Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1839-02-21
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED WEEKLY
THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY aI. IS3o.

t"atd Stsfss; and the grant ln the Con 4,
exclusive legislation must be understood NH,
SHOULD De always interpreted, as having relation
10 'he Object oi IA. cesSion. IL was With A ful
knowledge OF ih.s clause IA the Constitution thu
'h"Se Two States cedcd Ia the General Govern
"icn' uie Zen miles square, constituting the DIS
uiet oi Columbia. la making the ceSsion, the,
supposed that II was To be applied, and applies
solely, To the purposes of a seat OF Government
Tor which II asked. When Al was made
| slavery existed IN both those CONFERENCE.-The
aud in the ceted territory Us IL now cou,,nues "a
exist N all them Neither MARYLAND nor VIr.
GINA could have anticipated thai, whilst the IN
| >"'u'ioh remained within their respective hints
ats abolition would be attempted hy Congress
without Their consent. Neither IL them ould
probably nave made an unconditional ceSsiori,
u hey could have anticipated such n result
From the nature oi the pro, ision in the Con-
sutuiion, aud the avowed object of the acquiSi-
ZION o! the territory. two duties arse on the part
Oh compress The first Is. Ia render the District
available, comfortable, and con, enicnt. As a srat
oil Government VI the whole Union .hc other II.
10 govern the people within the District 50 a.
~ !" promote ueir happiness and prosperity.
ihesc Objects ATE totally distinct IA their nature
ahd IN interpreting and exercising the grant of
inc power OF exclusive legislation, that diStinc-
uoh should be constantly borne in mind l. n
necessary, IN order to render tins place n COM
Portable seat VI the General Government To
4 ~
VIII advance such n proposition. The Govern
| ment has remained here near forty wears u ithuut
the slightest inconvenience from the presence of
domestic slavery. j. II necessary 20 the wcI-,.e-
ing oi me people OF thc District that slavery
| should be abolished ffum amongst them: They
not only neither ask nor desire, but are almost
| unanimously opposed To IL. II exists here IN the
iniidest aud most mitigaied form. In popuia-
ton Of 30, s34 there were, nj the last cnumcrn-
uon OF The Population of the United States, but
o,ii9 slaves. The number has not probably
much Increased since. They arc dispc fscd over
the ten miles square, engaged IN the quiet pur-
suits OF husbandrv, or in mental offices in domeS-
NC me- u II were necessary TO the efficiency of
Tins place aS seat of the General Government
To abolish slavery. which - utterly denied The
abolition should be confined 20 the necessity
winch prompts II. that j., To the limits of the city
Of Washington itself. Beyond those limits per-
sons concerned in the Government of the United
States have no more To do with the inhabitants
| OF The District than they have with the inhabi-
tanis OF the adjacent counties of MARYLAND and
| Virginia which lac beyond the District
To abolish slavery within the District Of Co
iunbia, whilst II remains IN Virginia and Mary
land, Ntuated, rs that District is within the ye-
ry heart of those States, would expose them 20
great practical inconvenience and annoyance
ne District would become place of refuge
and escape for fugitive slaves from the two
~
tent, INSTRUMENTATION, and instruction might be
| ioSiered ard encouraged IN the two States. Sup
pose, rs was NJ one time under considerations
Pennsylvania had granted ten miles square with
IN It's limits for the purpose of seat Of The Ge-
neral Government; could Congress, without n
violation Of good faith, have introduced and cs-
iabilShed slavery within the bosom of that Com
monwcalth, IN the cedcd territory, after she had
abolished II so long a-o as tile year 1850: Yet
The inconvenience Ia PENNSYLVANIA IN The es-=
supposed would have been much less than that
to Virginia and Maryland in the case We are ar
guing.
IL was upon this view Of the subject tina, the
Senate, at its last session, solcmnly declared
that II would be a violation of imuiied faith re-
suIiInS from the Transaction Of the ccsSon To
abolish slavery within the District OF Columbia
And would II not be; By implied faith IS mean,
That when grant ~ made for one avoWed and
declared purpose, known 10 the parties the grant
should no: he perverted To another purpose, UNI
avowcd and undeclared, aud injurious 10 the
eran;or. The grant, IA the case We are consid-
er1ng, OF the territory of Columbia, was for
s"Hi ~ GorernmeRt. Whatever power - ncces-
Sary To accomplish that object Is carried along
10y the grant But the abolition of slavery Is no,
! necessary Ia the enjoyment Of this site rs
seat of the General Government The Grant IN
The Constitution, of exclusive power Of lcgiSla-
ton over the District, was made Ia ensure the
| exercise Of an exclusive authority of the Gene
/ Eal Government Co render tins place a safe and
secure seat of Government. aud 10 promote the
wcii-being of the inhabitants of the DISTINCT
! The power granted ought Ca be- Interpreted and
exercised solely 10 the end for which Il was Grant
/ cd. The language of ihe grant was necessarily
/ broad, comprehensive, and exclusive, because
all The cSicencies which NIGH, afisc q render
this secure seat Of the General Government
could not have been fureSrcn and provided for
| The language may possibly be- sufficiently com
| pTehcnsitc Ia include power Of abolition, but
II would NOT al al thence follow that ihc power
could be rghiiully exercised. TIC ease may be-
| rcScmllcd 10 that Il a pienipoicntiary invested
wih plcnaTy power. bu; who. q; the same time.
has positive instructions from his Government
I a. io the Kind 81 treaty which he - % Negotiate
! and conclude. IL he violates hose instructions.
and concludes diGcreAt treaty.. his Govern.
mont IS not bound by II. And II the foreign Go
vcrnmcnt Is aware Il the violation. II acts IN
bad faith. or 81 may be- illustrated by an exam
pie drawn from private life ] an an endurs~r
i0f my friend GA a note discounted IA bank
Tie applies in me- g. endorse another % rcfcu u.
| which no ~ blank. Now tins gives him now o.
o. 10 make Any other use IT my note which br
pieascs. But u, instead Of applying ~ 90 the
/ Intended purpose, be goes o. broker and sells
F, -. thereby doubling nav responsibility fof hun.
/ be commits breach Uf trust, and violation of
ihc good faih implied 10 the whole transaction.
But, Mr. President, n iits reasoning were a.
I erroneous ~ i~iteve a tu b. correct and con-
elusive. ~ ihc ALTAR - the liberation AZ So thou.
sand negro slaves "a tins Disirci. disconnecicd
with w." three millions ~ slaves m the United
states. oi sufficient magnitude a. arltafe dis
yiraei. and cmbiurr tiis gr-at Conf~defacy
Inc ucti case 10 which tifr rrtiirncf. ask the
exercise ~ the P9wet u Congress, felaics 90 sla-
/ very va tie Territory II FLORIDA
l Floffia b. he etffcfpe southern portion q t,r
United States. u - houbd~d on al a. Land
sides by slave States, and - several hundred
iniirs from ihe nearest free STATE n almost -
tends within The tropics. and the neafcst import
I ant ISLAND o. % 90 The water SIDE o. Cuha. a
slave ISLAND Tins simple statement q ~ gro-
graphical pHslton should 81 itseif decide t,e
question. When. ~ he treaty ~ 1919 with
Spain, 81 vas coded 20 The United states. slavery
existed gIihin TO- ~ hi terms q that treaty
ne effects and pfuperiy ~ The inhabitants ar
,ecured 90 li,rnn, and they are are allowed o. r..
move and tsAe them away. filthy hihk prop,
o. b. 30, without hmtstIou A. % time. VI b
wrrr efpedieuf. therefore. 20 abolish slavery ir
IS. d couh n1i ~ done consistently 9TH ~,
lfeatT, without granting 81 the ancient io,,aft