Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-10

principle of equality among the members of this con-
,sderacy: and that Congress- IN the exercise of IT'S
acknowledged powers, has no 10 discriminate be-
tween the institutions of one portion OF the States aud
anotber with vie Of abolishng the and promot-
ing the other
or Congress- 10 abol sh slavery IN the District of Co
Iumbis or the Territories 10 prohibit the removal Of
I. from State 10 Stnte or to discriminate between
tho institutions Of portion OF The contederacy and
another with the views aforesaid are IN violation OF
the Constitution, destructive oil Inc fundamental! prIn
cps ON which the Union of these States rests and be-
yond the jurisdiction of Congress- and that every pet.
tion memorial resolution, proposition or paper, touch
;,o mr. relating m any way to any extent whatever
10 slavery as aforesaid the abolition thereof shall
the presentation thereof, without any further acton
thereon be laid upon the table, without being debated,
printed or Referred
Those resolutions were satisfactory 10 neither portion
of the House, who took decided grounds pro or con
the mower of aboshng slavery IN the District oil Co.
lumbia and Territories. They utiniiamed the excite
ment On the 18Th, Mr.. Wise moved suspension OF
the rules 10 enable him 10 offer series OF resolutions
on The same subject the motion failed by vote OF
IN IN ne Mr. Slade on the same day. made slmilir
motion, which failed by vote OF DO to l47. MIR. Cal
houn of Kentucky, made a similar mouon, on the same
day. which failed by vote OF w 10 io'. And seve-
raj series of resolutions were onereo al subsequent
period of The same session, the same subject The
most of these were laid on the table under the rule.
December 80, 1889, motion was made by Mr. WISE
TO suspend the rules 10 offer resolution, IN effect
that upon the presentation of any memorial praying Tor
the abolition of slavery and the slave ade Inc r'cep-
ton of such memorial, &c, should be considered as
objected to- and the question Of its reception should be
laid upon the table. Lost by vote OF ii to 40 Mr
Rice Garland thereupon moved suspension, 10 allow
him offer series OF resolutions Lost oy V'tt OF
lO7 to 49, Petitions abolition objected to- and
the question OF reception laid on the table. Con-
fusion worse COMPOUNDED prevailed until Tuesday, Jan.
2Sth, 1910, when motion was made by MIR. William
Cost Johnson by way OF amendment, to adopt the fol-
lowing rule of the House
mo petition memorial. resolution, other paper,
praynp the abolition of slavery the District of CO.
lumba or any State Territory, the slave-trade
he, ween the States Territories Of the United States
in which il now exists shall be received By this House,
or entertained IN any way whatever.
II was adopted by a vote of Ia 10 lo5. Tuesday,
Dsce mber 7lh Sil, this rnle was, among the Standing
rules, again adopted and II has been standing rule
of the House ever since 1t has, of course, arrested
the reception Of abolition petitions IN direct form
but these prtions have assumed every Proean shape
i:na rinable evAde ard dangerous agitation has
s gone on, in spite OF every rule or order the House
has yet been able its ingenuity, devise Tor the pun
pose of arresling the evil The most dlsgraceful
Of disorder he occurred in the House, and every mo
men aggfavales the bitterness of sectional feelings en-
pc ndered by the ncessant attempts TO induce e Con-
gress OF The u States 10 invade the rshl OF properly
IN slaves.
This history is given thus infinitely, 10 show ih1i
every means has been resoted 10, in vain that, Tor
than forty years, these PETITIONS were received
referred deberated and reported upon most respect
fully; that they then received and lad the ia
ble that they then objected 10, and the question
OF ption laid upon the table, whilst the House was
gravely considering Executive messages calling On
Congress to exert the making power to prevent the
work of ncendiarIsm and seryI'e war that they were
again received and REFERRED and most respectfully re-
ported upon that they again LAID upon the table
specially and afterwards by two different standing
rules; and that, finally, they were refused reception
and still they obtude their dangerous og'a'ion, TO
shake the very pillars OF the Union Nothing can
appease, or mofy, affect them in any way. lhey
are bent upon than the assertion OF GIT oil re
ri,ion, which is involved IN them. Their aders
md abeors in Congress show themselves resolved TO
pursue the very course no matter whether they
are received The question cannot be concealed
1t IS question If The rigM Of petition; 'ss0eiy
question mh.er hs propeyy IN staees shall longer be-
property
What course is then left for the saveholdng States
and their Senators and Representatives to pursue NJ
cannot be said that this agtitlon not dangerous nor
that il has not done much mischief already agitation
is the efecuai means by which anatcisn mas always
accom- plrshed its most fearful r.suts The most s"hd
institutions besides that Of property, have never been
able to withstand its perpetual shocks Rights mos.
soemnlv guaranteed 10 the savehoding States oy he
Constitution, have been made already defenceless oy
the agitation of abolition The striking instance
of plain and pal pabe provision set at nanght already
by the state of public pnion in the North, is the
clause which provides for delivering up fugitive slaves
The act of 1913 intended to carry this provision
into effect 1t has been found be defective; and, in
repeated instances, in 1901 in 1872 in le2l and IN
lS40 after various complaints from the State Legsia
lures, attempts have been made TO amend tins act so
TO make IL efectual for the recapture oil iusitives
and i, is a case not only clearly within the compe,en
cy but positive duty of Congress. And yet IT may
be regarded thing almost impossible to have It so
amended 1t would much more easily It Is presumed,
be repealed, ia prayed 10 De repealed oy ABOLITION
petitions In all where slaves are now carried
by their masters into The on-slaveho!dng States 70
UNFAIRLY, the free Stale laws emanc'pating them
are put in force All nre put into opera
ton 10 induce slaves to run away. The Ant-Sla-
very Society Of New York has published the num-
Der of runaways to be thousand per annum-
aided in their escape Canada by the friends of abc
htion There regular societies formed, and tolera-
ted facilitate their escape Very lately, lhe power
of Ahotonists in Boston, even, has forced master,
(Nr Gray, of Norfolk VHginia,) to take reduced
price for his slave, in the custody of United States
Court. Judge Storys high sanction could not prevail,
defend either The Constitution or the rights oil slave
property there. This provision OF the Constitution
may be looked on as nugatory Already are We
threatened with the horrible test OF whether Tree ne
gro is citizen Of the United States within the mean
ing Of the second clause OF article st, which declares,
that no person shall be Representative III Congress
who shall not have attained 10 line age OF twenty-five
years. and been seven years cit'zen OF Inc On'teo
States Next, we small near VI tiieH Sapd'Ity W
beinp electors of President and Vice President in
deed Of their being named for these high Offices them
selves or any lesser Offices in the gift Of Abo,onis:s
Already have the slaves 10 the District OF Columbia
been impaired immensely in their value, no, only by
The facilities afforded to runaways, but BY the false
hopes of freedom, by which they caused to be in.
soent, ndoent, and unhappy. Already has the Post
Office been abused TO the Internal purposes Of the
cendiary Already has the casting trade been made
subserv'en to the means of exciting instruction, and
Of inducing away, and concealng runaway slaves and
abolition influence is daily attempting TO force tree ne
groes into the limits of the slave States against thei!
laws, under the power to regulate commerce by Con-
gess, aud under the clause, giving 10 the citizens OF
each State the privileges and lmmunles of citizens IN
the several States. Already has the spirit OF abolition
nuied in the of Maine and Georgia, aGd OF
Virginia and New York, the second clause Of the Sc
cond section of the fourth article OF the Constitution,
persons charged any State with treason felony,
other crime, who shall flee from justice Already has
abolition bounded slavery by line Of latitude as to the
admission of new States the Union and already
has it left but slave Territory to come into the
Union, 10 preserve its equilibrium; and already does II
defy The acquisition of more slave Territory by
Treaty. Already does it threaten amendments of The