Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-07-06
LETTER FROM On. DUNCAN. oil ONO.
Moxrocnlnr. Hamilton county.
SEPTEMBER IS, 1898.

LETTER FROM On DUNCAN of ONO.
MoNroonlnr Hamilton county.
SEPrrMBER IS. 1888
GrNrLrwrN: On my return home. alter Arb
srnce of nearly fWo weeks. found upon my 'Hbie
letter con,a ming the following questions p'ro"tdfd
10 the. Recognizing As do, The riei<"n >o" pan
TO incnogae me-, or any other peE.' "'' : ''e' e
g,iiee hands. any aua"" P"'s''ous VIM u
may be involved ~ The eSeles'"'' ny OF '"f' ON
oia dnly. should ,ou ser y" oos"" '"" o.
w." "t''' nionsrs have no l,s.,ra
10" !" nr"%ptsss to answer " 80 ~ '''''''' % al
.yf'1@. do you believe nar Cereres,
,x@Tinainran, unabridged, The r CHR OF The People
Tefiiion IN the aboliun 81 slavery aud The slave
Trade in the D,si,iet o Columbia 7"
46psesr ! do. The ueht ai prtliion is secured
by The Constitution l. the People. aud Is iu,mlair
aud the Constitution lt,eli answer ,anr unr,ion
IN plain aud uneqasooal Language The Pc PIE
have natural, tallrieal aud siIiufionai ,pht Ia
peiiiion Congress Tor tsrty thing net fofhniden b,
the Constiiulior. Ever, thug Which i The leete.
male SUBJECT al legislation the people have rgll 10
prii,iou ur. aud at tbs they aud At hi ou,ht
10 he the Judges. The Representative " o=uoulJ
,te To himself ihr right Of dutaing 10 his CON
fiiturnts VIVA, they should peltion, would vutu.AI,
violate the Constitution, nj would be unwofllr, a
seat IN any representative body. So long as | have
seal IN Congress. will receive aud ttr.rn, audi,
lion and oil athtrktnds Of ienons proper to b, me-
sented will aso meyr then i.ietenee To- ih. an
proptaie committees, and ia mhalryrr else may be-
irofer 10 be DEM, bu' lie subject irto,e
The body IN Which may have a SEAT lo as re q,
aciion. thus Iai ] eo,,la consider IL INV ,o.,t,
BILE duiy bur as ana not htetrogaed as to tltr b,.
lance OF ny duiy, is expected than should a..
swer.
Question "a "Ate YOU up, o~cd 10 the ad ,,ssloa
Of any new s,ate m'o HE Fed,is u ion uho,f
Constitution lneiates slyrI, 7"
-fnsieer. am.
Question 81 lis 1t in your on,nlno The cana.
tu,sonh ughl aud he duy of Congress Ia .sol,.,,
slavery ald the slave trade IN tie ID s,nc OF c,
luuibia I"
regret 10 say that | am reaher n en,,el ,o,
qualified 10 ans er this qae,t %. enher /, m, O 4,
satisfaction ~ that 4 othrI-. The aIrsiion !. ro,
sii.hti"nal Ia ns Character, AMI trqnires a p,,,,l,
eonsttultonala Il involves ma on.s,,,, -
expedieney OF pfopnefy viii II al At 81 so.b
an answer OF Tie lash oi answering wmi,i hr an ga
sier one
II II were the duty OF Congress TO abolish slavery
IN the District oi Columbia, & sress would have
the right 10 do so, hccaus there nus ,tsul, n NH,
somewhere 10 d" whAi ought 10 b. done An NOR.
al duties one HI 10 be peflmned bat ma, 80 r,n.
verso. with regard 10 tie Cousttunon Tbr,.
may be constitutional p,wcrs vested ), cot,,.s.
"hch mn TAI be un"ise aud impoiiie 10 ca,,y ,.,o
ptartces AN not prepared TO say that Co1yt,ss
has mol Tue constitutional hight tn abolish shaver,
and The siase-,rade M the Disnict of Columb,, :
ne Va suutan Is silent an the subject OF slavery.
ihis a cntlous tot; and hot tor anntb >, c,r, 90.
maj some OF the STATS have abolished slavery witb.
lntheir liaits, m ght be led 10 conclude thai
eongtess uas no such power. 1t il iundamenl Il
lrnctpe With nlr, anil believe II IL 50 ~, II ,bs
"emoeraIIe prny, thai Congress can ,x,,eis, mn
power eAceit What IS expressly authorized nv ,I,.
Constitution. while the State auihnnne, can >,
''',s, "' powers mot mutually wtnng) winch are moi
Pfohlbted by the C"nsluInop So much for ia,
constitutional aoIhorn, of The Federal and State Go
yernmenis. ~
Bun does no. c neress acr 10 the doubl. c,n,ci,,
"a enffal Legislature and State I,.e,sla,,,,,
" ''e "Si instance. as " hen II legisates Ton The
"o"' y" haioh"i qarsl'ons aud for national purposes
anu IN the secnnd INSTANCE, a. when II laws otr II.
national character, and resolves itself mic a C,n
initee OF the Whole upon The Dlsni,t N, t,,,n.h,
a. 'h's last capaciiy, tas { ngiess not nh. sam,
p"e' over NE territory composing the District n
Ioiumoia, thai the SIau Legislatures h We OVER ia,
,e'"o', inner Respective States an, nut d, > os
session OIL deed oi acesslos by winch the D,,ui
nc alu'nbIa was transfer ed 10 he F.d.,,l CIV
ihehi' no. ah' IN possession Of the Original ,,Io,,
char ers by winch May and ard Virginia vs,a a.
,"ohshed. do not know what PROVISIONS each ma,
nave contained With reference la slavery . a a,
save Trade 10 cb ol The colonies
pat whatever their pplnlcal fiebis AMI ub,,,,.
ighs 81 private Individuals ,pig Ia have ~,
gu !" s.ase'N' q NE domestic az inland lave Trad
""sh were claimed under Them, believe rllry uer
reserved ana seeui'd alter The An ilcau R-yoi,,uo,
ana ~ the tormaion Of The Frdrt4l Cons,uu,,,,
5 they were recognised; pelia . n il more mn,
Say '"' ihe Institutions o slavery IN the SIai,
" haiy'anu aud Virginia we've lett und,stu, ed IA,
tne hfvpii'tiun and 'he iorunalton of IN. E,,., !,
constitution So ia Il il was not he ,o,e,t;o, "
'r 'fa'nefs oi ite Con- uiion Ia expressly wa ran
sis'e,y' ihey ~ere dsrosed. BY way of comt,,onis.
- s"ee' ahc secure tis great proposes of III, u
st"n' TO tolerate n. "r leave juI as they fount n
NOW qnes'n comes up. la .naAIug me c..s;n,
10 the FEDERAL Cove rnment ot the itr,lo,y cam
sing the Dis,Het OF Culuinbia TO- he, ~ nh III. :
elusive jur'sd,cthpn. (rgisiaiiye and lad c,,n o..
'nA' ie rhoiy, could The legislatures 81 Aa,,La
am Virginia c"nfrf any other pu. e. ul,oo the Fed
=. o"'e,n'hehi over the personal propen, aa1 TEA
estates 81 those Who resided wnn The ,et,t,v I'm,
eeus" 'nal w'iat they Possessed over tie ,Iopeu,
:" p'e eh'zens before the ces,pn was made o.
4'ef words, I'D the Fcdffa Govesnn,sni aern,r,
s'e power osef The property II Tue q i2eas o
Y u Nsiphibia itiAir the Gasrina.en,s a
~ ifg"sl had 9hen they made m,
Tso.x q, s9s tvs will psl be co tended 49,
oi lie biafSzsa - mas W. t,ofe po~ei o.
Iablc Il, eDdsrslan SIC OF luand slavs-irsd.
tLetv could De ~ assuyag,.