Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-07-21
TExAs-THE souTn-sLAvERY.

discussed ia my last three numbers. A. affecting the gen
ssl policy and national destiny Of the United States. the
proposition u the annexation Of Texss to this Government
assumes the sruyesi importance.
Aay measure. which Is admitted. In il scope and ,onden
cy. 10 embrace and effect the stability and pcrpctuiiy Of
oat federal system n government. at once, draws To IL
consideration. the deep solicitude Of every patriot heart
The pres, the statesman. OF the party. that could. under
any aspect, invoke the fell spirit Of mere party organization
or appeal 10 the sordid feelings Of local p~rcjudices, would
deserve the esecradon Of every honest lover Of his country
The object and nstionHl design OF our forefaihers, in estab
fishing our wise system OF Federal Government. should
never be- lost sight Of, in estimating "the moral fruits Of
political advantages" Of any proposed measure. The spiri
and genius of the American Constitution, as illustrated in
tho wise deliberations aud political forecast of its trainers
derives additional sanctfty, from tho fruits which are reah
red In our present great and still growing national impor
lance. To this spirit and genius" which has ever charac
terizod the measures and given dignity to the policy Of our
General Government. tho american people owe their pre-
sent national proves. Ii has ever illustrated to our Jealous
and enyious rivals, the republican purity rs well rs the in
cressing stability OF our institutions.
United by the indissouble ties Of n common object
with one political falkland one hope-thc destiny OF our
people has been read, in the national affinity and repubh.
can purity of our common institutions, resting each and all,
on The free consent of u great people, as their common
basis.
The most striking feature in our system Of government,
and the one most wondered ut and admired abroad, is the
hitherto unncknowledRed principle, in established govern
men,s, that the mnin spring Of all political action and GO.
venmental stability. originates in the common consent and
united will Of n great people; legisatng in their national
capacity, for the foreign protection and due maintenance of
the acknowledged indie pendence, and individual political
sovereignty OF distinct State governments each OF which
in its own appropriate sphere OF action, exercises the high
functions of legislative sovereignty; and yet, each attracted
TO and resting on a common national riH, created by and
mainly dependent on, THEIR separate and express assent
TO the exercise of TTs CREATED POWERS. The political checks
and balances, which harmonic and strengthen the action
of the Federal Government are derived from the 'mosal
free will" OF the whole people. The MEDIA through which
this "mornl lever" oper. ties and is operated on, forms the
true desideratum OF our complex system of government.
The first great object Of the Federal Government, is to
harmonic the action of its integral parts, by extending to
each and all, the same degree of national care and fedora
tive protection. Assembled together, in acommon council
-g-der II commonh end-and for a common purpose, the
federal Legislature is empowered and required tosurvey and
provide for the various and sometimes clashing interests Of
each and every integral member Of the Union. This com.
mon source of individual and State protection, springs as
a necessary consequence, from each feature in the Federal
Constitution. Trenfy-sir States, separate and independent,
(oach, in its appropriate sphere State sovereignty, as
independent Of the others us though it were an entirely sepa-
rate govemmcnt,O are, by the united ioilo the tDhoie, blend
ed into one common ational government, for the mutual pro.
lection OF each and all, as against every species OF foreign
invasion, or extra territorial interference with tine domestic
economy or internal policy Of any one of the States. For all
mere internal purposes, each State, in It's appropriated sphere
of seton, enjoys and exercises its own peculiar mode of
State policy. To this end, each State government is COM.
plete within itself; endowed with all the necessary functions
Oi an independent government-rcgulated aud ordained in
such a manner Us to meet and provide for each and every
possible case among its own citizens which appoTiains To
their rights, political or civil, and which do not in their uL-
innate consequences encroach upon or clash with the ascer-
talned rights, political or civil, OF the citizens OF j sister
State.
But, when the interests or rights, political or civil, OF any
one of these States, or any one of their citizens, are affected
IN their foreign relations. it is solely through the National
Government that its will can be efficiently enforced, or It's
..-lsa ..rs.,u unl SO vrr,,.. 10 H. 81.
political maxim, engrafted on every feature in the Federal
Constitution, that, an injury To any one citizen OF the Union.
or an outrage intended or actually committed against the
dignity, policy or ascertained and proper rights of any one
ali the States of the Union, is alike an injury inflicted on eve
ny citizen, or an outrage committed against every one of the
twenty-six States. In this aspect, the question IL once rs
sumes the dignity of a national dispute, calling for the i'm
mediate interpOsihOn of the Federal Government.
In a case of foreign collision, whether the result is n mere
individual injury 10 Il single ciuzen-Or extends to 4 mere
local injury, affecting a class OF the communlty-or rises to
the dignity vi a State question between one OF the States and
the aggressive foreign power, the injured party is at once
received under the protection and fostering care of the nation
al arm. Redress or war Is the immediate consequence
Nothing OF n sectional bias enters into the motives which in
woke national interPositon. The cause Of complaint Is a
national one; the means Of redress flow from the united en-.
ergies OF n united people. The american Flag covers eve
~ claim Of each citizen her national arm embrace, pro-
tects and defends every acknowledged right OF each citizen,
State or community
lie, US apply these principles, on which the maintenance
and perpetuly Of our institutions depend &c the question now
under consideration.
In my former numbers / have candidly considered the
truly delicate subject Of Abolition, as it affects and Is aTec-
ted by the proposed measure OF the annexation OF Texas To |
the Unned States. also, the danger which must necessarily
result, as a consequence, 10 The South, from the full posses
non Of Texas by England. The source and dignity Of our
ule to this territory has also been discussed; its immediate
ju1ta position to the United States was likewise considered:
The positive deliteriOus consequences TO the slaye-holding
portion OF the Union, passed under review.
Here it is proper to pause, and for a moment, to contem-
plate the political position which the United States, Us a
nation, occupies ia relation to the English government
History has been well styled PHILOSOPHY teaching by er
an.wF.s - - WhH vfarr ehn nLTlaaQUbu nj pgfnF
10 the people OF the United States, but one fixed truth IN re-
lauon 10 their national intercourse with the English govern
ment. il teaches us the important truth that AMERlCA
Stands. in the scale Of nations. IN direct aniagonistcal oP-
position, ~ the Esprit and genius" OF the English g0re1H.
mcHt. The ~jBundiccd eye OF her regal prejudice, IS ever
ready TO hunt out and seize upon the weak points IN our
government. and to turn them TO our lasting injury, and to
her benefit. The crumbling relics OF her n%nuquated forms
OF government, are giving way under the GENIAL influence
shed abroad by American enterprise. Her arihcial rule Oi
government, which is made to depend on a sovereign's will
or moulded 10 suit the selfish forms of an established
aristocracy, which derives ITS existence and boHows Trs
importance from a cOurtly superiority Of the great mass OF
the people, has long since, been made 10 feel the influence
Of our Institutions. The source Of her pOlrcT sprugs from
the cOercive restraint imposed On the popular will, through
the viuated medium OF n stern executive power, seconded
and sustained by a not less corrupt and vltiated arstDcracy.
HEE PEOPLE ARE the SUBJECTS Or FowEE-SoT THE
SOURCE Of LEGI-LATIvE WILL. WEALTH IS the object Of
oil her legislative provisions. The freedom OF her people,
IN the mass, forms no portion OF the policy OF hr Internal
government. C0mmsToe, Agriculture and Manufactures,
are m the keeping Of government, for the sole purpose VI
making the erich richer aud the poor poorer The spirit
OF popular freedom has no existence in hy constitution
The genius Of popular freedom is excluded from hf5 pohu-
cal creed. In the entire policy Of her government "ihc mo-
raj fo:ee Of popular will Is crushed by the strong arm Of
power.
II We analyse her hypocddcal cant and false clamor about
abolition. we shall discover that oil her bJasted p%hilantlro.
py originates in Toe supreme ~selishness Of her sei-aggran-
dizing policy. IL is impossible for the statesman, imbucd
with true philanthropy, to contemplate her professions on
this much vauntod subject, and then scmunise her OUH cite
oppression, upon the poor operatives Of Der own country,
and not to turn with disirust from such a scene RI wrctchcd-
ness and oppression. The legislative records Of EssIhyD
Prove % the world that n certain and large class Of her own
subjects, are IN d f4r worse aud more deeply degraded CON
diuon than the slaves Of this country. The reports Of her
own committees, appointed for the purpose Of investigating
fia very subject, by her own house Of commons, have
Published 90 the world, facts and specified instances
Of oppression, pcnury and moral and intellectual de-
~gfudauon, among whole classes Of her operatives, which
cannot be discovered on any one plantation IN Amer.
"a. And yet tho plainhye tones Of her plastic policy,