Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-08

moper,y IN the sn or TO aitsctthe t'ihS oi 'hi'''"
al, in any property VII II be qtestoheo '''I' o"n
,i g,,nior and nranee III iiis case unds rs!ood Inc
,,b, f the owner in slaves {, be right of properly
Mar land hv her ect al ctss"n oi I'c, spec'h'u "
such siaulai ons; bat, by the reserves VI VI '-ss
,urs in l-l1 ~, scented 10 the House ul hefirse"'"
;iyee she nj Tp;eied her ctssioh' nut 'hs a'e
c-.safly Implied The bare cess'ons by ordinary i's
,,l,t,,.u nj, these two 81 ties, having no sovereign
,,v.r themselves 10 pass Laws affecting hr rga's vi
individuals IN property, 10 The extent "i depriV'hs ne
uf II without Just compensation, could not, haa ''r!
a!,rmpt,d It. have g,aml II I" Congr' s., Tie ordinary
Legislature of the Union, having rseh ~" s"cn s''
r.,rn power but grant merely hy The Constitution
of power of .rxolus We fcgtS'dftom The l-eS'sia
lures of M,rvlaud and Virginia could not grant suc
s,y.re,yn pcwer and II they could, Congress could
not take it. The sovereignty TO do ih's ihna Is III
the uited Sales Congress; and u exercise III
the Constitution would have tn be amended
OH Ii this power OF exclusive legs'at Ion Is un-
limited and absolute, IL applies not only I'm al cases
whatsoever "oyer such district, not exceeding ten
miles sc;arc as may become the seat OF the Govern
ment of the United States but Congress is by TIE
same clause given the power 10 eIerciSc h.e d"hory
mr., an iaces Durrhasfd for the erection OF irts ma
saziups arsenas, &c. II Congress Is absolute here,
IN the District oC Columbia, II IS equally absolute IN
call ulaces purchased IN any OF the States III, by
Tins t,suc,c nower Congress may abOiish siacsry III
,hr District ur Columbia they may has been well
said "no only oruanlze the negroes they shall mike
free into militia regiments here, but they may orni
them into corps Of regulars; they may station them as
uarrsuns in the forts and places oil arms established
among us: they may commit to Their saiekeeping the
magszinrs and atsenas, the munitions and implements
Of war
| .,h II this power be absolute to abolish enc spe'
cns Of property, equally so 10 abolish my other
succirs OF property. The same de.poi's;n which can
auuiilaa property IN slave destroy property NJ
any other subject whether br lands good, and
cbat,rs at auy kind and the vested rights pertaining
| 10 any POSSESSIONS, nr titles whatever
| sI The hostility of The removal of the seat Of Go
vernmen Of the United States from the District Of CO.
lnmhia should restrain this power 81 "excusve leg'sa-
ton from ahlshing slavery. II slavery here were to
ha ahlished and these ten miles square should ever
revert as they must To their respective slave States,
in the event the removal Of the seat nj Government
in what an anomalous condition would the peorla oil
the District he placed. Wouli Congress return 1t as
i, was committed 10 lis charge Could the Maryland
and Virginia partitions Of the District be placed IN s0fm
ana? Would the freed men again become slaves Would
thcsc States permit the sriet 10 remain free
OH For any purpose like thai Of compensation tor
slaves taken for emancipation, admitting that
emancipation would bc "putlc use, in any sense
h. the trainers Of the Constitution the DIS
r,c of Columbia has M treasury, Golfers, no source
from which Ia draw funds wherewiil IL pay the OWN
Of the slave property. The revenues of the Fed'
raj Government, raised for specific purposes, can only
he applied Ia them They cannot be tlken from the
National Treasury, from the pockets of the whole
Union, pay masters III this District for emancipatsd
slaves We're the citizens themselves of isis District
pray for such exercise ot power, that OF taxing
other people, for their and benefits, their prayers
under our Federal Constitution, c0nId not he granted
And if the slave Of The District themselves
shall he taxed pay themselves where would be their
compensate
lGiA If this power is unlimited, md Congress may
pay for slaves cnancipated in The District Of C"lum-
bia oa Of any funds whatever, either these subject 10
lis appropriation out of The National Treasury those
which might he raised by direct taxation ION the peo
pie Of the District from The same Congress
might purchase slaves for bondage well as for free
dom for slavery, well az for emancipation. And
viii !; he tontrnded that the Congress become
savehnder and taskmaster;
llih The want OF representation by the people OF
the District should restrain this power Of Legislation To
lax people 10 pay themselves for their own private
property taken for no ''publlc use To tax people
without representation II lake their private property
without just compensation for public use, would be
the very of tyranny, which reasoning can
extract from the Constitution.
I2h "The nature of sociey and Of Government"
in the States of Virginia and Maryland this
power of exclusive legsla Their soc,l and State
policy was we'll understood by Congress at the time it
accepted Of their deeds Of cNsson. Fram the very
condition of slavery in those Sttes the Implication
irresistible, that IT eEts red not INTO the minds Of either
gianor or grantee, either the legislatures al those
States Congress, that such power should be given
exercised. The object oi the grant was mere ~ IN
seat for The Governmt nj OF the United Stacs not
petty dependency of absolute power The powers I"
he exercised such would subserve the uses OF
a ptal al the county, not such as would engeDder
abuses Of absolntism, dangerous TO The lnsn
lions States than destructive Ia individual
vested rights within this ceded District The effects
Inch would uBavoldablg result from emancipation ~
this District, would be So disastrous In those tw"
States az Maryland and Vugtuia-the interests and
rights Of which Congress is bound 10 provide for and
protect no less strongly than is bound regard The
welfare Of The people of the DisrIctas utterly tn nr
hid the exercise of this Unlimited power of the abolI-
Of private property in slaves here III 10 universal
y admitted that Congress has power 10 touch even
the subject of slavery in the States And yet, abol'.
lion Of slavery in this District would be The most ei-
iectnal mode al compelling cmanc patton IN the States
nf Virginia and Maryland. VIII Congress attempt I"
do thai iad;reehy which admits has no power to do
directly Does not the good faith OF the cetsion forbid
any such dangerous attempt?
In short, if the words "to trerei:e tfchSrf HgiSa
ion are by forced cuns'rnci,on To be- made 10 mean
ssabsoiur, Sor,rogn gsnfon, there no restraint IN
favor q! civil rights and privileges IN thia b's.cl, or
IN places purchased or nit;, magazines, arsenas Nc
there IS no prohibition Of the passage Of Par'a laws, by
Congress egislatnn for the District, nnrons'y aieci
inp-in fact, destroylng--al The rights aud equality
of the States None of The reciprocal and mutual du-
ties md obligations oil the people OF the States bel0ng
o the people of the District OF Coumha and the Lee
sislaiure Of the District of Columbia, distinct from the
Legislature Of the Union and the State legislatures
NAV do what neither the Legislature of the Union nor
the States Legislatures can do and what The oonsu-
tuition intended should b. done by any power IN
the country. The d strict of Columbia might be either
the favored and Free the most ensayed and OPP
pressed Of any portion OF the United States; ana u
light easily become The instrument OF enslavng ana
expressing, instead Of emuncpa,ing every other por
of the country; and there would be an unrePfesent
ed untlxed, Irresponsible and nppor'able desposm
established, without The slow pace OF Tune 10
mature lis mons,rous power Tor all mischief. Such
construction cannot prevail, unless there he settled
determination net to respect either the letter or The
spirit, or the faith Of the Federal compact
As has been already remarked, il 10 freely admitted
tina, Congress may legislation over slavery IN
The District of Columbia in many respects when u
conli not pretend 10 exercise out OF The limits o lhe
District II may prohibit every species OF inhumanliy
and cruelty from The 10 the siave II may provide
sanitary and wholesome laws in all respects regulating
but not destroying, the relations OF slave property
And II is remarkable fact, that perhaps The hst IN
stance where motion has been made TO mitigate The
bonds of slavery the District, in the respect, was
made by slave holding Representative, (Mf. Kan
doph Of Virginia. who introduced resolutions INTO The
House of Representatives, and raised n committee TO
inquire into the existence uf Gan lnhuman and illegal
traffic in slaves in this Distrc'; which committee re-