Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-08-09

! iuac the existence Of slavery. and secure poll
I teal preponacrance OF the slavcholliGr States.
! and asserts, that therefore it would be equivalent
10 dissolution OF the Union.
This is assuming, That the interests c. he slave
holding ard non-slaychclling States, as such, are
in conlic:-,hat il was Ike purpose Of the Con-
slitu;ion 10 prevent the political ascendancv of
one over the other and that the acquisition OF
slaveholding territory Wou.i be L violation of
the compromise Of the Constitution on thar subject.
TIE assumption being false, in fact hcdetiuc-
tons attempted 10 be made are necessarily erro-
neous The purpose oil The Union, was 10 pre-
serve harmony among Inc States and 10 protect
them against ioreiga aggression. The question
of slavery was local and So far from considering
that llic a.slavchodinc States had an interest
in preventing The political preponGerance of the
slaveholding States. 50 far from establishing a
balance of power between the slavehoding and
tie free SlaleS the question of slavery was left as
il belonged, TO the Independent. action of the Sepa-
rate Stale authorities, except. that as the object
Of The Constitution was 10 llniie the States for
the protection Of the PERSONS ard properly OF the
citizens of The several States it requires that iu-
gi;yc slaves found in The non-slayeiodin.S tatcs
shall be surTcnGcrcdto their mas,ers-;hus giving
the positive contradiction - the assumption that
any measure, which tends to secure The right
of property in slave or To increase the slavchol-
| in. influence is 4 dissolution of the Union 1t
is not rue, that il was the purpose of The Union
to preserve the balance OF powcr between Tx
slavehollins and non-slavche ding States because
at the time OF the adoption OF the Federal consti-
tuition there was no such balance OF power exist
| ing-thc right 10 hold slaves existing in very
! large majority of all Tic States.
Nor is il true, that the admission OF Texas will
give 10 the slaveholdins States political prepon-
dcrance Attic time oil The adoption of the Fcie-
raj Constitution, New York, New Jersey, Penn
! svlva.ia, aGi Delaware were slWeholdiag States
Since then, Maine, Ohio Indiana, Illinois and
! Michigan have been added, and the vast extent
| of territory North of SIS degrees, and West of
Michigan, Illinois, ami Missouri rapidly filing
up with non-slavehoding population, 10 say no.
thing OF the fact, tal the migration Of t!.e SD. rs
from Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky. North Ca
roiina, Tennessee, and Missouri will sccu.c Il
permanent political prcpondcr.ncc 10 The non
slaychodng States, in BoTn Houses OF Congress
! whether Texas be or &c roi annexed. The slave
| holding States now arc and must ever be. III :.
permanent minority; while no addition OF slave
| holding territory can cndngc. The population oi
the non slavchodng Statcs is now about as IL
10 s, compared 10 the whole population of the
savcholdng States and about ! 10 one as com
! pared 10 The slaves. Delaware is in effect, ami
in fact q aon-slaveholiing state ; and nus he
non-savcholding power in the Senate is as If
10 l2-!hc majority in the House Of Representa-
ti",s is greater still. Iowa ana Wisconsin arc
alrcaGy seeking 10 hc admitted - new States ard
there i contiguous territory 10 constitute many
more. 1t is idle, Worse than idle therefore 10
>pca!' of a balance of political power, between
The slavcholdl!S ard noli-saveholdin. S.aes-
Such hGlancc never did eXi.i-it never WIS
contemplated by The CONSTITUTIONAL is no PAT Of
our political syslem-and never can exist. TEe
night to hold our slaves is held by more certain
tennrr. II is held by tlir same guarantees, which
protect all our ether rights under the Constitution.
II is held not by preserving baancc OF roiilic"l
power, IN HE Senate, bnt by preserving the Con
stiiuiiun it>elf-lt is held not as a sectional
right, bu. j; maintaining the authority oi the
several States, reserved 10 them by tic Con>,i.a-
tor.
Tie attempt therefore, TO make lie annexation
of Texas question Of political power between
the slayeholiing and noi-SlaycholGn. States. is
an attempt TO Use the iaMGtical iccliL., oil lie
North in opposition o slavery, g Il III, ans Of
creating local political pafiy-no H.. lhc pur
pose OF preventing The political asccndancy Of The
>lavchcling States. but 10 secure the political as
ccndancy OF the non-slavcholdins party. It is
not 10 prevent The Political pregon!craEcc OF the
slavchoidinS influence, but ii is 10 achieve the
permanent political prcpontcrancc of the anti
slavery influence
We have seen, lha; The slave-holdins States. rs
Such are and ever must be i'll Il permanent roli
cal minority ANY attempt. therefore, or the part
ot The leading Southern statesmen 10 array The
Slavehol:lin" States political party, against
the North. means OF acquiring. political
cendancy would bc worse than folly. 1t would
be 10 assume position which must necessarily
defeat the end they are suppo"edto seea-becaasc
any organization Of he slavc-holding States as
such for the purpose Of securing cir political as
cendancy, must necesf criIy hegct an orcariza-
lion Of the non-slaycholdins States for tie pur
pose OF securing their political ascendancy and
as the latter have the majority IN both Houses o!
Congress and The Electoral Coll,"c, such IN or
ganzaiion must necessarily plfcc The South in Il
hopeless, permanent minority in all the depart
mcnts OF the Federal Government. Tn2 charge,
that any Southern statesmen had any srch pur-
pose. Is therefore, naniicStlv false upon is lace.
and is put forth for no other object, than as an eX
cuSc and as means 0t organizing the North
against the South for the purpose OF securing po-
lit!ca power to 4 combination OF polica leaders,
who seek to array the passions and prejudiccs OF
the North agains, the Sopth-as The sllrestmea
oil promoting their own selfish ambitions; well
knowing hat the auen:i 10 array the North
against the Sonih. must necessarily create an or
ganiza'ion in the South. as a Iccals OF protecting
The right and interests ri Tie South, and intend
Ing 10 Use the c!ioi; To defend The South against
their Illegal and uE constitutional combination, a.
the prciext for assalng the mo'ircs and character
OF crcrT Southern man. who darcs VinC'cae the
institutions and Interests of the section in which
he re .acS
With them ssufiicicntcauSc 10 oppose the an
ncxation OF Texas because il will increase the
wealth and resources NJ The South, as ii the South
were not part of the Union ard a ifthc iEc"snrc
which increases the wealth influence orprospcfliy
otthc South docs .ot promote the wealth, influence
and prosperity of the Union! With them, TO
supper, the interests of the South, is TO oppose the
interests OF the No::, rs il the North arc not be-
nefitted b. whatever benefits the South! When
did any Southern Statesman oppose any inca
sure because it would increase the local lne-
rests of the North? Nc;eT. Tley have opposed
the Tariii-lhey have opposed czlEavaSant cX-
pendures .. the public monies, not because they
NAV berciit of the North, but because they IN
pose unequal and unjust burdens on one class,
for the spccial benefit Of another class-not be-
cause they are Northern OF Southern measures:
and they have always contendcd that these inea-
sures are as mucn opposed 10 the true Interests @.
the one sect II as OF The ohcr-oi Tie Nor'h a.
OF the South and they oppose them. on national
as well rs sectional ground.
This is the domestic osgect CT the Texas ques-
lion; and as such, it must arrest iie attention OF
the people, and especially OF the people OF The
South John G.. Adams and his associates, can
rol succeed! in organizing the Moth against the
so..lh unless the South be false u themselves
They are playing a bold ana desperate game
Not content with rallving the mons IavcholdiLS
;:,aiHst Inc S!avehod;ng SiateS they have select
cd az their candidate for the Presidency slave
holdcr Their object was political power They.
openly proclaim it; They therefore anticipated
the negotiation OF the Treaty. They organized
in opposition to annexation, before the question
was inade by the President and they selected
their candidate from slaycholdins Stat a!lho
the protested object was, 10 accomplish the poll
tical ascendancy of the non.aayehodins power
They make war upon the slavcholdins influence:
and ,h;t they NAV accomplish. that purpose they
rally around a slavcholding candidate And why
do ney do thisl Is il mol manifest that their r''r-
pose Is TO create parry which is 10 tolerate no
| Southern Statesman who does no. lend himself
to their purpose OF pepetuatiag the political as
ccndancv Of the North!-who does not LEM MIN
-. o.,e,;r,.,- arsinS, Tho RIGHTS 1ui in