Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1840-02-27

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the emancpatorS is unconstitutional. do no
say that there are any words in the constitution
which forbid the discussions they are engaged
in; ! know that there are not. And there is
even an article which secures to the citizens
the right to express and publish their opinions
without restriction. But in the construction OF
the constitution, il is always necessary to refer
to The circumstances under which il was fra
med, and to ascertain its meaning by compar-
ison OF its provisions with each other, and with
the previous situation OF the several states who
were parties to it. In portion ofthese, sla-
very was recognized, and they took care to
have the right secured to them; to follow and
reclaim such OF them as we're lugitives to other
States. The laws of Congress passed under
this power, have provided punishment to any,
who shall oppose or interrupt the exercise Of
this right. Now can any one believe, that the in
strument which contains provision Of this
kind, which auIhorises master to pursue his
slave into another State, take him back, and
provides punishment for any citizen, or ciii-
zens of that State who should oppose him,
should, at the same time, authorize the latter
to assemble together; TO pass resolutions and a.
dept addresses, not only to encourage the slaves
to leave their masters, but 10 cut their throrts
before they do so?
insist. that ifthe citizens Of the non-slave-
holding States can avail themselves of the ar
ticle OF the constitution, which prohibits the re-
OF speech, or the press to publish any
thing injurious TO The rights Of the slave-hold.
ing States, that they can go to the extreme thai
| have mentioned, and effect any thing further,
which writing or speaking could effect. But,
fellow citizens, these are not the principles OF
The constitution. Such constitution would de-
feat one of the great objects Of its formation,
which was that Of securing the peace and har.
mony of the States which were parties to it,
The liberty of speech and of the press was Civ
en- as the most effec.ual means to preserve to
each and every citizen their own rights, and to
the States the rights which appertained to them
at the time of their adoption. 1t could never
have been expected that it would be used by the
citizens off one portion Of the States for the pur.
pose OF depriving those of another portion, Of
The rights which they had reserved al the adop-
lion OF the constitution, and IN The exercise of
lvhich, none but themselves hare any concern or
interest. If slavery is an evil, the evil is with
them. If there is guilt in it, the guilt is theirs,
not ours; since, neither the States ,ohere IL does
not eriSt, nor The Government Of The United States
can, aoahom usurpation Of polOer, and the piola-
ton if a solemn compact, do any thing to remore
II without The consent Of those 0ao are Immediate
| iy Interested. But they will neither ask for
aid, nor consent to be aided, whilst the illegal,
prosecuting and dangerous movements are in
progress, of which | complaint; the, interest Of
all concerned, requires that thesf Apd be
stopped Immediately. This can d done
by the force of public opinion, and cannot
loo soon be brought into operatiaDs. Every
movement which is made by the itionists
in the non-slaye-holdng States, is viewed by
our southern brethren as an attack upon their
rights, and which, if persisted in, must in the
end eradicate those feelings OF attachment and
affection between the citizens of all the States
which was produced by community Of inter-
ests and dangers in the war of the revolution,
which was the foundation Of our happy union,
and by continuance Of which, it can alone be
preserved. lentreat you, then, to frown upon
the measures which are to produce results SO
much to be deprecated.
The opinions which have now given,
have omitted no opportunity for the last Two
years to lay before the people ofmy own State
| have taken the liberty TO express them here,
knowing, that even if they should not unloriu-
nately accord with yours, that they would be
kindly received.