Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-02

Il ,t.m hs IN force il that part of the Missouri Ter
r;tory living north Of said east and west line. i
has been we'll remarked, that This amendment con
ceded the whole question of constitutional power.
Mr. P p Barbour in reply, argued, "that IT the prin
ciple was wrong in itself, (and the question had been
discussed on principle alone ought not to be with
held from one part Of the Territory and applied to ano
Their" If the rule was wrong al the 5oth degree o.
latitude It was equally so the 10th Gen. Harrison
was in the Senate of Ohio the next year, (beore the
Missouri question was finally seled0 and in that bod
he assisted in maturing and voted gan ., loso ioi
the following preamble and resolution:
aWbereas, The existence of slavery in our country
has ever been deemed great moral md political eod
and in ms tendency directly calculated 10 impair ou'
Do,;onoI rhuracter and materially affect our naona
l happness and inasmuch as the extension OF slave
nopulation in the United States is fraugh w'lh The
most fearful consequences to the Pernanency anu AURA
biltv nc our Republican nstitutons-and Whereas the
snb;ect of the admission of slavery in the new State
of Missouri is at this time befCre the Congress OF the
United States; therefore -
requested To use their utmost exertons and take every
means IN nrcven the extension of slavery within the
e,rorv of the United States, west of the Mississippi
and the new States to be formed within that Territory,
which the Constitution and the treaties made under il
will allow
Rv voting for the foregoing preamble and resolution
Gen Harrison went far any other man, IN or out
of Congress against the principle contended for by the
saveboldna States, that Congress had no power TO
prohibit new States West of the Mississippi from hold
! inc slaves or recognizing them as property.
In 1922 General Harrison was again candidate LOT
| Congress, and was charged WIN laVofhS su'eiS -
mFellow. citizens: Being called suddenly home to
attend my sick family, have but moment TO an
swer few calunnies which are in circulation con-
1 corning me.
earliest youth to the present moment, have been the
ardent friend of Human Liberty. At the age OF egL.
teen, BECAME a MEMBER OF AN ABOLITION
ISOCIETY, established AT Richmond, the object Oh
which was ameliorate the condition OF slaves, and
| procure their freedom by every legal means My ve-
| ncrabe friend Judge Catch, Of Cermont county, was
also member of this Abolition Society, and has lately
| given me a certificate that | one. The oBLiGA-
TIoSs WHICH THEN CAME UNDER, HAVE FAITHFULLY
OWN. HENRY HARRISON"
| This was in 1922, after the Missouri Question was
disposed of in Congress- and when Gen. Harrison was
about fifty years of age By the certificate OF Judge
Catch General Harrison proved himself an Abolition
ist In 1929 he evidently gloried in the name, and
claimed credit for having continued to perform the OBJ
| legations under which he came when he joined the
| Abolition Society. At the same time he remarked;
81 have been the of liberating many slaves,
but never placed one in bondage In his CheVot
Speech delivered July A. 1888, General Harrison said
| 'sShould be asked if there is no way by which the
| General Government aid the cause OF emancipa-
tion answer that has long been an object near my
heart to the ,chOe Of its surplus rerem"c dPpr0prd
ted TO that object With the sanction of the States hold
ing the slaves, there appears to me to be no conSa
onal objection to its being thus applied, embracing moi
| only the colonization of those that may be otherwise
freed but the purchase of the freedom of others by
Jealous prosecution of plan formed upon that basis
might look forward to day not rery DISTANT aeen
a North american sun ,cOud not look d0lca upon
Stare"
What is this but advocating the abolition Of slavery
In 1892, Gen. Fl. referred to slavery blot on oul
national character, and opposed to the extension
il within tn" States TO be formed west OF the Mis-
sssipp Two years afterwards he referred 10 charge
that he was friendly to slavery c0iumMy-when he
fifty years old, he proclaimed and proved himsel
an Northumberland that he had kept the VOWS nc
took when he joined the Society, and had been the
means celebrating many slaves And, rs late as 1888
emancipation was San object near has heart was
for approprating the achoc surplus to that OBJ
Iceland looked forward "to day not very distant
| when North American sun would not look down
upon slave'-when the scheme of Abolition woulc
be fully consummated What, but this, the Tap
pans the Garrisons and SHADES contendlng for They
proclaim slavery moral and political evil and Sc
does Harrison. They assert that slavery impars ou
national character, and so does Harrison. They are
looking forward, and hoping the day may arrive
when North American sun will not look down upor
slave, and so does Harrison. The Tappans and Gar
rsons would forthwith liberatc three millions of slaves
without conpensating their owners but less daring
Aboltonsts propose TO purchase the slaves with The
| funds of the General Government Both aim at on,
object the complete Abolition of Slavery in the United
States; and the difference between the two classes
Aboltonists is not so great as may be imagined. Per
haps those who propose direct robbery, though more
DARING not so dangerous their more discreet ant
wary associates. One part of the "rnthless faction
propose nothing short of FORCE, the other would temp
you iriM money to consent 10 The demolition of the Con
stitutionai barriers hich the security Of your proper
ty and Tie safety Of your ,cires and daughters depend
| The Parliament Of England considered Omnpote by
the subjects of that realm, when driven by tanatcsm L
abolish slavery its West India possessions, pursued the
policy of Purchasing. When il resolved to abolish wha
Gen Harrison terms ga great moral and political evil,
it protested determination to pay fair equivalent To-
the private property it about to wrest from the
onists-but the same influence which forced the Go
vcrnment TO berate the slaves controlled the appro
pratlonS to the cooniss, and BY undertaking the
slaves, robbed the of fourths of the valne
them. Under circumstances that could possibly &C
cur, you TO consent to violate the Federal Const
tuition and to sell your slaves to the General Govern
ment to be liberated, could you expect to receive
than the tenth part of the value of them Mr. Clay has
estimated the slave property of the country at twelve
hundred millions of dollars. Knowing the repugnance
of members of Congress TO impose burdens on their
constituents you cannot suppose sum so vast or one
fifth part oit would be collected for such pur
pose If without formal amendment of the Constu
ton fixing average value for your slaves, you were
to consent to sell them to the General Government
you would be yielding up not only ninetenths of til,
value Of that description of property but the protection
which you rghtfully claim under the Constitution
and the influence which, as yet, enables you to
teract the ruthless spirit of the Abotioniss To admit
that Congress may usup power to interfere with slavery
as it exists in the States, would be giving up allno
only the value othe slaves but your right to hold them
and the compromise by which three fftls of them are
prerescnted in the popular branch of Congress Yeld
assent 10 the policy often recommended by General
Harrison, fyou disposed to admit that the power Of
Congress is unlimited, and to place yourselves under
the guardianship and care of Abolitionsts but if you
would preserve your rights, defend the Constitution
and perpetuae the Union-the path of duty, for you
can only be formed Sin drection-that of undis
gused opposition not only to those who would rob
you openly, hut to those who would tempt you with
money violate the Constitution and surrender your
slaves a, such prices the Aboonists may in their
mercy, think proper to allow you.
/ (I6 be e0ntiaaed.J
TWENTY-sIXTH CONGRESs---lst SESSION
IN SENATE.
Wednesday, .Hay27, 1910.
| Mr. PIERCE bv direction of the Committee or