Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-16

= mo Halls Of the Federal Legislature will, also,
hermit no State to convert itself into city OF refuge,
for those who invade it as teions
you- Committee recommend the adoption OF the fol
lowing resolutions: :
PrsoJpeJ That il is the duty well the right, OF
any State to insist on the faithful observance OF the
Federal Constitution by each State IN the Union
Resoised. That to define crimes and felonies within
It's jurisdictions is incident TO the sovereignty OF
each State, and that no other state can question '
exercise of that right
Resolred, That to demand the surrender and removal
OF fugres from justice, is, by the Constitution a
right and the arrest and surrender, duty: that the de-
NAL or impairment Of this right, is inconsistent win
the constitutional Obligations of State, and subrcrsve
of the peace and good government of Tie ohe- States
Res0ireJ That The right has been impaired, if not
denied, hy the authorities of Maine, and that this
State will never consent, that any State shall become
an ASYLUM FOR those who ugtives from the justice
of other States.
RssoIred That this State will make common cause
with any State of this Confederacy, in maintaining ITS
lust rights under the guaranty OF the Constitution OF
The T. s. and should the obligations of this nsru-
ment be dsregardcd by those whose duty may be, to
enforce them it will take counsel Of its coStaes OF
this Conadcracy, having similar interests to protect and
similar injuries redress, in derisng and adopting
such measures, as will maintain, al any ha=ard these
rights and that property, which the obligations OF the
COMPACT of the Unioncancccd rs they then Will be,
as to us-havc failed to enforce
Rcsoircd, That the Executive Of this State, be re.
oucstcd TO transmit to the Executive of the several
States 10 be laid before their respective Legislatures,
TO the President of the L. s., and TO Senators and
Representatives in Congress, copy Of the above Re
port and of these Resolutions. a. BURT,
Chairman.
MAINE.
Extracts from G0rern0r FAIRFIELD Message OF JAM s.
81 ought not perhaps, to close this communication
without adverting to difficulty between the State OF
Georgia and this State, growing out OF demand made
bv the late Governor OF Georgia upon Governors Dun
lap and Kent deliver up two citizens charged with
the abduction Of slave from that State, and which
persons it was alleged had fled from justice; and the
refusal TO deliver them up upon grounds deemed bv me
then Governor of this Stale to be constitutional ana
satisfactory. The proceedings of the Legislature OF
Gcorria having been, thc-reGuest of the Governor
of that State laid before the Legislature of this State
and the latter having taken action thereon, referring
the whole matter to the Executive, the Governor OF
Georgia thcreupon in his message to the Legislature
holds the following language: :,
"The conduct Of the Legislature of Maine and the
| previous conduct Of Governor Dunlap and Governor
Kent prove concusvely, that the opposition TO the
constitution of slavery is great among the people OF
that State that their public authorities are prevented
g from obeying the nunctions OF the Constitution oil
. the L. States when required to deliver up iugves
" from Justice charged with the crime of violating the
rights of property in slaves. This State must there
fore protect BY IFS authority the rights OF It's cit
in slave property, against the disposition OF 'he
people Of Maine TO violate them. For this purpose
YOU will be justified in declaring by law that all citi
zens of Maine who may come within the jurisdiction
ofthis State board Of any vessels as owners, OIL
GERS or Mariners shall be considered as dong so with
- the intent to commit the crime of scducing negro
slaves from their owners, and be dealt with according
" " by the officers Of justice
"Cominp to us in a less official character but few,
think, would regard this proposition as serious BE
that however as it may, If there was the least Proha
bility that such could succeed III the Legs
laturc Of Georgia, some counter acton on our par
might, perhaps, be necessary. But am sure 1t can
not prevail The proposition so clearly violates the
Constitution of the United States, and subversve
not only Of the plancst principles of law, but OF com
mon sense and common Justice, that the intelligent lie
risaturc of that distinguished and gallant State will nc
yer sanction it. The late Governor OF Georgia ana my
predecessors, though not agreeing in their construc
ton of the Constitution regard to the relative rights
and obligations of the States, yet differ, principally
upon a question of fact, to wit, whether the per
sons demanded were, or were not fugItves from JUS
| tice For the decision of this question the Con
| sttution has established tribunal; and Maine, IN
claiming an equal right with Georgia, 10 examine and
determine it, believes that she is not only not violating
the Constitution but planting herself upon the grea
doctrine of State Rights. Upon question of this sort
then where there is found to exist honest difference
of opinion surely would be than folly array
the citizens of the respective States in hostile altitude
and to cgard large classes of the citizens ndscrn
nately, OF our State only bent on the commission
of CRIME, when entering the territory of the other
! There is why Maine and Georgia. though
widely separated upon the map of the country, should
not be nearly allied in mutual respect, interest and
kind Offices. The state of public feeling IN Name
has been entirely msconceived BY the late Governor
of Georgia If there are any among us who arc
disposed to interfere with the domestic institutions
of Georgia. or any other State, in violation OF law
or who disposed to obstruct the public aulho.
rites in the strctcst performance of the consttu.
ona obligation to deliver up fugitives from justice,
! L.. a., .b,tf tbo nbnr nyf m
limited. am persuaded that the present apparent
feeling in our sister Stale will soon yield TO Justcr
views: and that root of bitterness will be permitted
to spring up between the two States, tending perma
ncnv 10 affect the peaceful and friendly relations that
ought ser to subsst between the different members Of
our great confederacy, and which, am confident, the
citizens of this State disposed ass!duously and SIN
cerely 10 cultivate.
:. NEW YORK
! Extract from GorcrRor Stewards Message OF ian. l.
"a rcquisition made upon me in July last by the
Executive Of Virginia for the delivery of three persons
as fugves from justice, charged With having ieloni
ously stolen negro slave in that State. declined
to comply with the requsIlon, upon the grounds that
the right to demand and the reciproca! obligation to
surrender fugtivcs from Justice between sovereign and
independent nations, defined by the law OF nations
include only those which the acts constituting
the offence charged, recognized as crimes BY the
universal laws of all civilized couatrics that the object
of the provision contained in the Constitution OF the 7
tvcs charged with treason, felony other crime, was
TO recognize and establish this principle of the law OF
nations in the mutual relations of the States as indie
pendent equal and sovereign communities; that the acts
charged upon the persons demanded were not recog-
nized criminal by the laws of this State, or by the
universal laws of all civilized countries and that con
sequently the did not fall within the provision OF
the Constitution of the United States.
1.-THE Governor of Virginia, in his last annual mes
sage, referred the ect the consideration of the
Legislature of that State, and declared that my con-
srucon of the Constitution of the United States could
not be acquiesced IN submitted to. lie added, thai
if it allowed to prevail, and relief could be OBJ
tanned against what he designated fragrant invasion
of the rights of Virginia, either by all amendment OF
the Constitution of the United States by the acton
of the Legislature of Virginia, it might ultimately be-
the important and solemn duty of Virginia 10 ap
peal from the cancelled obligations of the national com
pact to original rights and the law of selfpreservuton
g" confess my surprise that it should in any part OF
the Union be regarded and startling doctrine
that the constitutional power of the Executive of any
otl,a of