Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-17
NEW Asrrcrs OF TIE ABOLITION QUESTION:

NEW ASPECTS OF THE ABOLITION otESTIpN
We have heretofore published the resolutions OF me
Convention of Ab"ltonists in New Jersey, appointing
ri-atcs 10 meet Congress OF AJoton'sis IN pledt
Britain DARN. the next summer. Tue plan propose"
b. this Convention, - reach us object OF iiiicHIte
aud universal emancipation, was thc repeal % wv
clause IN the Constitution yoh,ch extends representation
IN the Southern States, beyond the Tree white Ppua
ton To tirec-fhs of the slaves the overthrow Of
tbs feature OF the Constituliun-thc compromise IN
the compact, among the States on winch the tnloh
rcsis-woud, every knows, be separation "i the
States or subIcaor by the sword, OF one section to
the other and il was for this reason that delegates
were sent 10 England u ally more closely with Inc re-
y!utionary designs Of the Northern fanatics aud Fc-
dcraIiSts the Abolition feeling, "Hic originated thcre'
and whrh IS popa gated there 10 sever and weaken the
Government of the transatlantic Republic, which mat
nation most fears.
Simultaneously. almost, with this New Jersey move
mcnt we find another scheme preached III Cincnna':,
by the PElanthroPrSt, the Abc"n organ ta''c' ~ '
interest Of IaTrison evidently designed to keep M ng
,nlnu and draw hc l:nc between the NORTH and Sont
on the approaching Presidential election 1t IS p"Int
on w ci /" rally the Ah"ion:sis as presenting rac.
teal political object, and which they may ilr 10 ac
soun in dcawng converts into their ranks, from a i"e
ue If eanus IN regard 10 State Rights, connected
with the partial and sectional feeling OF winch no man
can divcsi himself This new ingred!cnoi dlsschs'nh
and scism among the States, was hinted al ny hr.
ADAMS in his sprcch at the moment the spirit OF Apc
ton laid in the House. by the rule ares''ng me ~
PRODUCTION Of petitions II would have been instantly
acted on and petitions poured INTO the House Tor the re-
peal Of the I'd OF the 18th ART of the Constitution :"
the L s. If the Abolition dcs'gn had not been stayed by
the caution and policy of their more arttui conirderars
1t seems that petitions have soma time since Otch cur
cultcd signed and sent Ia members oil Congress, Du'
they withheld for the present Ih" Phlanhr"Pis'
n.macS that the present scheme OF the societies IS
adopted 'rh rir'r, at MtS hme q fLfhtn@ re-
tecio" iran any octioa during he present sess'"n q
CoHgrCSS As the petitions are already forwarded,
is evident that the purpose has been changed by the
p,ltica! ar RS in tr interest of the ibotiomists, on
the theatre here They have, no doubt, told TIE
petitioners Ter the abolition Of the second clause
of the inur,. article of the Constitution, that the
agitation OF the dcsirn IN Congress would alarm the
whole South, and annihatc the Harrison party III
thu, section Of the Union while the circulation .! pc
tcns for the purpose, among the penpi" IN the Nort
would s,,bscrv the views If the whole Opposition IN
the North, without rndan~crng them, by the appre-
tensions IN. pre,, III the South THIS accounts tor t'
pause in the contemplated proceeding announced b.
Mr. Adams in Congress rs impending, but which, We
now see by the Cincinnati Abolition organ has rcccv-
Cd another direction, being confined for the present TO
the undcrw"rkin. Of the Abolition societies
We lay before readers, from the Phadfipina
Freeman ihs new mode Of attack concerted against
tho Constitution aud the rights of the South, winch
to ne deferred T.. a Congress 1t Isl in fact, de-
frrcd to rive the aralgalnacd parties better chance
accomplish their design, BY getting ne'c President
IN.
From the Philadelphia Frtsman.)
We entirely concur in The following views, from the
Ohio Phanthropist. We have made similar sugges-
tons ourselves and portion Of the petitions circulated
in this vicinity have been in conformity to them Some
Of these petitions have been forwarded 10 several mem
brrs cf Congress- proe>Scdly favorable 20 Abolition
and In" :gI, al petitions bat fol some reason rhh re-
q"ircS rrp'anatio", they have not been presented
We dcn! from the ::!ca At III" clos" of the article,
ofdccrrnr this kind Of petilonnr until future Com
As no. 'pnr ~ elected
question ought tohe a@ta'ed III Congress, and
,cwrrc, 50 that may know Of The candidates VILE
Their they explicitly i'll favor oftakng measures, III
ono form or other relieve the Northern States from
al participation in holding in bondnge and whc
thcr, r!"c'cd, they will their cxertions TO effect
this object.
HINTS FOR TIE EEFLEcTiNG-A NATIONAL CoNvES-
ono person held to labor service in one State,
under the laws thereof escaping into another, shall,
in consequence Of any law regulation therein, be
discharged from such service labor, but shall be de-
lvcrcd up claim o ine party - .on sucii service
or labor he due. Sec. =, 0!t. IL. Constitution ~
tie Initcd States.
This provision, the Aboltionists aware, is
trcnchment Stat" sovereignty, and limits, far it
extends, the effect Of the Constitutions Of the free
States of the principles which these Constitu-
lions rest Although general III It's terms, and emhrac
the of apprentices, free persons held to labor
escaping into other States the great object Of it TO
to the stakeholder his slaves. It's effect is to
tend slavery, IN the person OF fugitive slave, into
free State and involve The citizens of such State in the
responsibility of supporting slavery. BIZ it they are
bound to become coopprcssors viii! the Shareholder
thus violating their principles, which teach t,em1
to aid, not to niurc, the oppressed Necessarily, then
the guilt Of slavehoding attaches TO every citizen who
fu!fls the obligations imposed by this provision.
Onr suggestion is, that it may be right and proper TO
petition Congress to propose an amendment TO the Con-
sti;uton of the United States pcaling this clause
be lard before the Legislatures of the several States
Some may be urged in favor of Tie suggestion.
/. As the provision is wrong in itself, because it
binds TO be consenng, if not aiding in the of
saveloldng, il becomes question whether We are not
morally obligated to seek IFS repeal, by all wise and
lawful means.
.. Congress, aAer series of ou,ragcs against the
right of petition, have at last consummated their ab-
surd and unprnciped policy, b. formal!g denying it
Our petitions the us::a! topics, cannot find nd
mtance TO the House Of Representatives; and tie Sc
nate refuses say whether they received not.
The discussion to which they have hitherto given RISE
has been PARTIAL and far less profitable than could have