendments consistirt
II twenty articles. TINS restored again the uni,n
# the States, completed the systrm al govern
menl. gave an extension The whole territory At
The original United States, aud may be sad 10 have
minated the civil, the peace OF 1883 had done the
military. incidents of Inc American Revolution.
Suli the public mind was not al Apprc!enslrns
extensively enteained that the powers granted 10
he Federal Government too broad, and that they
would be made yet broader by unforeseen and unnrnd
I'd constructions To prevent these evils If they shpgid
real. and 10 hay apprehension, II they were not. thn
Congress ornanlzod under the Constitution, nj It's st
session, caused amendments 10 BE- prepared, taken from
The suggestions and recommendations Of the sey'rni
State conventions consisting oi twelve articles, which
were, according 10 the provisions of The Constitution,
submitted 10 the several Stale legislatures for their rai
alton rejection. These amendments acted up.
viii reasonable prom udn by the requisite number
nf The legislatures and ten of the twelve articles w'fr
NO first did not receive The ratification Of Tie nq"slH
numbrr Of the legislatures OF the States, and were rr
isced OF the Uacles adopted. II is worthy 81 r"natt
uTtiCe. that ev rs ore IS restrictive 81 me fca,tai
,owrrs or d.clnra.ire Of the rights of the people ut
he States, or both, and that not word relating d.
.ecl!y indirectly To The subject Of domestic slavery
nund either IN The articles themselves, in the exp"s!.
IONS and recommendations o. the State conventions,
which gave rIse 10 them
But two other amendments have been made TO TIE
Constitution OF The United States % 10 this day, the lit
f which relates 10 the STABILITY of the States, and vas
,dnppd in January, IDS and the other relates 10 the
manner IN which the Presidential electors shall give there
votes for President and Vice President and adopted
September l~Oi
Such and so few have been the amendments 10 that
ruusiiviion adopted and rScumme nGsd 10 the peup'
md the States BY the Convention Of l7e7 and it would
~ more Just to consider The ten articles OF amendment
inst adopted parts Of the original instrument, IncaE.
puraed upon il by thu conventions Of the States, at the
OF their ratification, than as alterations OF H. a'cr
had met their npprubaun. In not of these amend
npn,s has single point been touched, which was mat.
pr Of compromise OF any delicate conflicting n;rT.
Sst.
Is i, not then unwse as we'll as unfahful 10 this
red compact and dangerous to he permanency OF the
Union Tor the people Of the free States now 10 disturb
he harmony Of the Country by threatening violation
Il those compromises which disposed OF the aGhatHg
nueson Of DONE slavery in the country aud W vr'
no ne which that 1ue remained al rest for nta'p
n. first halt century OF the exstence OF Inc republic
,ni.r The Constitutions; 10 pretend that the subject 81
the immediate abolition OF slavery IN Tue country can ''
seriously URGED upon The nalIonal legislature without
d,.n,hiuu these compromises 0i the Constitution, IS -
disregard as well the plain provisions as The spirit OF Inc
nrm.u and to persist ~ The agitation, regardless II
those nndrrations To set he object above II" Ton
,,,,,;rn above value Of the Union above the peace
~ % ccup,ry and shove the most solemn obligation of
,rs czrn to observe and regard The rights OF others
| while IN the enjoy meni OF his own
JLa, foreigners ignorant ot The nature and character
oc our institutions and owing duty obligation to
,h,u: that czens OF that country which forced dones
| tic sav-ry upon US, though It an institution
brst calculated 10 put far off the day wien Sc should
venture 10 spurn The protection OF monarch arm o:
attempt 10 EbeYae ourselves from The despoNsn OF
ncn,rcis u.wer should be willing now 10 disturb
the harmony oil our country, TO break lis peace, and
,.rb,,. oyer;urn laose envabs institutions WHICH