Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-28

Patrick Henry endeavorcd to supper! tie objection,
that if the Constitution were adopted, Congress might
abolish slavery. GAS much, said he, "as dePiofe
slavery, that prudence iorbids ITS aooiItoh ue
ms that the General Government ought 10 SCI lie,
free because decided ma ority OF the States nave ho'
Tie ties Of sympathy and fellow feeling for those whose
interest would be affected BY the einancipa'oh.
majority of Congress is to the North, and ice
,, tie South In this situation, | great acai Vi
INC n~on.rt of the people of Irsiaa in jeopardy, and
their peace and tranquility gone away. repeat ~
a~a;n that it would rejoice my SOM liia' every one "
,n,. fellow beings einancpaed As We ought WIN
ur-;tude to admire that decree OF Heaven, when mas
.,nhercd us among the free We ought TO lament ana
dcnore The necessity of holding our ic!iow-mcn IN
bondage But is it practicable by any human iheI ,n
10 Hberate them without producing the moss uieai
and ruinous consequences: We ought 10 possess wy.
II The manner we have inherited them from our ahcI
tors as their manumisson IS incompa'ioe W.. ,oh
Iictv Of our country. But we ought to soften a. u'
as possible the rigor of their unhappy az
Mr. Henry was answered BY Cor. han0o'P. .,
said he sand will ask asah ahu ,ho mart thai has
.wered mot BY declamation,l where IS e pat nls nls
tendency 10 the abolition OF slavery: IS J. tie caue
which saws that the migration OF iiPo' - .S'n
persons as any Of the States now ex.sung ssii ''a
proper TO admit, shall not DC f.or5 The
rrar 10 the wear lS0S: This IS an exception rom ne
circulating commerce, and the restriction is"n!y
70 continue till 1865 Then Congress can, oE inc eSef
s nc that power prevent future nporatons; put aoes
j, affect the existing state OF slavery Nee -
hca 10 mention what passed in convention on the occa
ION might tell you that the Southern States even ,.
Carolina herself conceived this property 10 De
:acsc words. | believe, whatever we may lfhS neie'
,h,t there was not a member OF the TrSaRsd ueiega
, Who had the smallest suspicion OF the aboiitioh OF
,rarv Go to their meaning Point out the clause
where this formidable power OF emancipation y
I'd Rp, another clause of the Constitution proves the
absurdity Of the supposon The words OF inc clause
are NO person held to service or iaoor III one
tAe !4ss i4sis2l ssSa g. as1 1n H
is given Of slaves vndcate their property
it be supposed they can be deprived of il: If
t2en Of this State, in consequence Of this cause can
take his runaway slave in Maryland il be scriousy
thought, that after taking him and bringing him home
he could be made free:
The sentiment of North Carolina Ike that Of Dir-
sinic strongly opposed TO any continuance of the
Importation of slaves; but in both States it equal
y necessary 10 satisfy the minds OF the people, that the
property then existing IN slaves was secured and pro-
rected.
When, in the Convention Of North Caroline the las,
clause OF the second section Of the fourth article vas
read, Mr.. HedeH explained the Of the clause
'.In of the Northern States, he Observed 'sthey
have emanc pated ali their slaves. If any of slaves
20 there, and remain there 4 certain ,me they would,
BY the present laws, be entitled to their Freedom
that their masters could not get them again. This
would be extremely prejudical TO the inhabitants OF
the Southern States and TO prevent IT. this clause is
inserted in the Constitution Though the word s'ace
be not mentioned this is the meaning Of it, The
Northern delegates, owing to their peculiar scruples
the subject of slavery, did not choose the word
siGre to be mentioned.
On the other hand the countcnancc given Nv The
Constitution TO slavery, urgcd the North
son against ratfyng II. Upon this subject the follow
ing sensible remarks were made in the Convention of
Massachusetts,, By General Heath; 81 apprehend" said
he, .'that II no: in power 10 do any thing for
against those who slavery in the Southern
States No gentleman within these walls detests every
idea OF slavery than do 1t is generally detest.
eG by the people Of this Commonwealth; and ardent.
- hope that the time will soon come, when bre-
,h.en in the Southern States will view il we do, and
put stop to IT. but TO this have right TO compel
them. Two questions naturally arise. If we ratifv
the Constitution, shall do any thing by our act to
hold the blacks in slavery shall become the par.
takers OF ether mems sins, think, neither of them.
Each State is sovereign and independent to certain
degree and they have right and will regulate their
internal affairs TO themselves appears proper;
and shall we refuse to cat drink be united with
those who do not think act Just we do Surely
We not in this case, partakers of other men
for in nothing do voluntarily encourage the
slavery of our fellow MEMS
Sentiments of this character finally prevailed; and
such sentiments should now govern the conduct Of the
North.
i Lars Of tic U"icd &afes-'The act Of Congress,
approved February II, 1888, provides, that whenever
demand any person as fugitive from justice, Of the
Executive authority of any State 10 which such person
shall have fled, and shall moreover produce the copy OF
IN indictment found, affidavit made before ma
gstra:e any State charging the person demanded
with having committed treason, felony or other crime,
certified authentic By the Governor chief inagis-
Of the State from whence the person charged
fed it shall be the duty Of the Executive authority OF
the State TO which such person shall have fed
HIM her to be arrested and secured and notice of the
Ia he IN he L inp
such demand to the agent OF such authority appoint
ed TO receive the fugitive, and to the fugitive to
be delivered to such agent when he shall appear.
Another section Of the act provides that when
person held to labor in any Of the United States,
der the laws thereof shall escape into any other Of the
States, the person to whom such labor servce may
be due his agent attorney, empowered TO seize
arrest such fugitive from labor and to take him or her
before any Judge of the circuit district of the
United States, residing being within the State or be-
fore any magistrate OF county, city, town corpo-
rate wherein such seizure shall be made and
npon proof TO the satisfaction Of such judge mags
tIatc either by oral testimony affidavit taken be-
fore and certified by magistrate Of other State,
that the person seized arrested DOTH under the
laws Of the State from which he she fled, owe
vice labor 10 the person claiming him her, it shall
De the duty of such judge or magistrate to give
thcae thereof to such claimant his agent attorney
which sha be sufficient warrant for removing the said
fugitive from labor TO the State territory from which
he she fled.
The last section Of the act declares that any person
who shall, knowingly and willingly, obsruct hinder
such claimant, his agent attorney, in scizng
0rrcsng such fugitive from labor; shall such
fugitive from such claimant, his agent attorney,
when arrested, pursuant to the authority herein CIV
en- or declared; shall harbo conceal such person.
after notice that he or she was fugitive from labor
aforesaid SHALL Tor either of the SAID Offences forfeit
and pay the of five hundred dollars which penalty
may be recovered by and for the benefit of such claim
ant, by action of debt in any proper try the
same saving moreover to the person claiming such Ia
Dor or service his right OF action for, account Of
the said injuries, or either of them.
>. judicial Decisions as to Fugitircs from Labor
The second section of the fourth article Of the Con-
s.tuton confined to persons held service or labor
in State under the laws thereof who escape into
another. Where the master voluntarily carries his
slave from State into another, the master must
abide BY the laws of the latter State, far they
may affect his RICH of property in the slave N
But if the slave from State into another,
IN, fbnry han hui l,o 90, ba