The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-22

Wise 10 suspend The iule. 10 ofar resolution. IN Of
feet that upon pressot alien Of any memorial a'yi"s
fof the abolition Of slavery and The slave uaoe, III"
,ecspf,on of such mortal &c, should be eonsidefea
as objected 10, and the question: Of s rep should
DC laid upon the table Lost b, s.te oi III 10 10
Mr. Rice Garland thereupon moved suspension, W
allow him Ia offer series OF resolutions los' ~
vote OF l07 10 So. Petitions on abolition were op-
scled TO- and the question ot reception was ia'o On
the table. Confusion worse coDounded pre'sueo
until Tuesday January 2Sth lS4O, when moton
was made BY MIR VIM. Cost Johnson, by way oil
amendment, 10 adopt the following rule oil he
House
"No petition, memorial, resolution, or other pa
per- praying the abolition Of slavery IN The District
of Columba or any State Territory, or the slave
trade between the States Territories OF The UNI
ted States la which il exists, shall be received
by this House, or entertained in any way what
ever"
II was adopted by vote Of ia to 1913. Tuesday
December 7th, l64, this rule was, among the stand
ing rules, again adopted and il has been standing
rule Of The House since. II has, oil course, ar
rested the reception Of ab liion petitions In direct
form but thess petitions have assumed every clean
shape imaginable to eyade il; and dangerous pgila-
ton has still gone on in spite Of every rule or order
the House has yet been able in it, ingenuity 10 DE-
wise for the purpose of arrcsting the evil The most
disgracefu scenes Of disorder have occurred in the
House, and every moment aggravates the bitterness
Of sectional feelings engendered by the incessant at
,empts 10 induce the Congress OF the United states
to invade the right Of property in slaves
This History is given thus mnutely TO show that
every means has been resorted TO, in van that, for
than 40 years. these petitions were received re-
ierred deliberated and reported upon most respect
fully that they were then received and laid on the
table that they then objected to, and the ques-
Of reception laid upon the table, whilst the House
was gravely considering Executive messages calling
on Congress to exert the law making power TO pre-
vent the work of incendiarism and serve war that
they were again received, and referred, and most
respectfully reported upon that they again
laid upon the table specially and afterwards by two
different standing rules and that finally, they
refused reception; and still they obtrude their dan
gerous agitation, to shake the very pillars Of the
Union y! Nothing can appease, molity, or affect
them in any way. They bent upon more than
the assertion of right Of petition which is not in
volyed in them. Their aders and abettors in Con-
gress show themselves resolved TO pursue the very
same course, no matter whether they received
not. The question cannot be concealed-it;s not a
que ion Of the right Of petition il is solely question
rheLer the property in siares shall longer be property,
What course is then left for the saveholdng
States and their Senators and Representatives TO
pursue II cannot be said that this agitation is not
dangerous, nor that it has not done much mischief
already. Agitation Is the efectua means by which
fanatacism has always accomplished its most fearful
results The most solid Institutions. besides that of
property, have been able to Withstand its per
petual shocks. Rights most soemnly guaranteed 10
the slavehodng States by The Constitution have been
made already defenceess by the agitation Of abol
tion The most striking instance Of plain and pal
pabe provision set at naught already by the state OF
public opinion in the North, is the clause which pro
vides for delivering up fugitive slaves. The act of
1893 was intended to carry this provision into effect
1t has been found TO be defective and in repeated
instances, in 1901, in 1919 in 1920, and in 1870 af
ter various complaints from the State Legislatures
attempts have been made to amend this act so as to
IN te tta ant, If
il is not only clearly within the competency
but positive duty Of Congress. And yet il NAV be
regarded as thing almost impossible TO have il SO
amended. 1t would much more easily, it is presum-
ed be repealed as il is prayed to be repealed by abb
clifton petitions In all where slaves are now
carried by their masters into the non-slavehoding
States voluntarily, the free State laws emancpating
them are put in force. All means are put into ope
ration to induce slaves TO away. The Anti
Slavery Society of New York has published the
number Of runaways TO be one thousand per annum |
AIDED in their escape TO Canada by the friends of alb
clifton. There are regular societies formed and tol
Grated, TO ia cilitate their escape Very lately the
power OF aboonlsts in Boston even has forced a |
master (Mr. Gray, Of Norfolk, Virginia. TO take a
reduced price for his slave, in the custody Of Uni
ted States court Judge Story's high sanction could
not prevail to defend either the Constitution or the
rights OF slave property there. This provision of the
Constitution may now be looked on nrgatory. Al
ready are we threatened with the horrible test Of
!
within the meaning Of the second clause Of article
LIST, which declares that person shall be
representative IN Congress who shall not have at
tanned TO the age of twenty five years and been sew
years citizen of the United States Next
we shall hear OF their capability OF being cleo |
tors of President and Vice President-indeed
Of their being named for these high Offices
themselves, any lesser Offices in the gilt Of abol,.
on,-s. Already have the slaves ia the District of Co.
lumbla been impaired immensely ia their value, MT
lx h,t ha (.cil a
false hopes Of freedom Ivy which they are caused Ia
be insole't, indolent, and unhappy. Already ha-
the post Office be- obus, To the internal put poses OIL
he iDcendisry Already has the coasiing trade been
made subs'r'ent TO the means of exciting insurrcc.
ton, and of inducing away and conceallng runaway
slaves and abolition influence is daily atem ting to
force tree nfgtoes into the limits Of the slave States
agsns, their laws under the power TO regulate com.
merce 10y Congress, oDd under the clause giving To
the citizens Of each ale the privileges and mmu
mites of citiz in the several States ALREADY
has the sprt of abolition nulli6ed in ID.
cases of Maine and Georgis, and Of Virginia and
Few York the 2 clause of the 81 section of the
4th Article Of the Constitution, as TO persons charged
any State with trrasoo felony OF other crime who
shall flee iom justice. ALREADY has abolition bon dej
slavery by lue Of lat tude as TO the admission oil
new States into the Union and already has il lef /
but more slave Territory to come into the Union
Ia preserve its equilibrium and already docs II defy
the acquisition OF slave territory by treaty Al II
ready does it threaten amendm nis of The Constitu
ton which shall destroy its comprom and puaran.
ties TO slavery. Already has II u tery and in ev-
cry eae refused TO pay Tor slave opcrty taken for
public use TO defend the city OF New Orleans in
the last war, nd The Territory Of Florida since Al
ready have lie debates m Congress and is publics-
tiuns, excited tp % insuuectons-one in Charleston
S. c.. caused by speech made in he Senate of the
United States Mr. RurUs KN0'sl on the admission
of Missouri in 1920, and the one in Southampton We
Already has IT caused sec ional jealousies heart
ps in b,tt h.. ~ IL
south (in violation OF the IA ewell addr IS of the
Father Of his Couotry) tending 10 tho dsmemLcr-
nent of the Union Already has il introduced foreign
let in foreign Influence and taken sides
with foreign power and policy against the weakest
points OF s own country, even To the extent Of ust
lylnn The mmilnec1. Of Lhe Ctcnla uI.I