Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-12-27

! :, &c ,bol,,,on memorials lie d,d, indeed
believe tia. IN I'll such eases the isn' 10 Pes'''o" .
Ia certain extent vloa'ed; tu he never had aoc"Seu
nor meat t. accuse gentlemen OF "'hnhj Sio'a' u
the Constitution they had sworn 10 sirpft'
Al. ,vt,t IrR r.snn.ci. Tie gentleman haa in
dsr,,.an IN sneak f,r y rsrm people s"ne'a y, rs az
t,nsu sicd in ,s matter iron: Inc people % lug ~
a !, ;b,, rc,a on he Nofihcrn people w"uia Ut
understood generally IN lie i'iTes' s% fsucl
covering the people Of the West also S'~' sne'
co.'s I, h tshen rs lie sense OF ta1 gen'eHahs III"
uia,r nj; M W ooul "a? Wa, TIA. a. had very IN
ca-rcc,y rsn-cse;ed tn nmeiis "' Tue region H"''
VIII ch iif V, came. lie had met this e't re question
.f ,. Lis constituents. aad he bad pledged h'"*' y
pe.l, i, s ra,e God, h1, his eli t' nsve! shoni
,a ,el,yrd 90 ,n. ha bad voice here 10 resist OPP
pose, Withstand, ard IA oil Ways aha ny "a ia",u
means nut do.yn, tae mserabl. fanatics VINO haoiy
c,l, T., hur, Il un this the far temple at ou' cohs'i-
! ,,,;,r,, Eh..y Tac PEI t,min Lad certainly not re-
presented IA. views or the feelings at tie people VINO
had e,yeo Mr. W scat in that hall That people
.xnccca an demanded d hin that The hFst 'noh'h
siugie efT,r, should be made that looked towards '
obnnnah, oa,tts t,ese petitioners 'i"G u; v'ew' u"
should meet ii on the threshold ~iih aee'mr"tu'
omen uucomprom,s.ng resist ince. Toe Pe"pie OF III.
Nor he was well assured, would be no i;'"e siSP"'.u
;oycde III, rohis of the Southern Stat tan TO SUP
nit /, an INVASION OF ."er own; ana a. 'oe .he '
she womb no more ad Northern Representatives, ~
,r,m,In, m he RIGHTS Of Sauthern property thah l1ry
would conbpc with S,,;tliern Representatives 70 t'eau
d,. In. hts OF The Npti. They wee as ready and
wouIa e;,oy ihemsey. quite as prompt, 10 eAi III o'
f.nc. of he one II Of l1e other For one, he was sell
ia !, th thai the reject on ii these lire brand
oe,itions ys the only way TO preserve The temple o.
Our Uni,n rom conAlgTa,on: and Sc h5 as nus con
stitucas gave him voice III tia' iio"s'' u'''e wy
God who r!aGe han he swc:e thai tncy might tey q"
his trnr exa,t aud his aniaEging Ltai IN ''ss'
mar ali sucd wicked aaL nceadiafy attempts against tle
n.oc. q, the country. He stood lor Tie elna rights
nr ALL and As Ii. was ready 20 Withstand The people q"
ihs N,r, IN any attempts Southern freedom he was
1s as repdy 10 rcss. the people % his own beloved
STATE could ticy h. ro.scd to assali t'e conS.ta
uonal rights ether OF The South or The North
Mr. EE.SEk sait t.:at as the hour was !'ir ana the
Iouse seemed IN 40 m humor "a discuss topic oil ms
character he would nave an adjournment
Mr.. FRENCH, being very anxious to speak, re-
gaes.ed Mr.. Belser 10 withdraw the mohnh, pieog,h@
i.nscg 10 renew ii lie should have cesad his
remarks.
And NJ FRENCH having obtained from the House
an extension Of the are already gwen to gentlemen "ho
had preceded him
vas thus gwen il would in Ike be extended
20 HIM
sir FRENCH, after expressing his :lan&s for the
permission be enjoyed, went on to say thai lie had, OIL
assuming his seat here, taken solemn oata 10 support
The Constitution of the u States: and his purpose u,
rsinr was TO prove in as few words possible, that
vote to receive Abolition memorials would be III VIOLA
ton of that sacred instrument. lie was happy TO find
that the House net indsrosed IL hear some sn2-
res,ions on that point though they came from slave
holder bet this might be and doubtless was TO he a.
irbu,ed 10 the intrinsic Importance OF the SUBJECT IN
wllc! the continuance Of III. Union was IN some
.ueasnre involved lie happy, too, that The Con-
>tiu!uG had lad every gentleman present unefr the
sanction Of az oath for It's preservation, While Heaven
had i'm planted conscience ~ every bosom lie de-
sired 10 present briefly view OF the Constitution,
Which, when duly weg hed, would be found entitled to
resHcc, he had long desired that cert IN idea, a.
furnishing an cxposi.or Of he Constitution on ih@
ro;nl involved in the p.esen, debate, should he duly
understood II. would state II al once; and he hoped
that he venerable, gentleman from massachusetts
{Mr Adams,) wh1 had asked in advance the leave OF
the House t. submit further remarks, would III
due time respond it NJ. !. called ior The reading
Of The fp lWag canse in the Coastit1t!on which was
read accortEgly
Representatives and direct taxes shall be appo'tion
ed amonr the several States which may be included
within this Union according to their respective num-
bers which shall be determined b. adding 10 The whole
number Of free persons including these bound TO ser
wee for term of years, and excluding Indians not
taxed, three fhs of all other persons.
This was the clause in virtue of which three Hlths OF
thu slave population of the Southern States were now
represented in thu. House. in addition to the other de-
Gcrp,ons Of persons enumersed. Now, u The persons
sending Abolition petitions 10 Congress could only get
their way this provision would be stricken out of the
Constitution and tina, portion Of Southern representa-
ton which rested on three lhs OF the slave pc.
pula,ion must be off, and in that proportion the
presentation OF these States must be anniilated.
ire nd before him represented in part the State of Lou
is!ana Now suppose, for illustration sake, that
should turn examination that three -''ths OF the
slaves in that State should b. equal 10 the white popu
!aun them in the result OF striking out this feature
of the Constitution, Louisiana must lose just one
half Of her present population. This cons Iteration
went in his mind, PROVE that The reception OF all
petitions abolish slavery and slave representation
was unconstitutional, and, as euch, lie felt himself
bound to resist 1t
There was one other view winch he wished now 10
present lie took it p!opos ton granted on both
sides OF the House. well hy the friends as HE oppo
nens Of aholli on that, far the States were
cerned, Congress had power TO touch the question Of
slavery. Very well; so far so good But he was not
content to stop mere lie went further. He MAINTAIN
ed the proposition that Congress has power 10 abo
ish sllyery in he District of Columbia; and this
more especially the question TO which he desired to in
vi,e the sober Judgment Of gentlemen OF the House
lie asked whether Congress had power by law I, Gre
ale religious establishment in the District OF Column
bia or to prevent it that District Could it by law
create titles of nobility within his District or deprive
the people of TIE District of The trial by jnry' abridgc
there the Liberty OF speech or 81 the press: NO: the
was not pretended. But why had Congress no such
mower? Because the lin a:ions Of the power Of Con-
press as laid down in the Constitution forbade it, Did
they not then forbid these things much in The Dis
,rict Of Columbia within the States: Gentlemen an
swered NO; and in support Of their position quoted the
extensive, almost unlimited, power over the District
granted III the following claus;
$40 exercise exclusive legsat on in al cases what
soever, such district (aot exceeding ten miles
sqnare may, by cesson Of particular States md the
accef tlnce OF Congress, become the seat OF Govern
ment OF the u. St1tss
sin all cases whatsoever" These words great
| " relied upon and 1t cotenGed that Congress
could exercise The rights Of legislation this
District as State Legislature could exercise over a
State. Admitting this. stI he insisted that it was q
power cf legislation subject 10 all the restrictions I'M
posed by The Constitution on the legislation OF Con-
nress. Now, he held that the Constitution an uni,
in granting and restricting these legislative powers
ana Congress IN less an unit IN exercising them
aud, therefore, when 4 woUld where II would
it must act under the limits prescribed to it. 1t II
was commended that these lrlitaons imperative
within these miles square, then, Mr.. F. would ask
What It Stat Congress nigh, not do there: IL The
grant of power leg'sate for the District 'n all cases
whatsoever, held to Imply this, then Congress
might, within The District of Columbia abrdge the
freedom of speech aud Of the press; create titles of no
bily; lay religious tsst abolish the trial by jury; re-
quire excessive bail, nct cruel and unusual punish
mens. VIVA, could II not do Bn,, on the other hand il