Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-04-16

Of Nee Y ork. upon deri,i iRe 10 present 10 The Senate
sn Abolition Petition, sisaed BY one Hundred and
Jsriy ~omen.
WAsnIsGToS, March %. 1910.
Sra: Your letter OF he 9Th instant WAS duly re-
ssivsd, enclosing a pe'ition 10 Congress, signed by
enc hund,sl and ferry women oil The city and county
Of New York. praying Tor The abolition OF slavery and
the slave trade ir tie Drsi,icl Of Columbia. and IN
those Territories Of he Unned STATES where they
exist. and TO admit no new slave States into The L.
sion requesting me to lay III. same before the Senate.
have also received your letter ofthe l7ih instant,
req ,esiing me 10 inform you when would present
tho petition. Having declined TO present the PETITION,
II 10, perhaps, due TO The lar petitioners. aud 10 YOU.
their organ. a. well as 20 myself, TO state some ul the
reasons which dictate my course.
The constitutional riehl OF petition is contained IN
the first article Of amendments. as follows;
"Copgrcss shall make no law respecting an cstab-
1ishment Of tciieion. or prolnbIring the free exercise
thereof: or ~abridgine the freedom Of speech. or Of
the press or the night Of the people peaceably 10 as
semble. and 10 petition the Government lot a r.dres,
Of rrievances.'
Congress has never made a law ~abridcine this
right. but the people assemble 81 pleasure. AID pen
ton ~ pleasure for redress Of grievancrs. Ofcuursr.
This pant of the Constitution has moi been violated /
aud il il did mol exist. Congress could not canstnn.
tion'lly have passed such a law, because no such
power is delegated TO Congress, Tins righl, rrsrt,
cd TO the people, does no hevolve upon The prrslIlnr
snirrr Of The Senate The Obligation of rescnllpr De.
ttions Of every conceivable description.
There are considerations Of a no,al and political,
~ well as Of a constitutional nature, which would
not permit me 10 present petitions e a character cy,.
IDENTITY hostile 10 The Union, aud destructive of III,
principles on which IL is founded. The paitiois of
The Resolution made great sacftir6s IT blood and
treasure To establish and eoi ii IN the doctrines sci
forth in The Declaration OF Independence. Each
State was then an independent sovefcignI, and Ia
form a perpetual coniedetacy FOR the safety and hen
Elf OF tie Whole. embol,ing The Great doctrines of
the Dreiaration, y compromise OF interest aud feeling
~ss necessary. That compton SO was made AID
The principe which your fair pciiiione,s are now F.,
Rraiing vas setled. The right OF rcsnlaling npI A..
holishing slavery wa. reserved 10 the States. and
Congress has no mare rght 10 destroy slavery ,u
Virginia and NJ niand than they have 10 rs.
isbiish slavery in New York or New Euelaud. The
i.eh'n III pt'i'ion Tor these objects Is reciprocal, and
the ~eb,igs'ion al the presiding officer to prs,sni \
pet,ion 10 the Senate. # II exist in ei her ra,r -
qnally strong IN both. BW | cannot feeornis, th.
e~b'ica,ien IN either case, though | aeknoa ,rdee IN,
rshi II lie People in both. LA d ference made
between The District of Columbia. andth. Sl,,.s ~
Maryland and Virginia. from which il was ,,Len =,
Tbs question was seuled in relation 10 his D,sr,r,
y these States, by the formation and adoption OF the
Federal Constitution whrn il was a pan Il those
BATES; md a subsequent cessiun OF iurisdutlon
eould not deprive tue en- zens of the riphfs alr,,d,
secured 10 them by both the Federal Con.ti,,,,n
and the Constitutions Of tl,er respective Stars Ths
',th' Oh Congress TO exercise exclusive legislation IN
shcases whaieser does not mean omnipnicnt lepis.
St"u' SohStess w u y ifght IN The DISTRICT nj
Co'"'no'a 10 take away the night of lral by Jury; 10
pass an tr posi- fdcio law To ab,idge the f,edo,n oC
speech OF oil the press Ia establish religion by I,u
mr. tn destroy The nghts If property, OF The e,snn,I
hse''y OF me ciiizen. These reserved righls are as
sacred IN the Dist,ic, Of Columbia as In ,he S,,,. -,
New York. The, have The same rigb II, IN con.tlo'
tho aboliiion OF slavery in New Yo,k a p,,y,n,.
aid peiiion Congress 10 eslablisl il There ,s ~.
s'nxens OF Ne" l OK have tn CONSIDER il a grievance
me District aud petition Cong ess 10 abolish II.
lnelT a nj IN RIhPr r..a In 49,
make their petition, | do not call IN ours,1nn'. h'
the oh'ieaiion on my pant To pr sen, ii 10 Senate. |
do not admit. ' :
u number OF cit zsns sh,ull consider a Renub.
"e"n up'ein"en'a sr'e'ance,and petition Coueres,
"es'aofsh a monarchy lf others should cou.,dc,
fe'igious liberation a grievance, and peIu,o, Cn,.
e"ss 10 destroy heresy, by sbollsbing all rel,p,ous
sects out iheii own. ] should not cons,de, i, my an, .
70 pfesenta pe,''ien the certain tendency Of which is
Ia destroy the harmnny, and eventually, 10 bre.k a.
srnder the bonds Of our Uuion.
'ega'u TO new States. the case il, If possible
W. c"o"gr,' ihey must be united upon terms of
eqo~hy' Each State having reserved the rio h, ol
regulating this subject for itself no ON. can -
slhniionaIiy drpuyed Of the ,isb,. Tn, S,,,n =,
no" fofk has abolished slavery: bui This abol,,i.o
" not me condition on which she holds he, nl,c.
Va inc Cuniedrrscy. II is her own policy: and # !,
10" . { P'eas"re to change II, Congress canno,
'"e'e, go new States are admitted into the
Union when admitted they will stand upon an a.
q'Sh'y with New Noik. They NAV establish ~,
se"nsis'asery at their pleasure. and peuhe, Con.
80 no' any o'her State. will have any more RICH ia
m'e.iefe ~nht' s%nbject than with the laws OF nrin,o.
t'"'u'e 70 Tue British empire. The ohicct of IN,
pc"""n aoes not affect the abstrac, ones,;o, ar
s's.yi mat I" a subject which the aboinioniss If
o'a'es can no more affect than they can Ina,
inc privileges Of the British nobilry. The Main
question Is this: shall we con,lnue /, ,n;,. r''"
fa'ed Republic, OF shall we dissolve The IJoion /, 4,
me prayer OF thissnd similar petitions should h,
granted oy a maturity o: Congress. the ineyiasIs ec
.se' would be an immediate destruction of Tho G..
.eaeraey. and. with IL, those bonds of sTection uL;rh
"~'e "o''ea US as one great, one harmonious FAM.
=. = mas been my grief to observe a reckles.nss.
on '"e part 81 sumo, ~hom | otherwise highly 90.
'eem' showing an utter disregard f all The cons.
q.s"ees "n'ch must result fran, The perpetual api.
aaron Of tins subject. We have an iotert 81 al s,aic
Z oeaf 10 be compromised for a phantom which
49," never gam. however en'husiasricall. we may
rs'sae y. Asa free. a powerful, aud hapny na,lon'
.r''na unf,Salled in the annals of the world.
Ao1ie the eye alternately to every region Of
80. .a u IS gresied with the smiles of hapri
80 s"'a ihe scenes OF liberty. and pesce. and
a. - sna yet Imagination f,.qncnily pause, upon
ls'"'ss which srmiud Us Of ths price Al witch
eS&DunRo we're gained. d w