The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-17

aonihilae property ~ SLAVE, can destroy ptopert,
IN any other subj ct, whether II be nnds or goods
And ehsttsls Of ANY KIND and the vested rights per
'a'nins to Aay possessions oc titles whatever.
9th The possibility Il the removal Of the seat OF
lhe Gosernmeat of the United States from this Dis
sr'ct Of Colnmbis sbpsId restrain this power Of Eek
elusive Legislation" IRON sbol'shiug slavery II ss.
very here were To lie abolished and these ten miles
square should ever revert, they must, 10 their
Pecvs slave States n the event Of the removal of the
seat Of Covernment--in What an anomalous condi-
lion would the people pf the District " placed T.!
Would Congress return y a. Il was committed TO rs
charge Could The Alar, land and Virginia portions
Of the Dlsirict hs placed " stsiu suoi Would the
freed agan become slaves Would these States
permit The District 10 remain free
YIN, For any purpose like that Of compensation
for slaves taken Tor emancipation, even admit
ting that emancipation would be "public use, IS
10 any sense understood BY the trainers of the Con,
sttution the Disrict Of Columbia has no treasury,
no golfers, no. source, fom which TO draw funds
whercwlth to pay the owners Of the slave property
The revenues Of the Federal Government, raised for
SPECIFIC purposes, can only be applied to them. They
cannot be taken from the National Treasury, FROM
the pockets Of the whole Union TO pay masters in
this District for emancipaed slaves We're the cti-
zens ihemselysSof this District to pray for such
exercise Of power as that Of taxing other people for
their uses and benefits, their prayers, under Fed
ersi Constitution, could not be granted. And # the
savc-ow0ers VI the District themselves shall be tax
cd ~ pay themselves, where would be their compen
sationi 1910 NJ
i0th lfthis power is UNLIMITED, and Congress. may
pay Tor slaves cmancipated in the District OF Colum
bia out Of any funds whatever either those subject
to it, appropriation out Of the National Treasury or
those which might be raised by direct taxation from
the people Of tho District--from the same source
Congress might purchase slaves for bondage US well
rs ior frt edom Tor slavery, well for emancipa
ton. And will it be COZ tended that the Congress
can become a stakeholder and u taskmasteri
18th. The want Of representation by the people Of
the District should restrain this power of legislation
to tax people to pay themselves for III, r own pr
vate property, taken for no "public usc." To tax
a people without representation take their pri
vae property without just compensation, for no pub
lie use would be the very essence of tyranny which
no reasoning CON extract from the Constitution.
18th. 1.-THE nature Of society and of government
IN the States OF Virginia and Maryland, Restraints
this power Of exclusive legislation. Their social
and State policy was we'll understood by Con-
grcss al the time cepted of their deeds of ccs
sion From tho very condition of slavery in those
States, the duplication is irresistible, that it entered
not INTO the minds Of either grantor grantee either
the Legislatures Of those States Congress, that
such power should be given or be exercised. The
object OF the grant was merely :" seat for the Gov
ernm. nj OF the United States" not a petty depen-
dency Of absolute power. The powers to be exer-
cised were such as would subserve the uses Of a
capital OF the country, not such would engender
abuses of absoutsa, far more dangerous TO the in
stitutions those two States than destructive -
dvidual vested rights within the coded District The
effects which would unavoidably result from eman-
cpation in this District would be disastrous 10
those two States of Maryland and VIginia--the in
terests and rights of which Congress bound pro-
vide for and protect less strongly than it bound
TO regard the welfare of the people Of the District
as utterly TO forbid the exercise of this unlimited
power ofsAhe abolition Of private property in slaves
here. 1t is universally admitted that Congress has
In fOllc al. -
States And yet, abolition Of slavery in this Dis
trict would be the most eGectual mode of compelling
emancipation in the States of Virginia and Mary
land VIII Congress attempt to do that indirectly,
which II admits has power 10 do directly? Does
moi the good faith Of the cesson forbid any such dan
gerous aitempti
In short If the words "to exercise erciusre legisla
ton" are, by forced construction, to be made 10
mean absolute, sovereign legislation" there is no re-
straint IN favor OF civil rights and privileges in this
arsenals, Sc there is prohibition Of the passage
oil partial iavs, by Congress legislating for The
District, injuriously affecting = in fact, dcs-
troyng-al the rights and equality of the States.
None OF the reciprocal and mutual duties and
oblgat ons Of the people Of the States belong to
he people OF the District of Columbia and the legis-
atuie Of the District of Columbia distinct from the
legislature of the Union and the State tures
may do what Their the legislature If the Union nor
the State leg satures can do, and what the Conr,u-
The country. Toe Distfiot of COLUMBIA might be
ei'heI the most favored and free the enslavcd
and oppressed, OF any portion Of the United Sta'es !;
and might easily become the instrument OF enslav-
Jog and oppre sing instead of patng every 9TH
portion of The country and there would be an unre,
scented ,onaxed esi nsible and uppor,sble d, sp
ism al once established, without he slow pace OF
mature It's mon,trous power for ali mischief Such a
construction cannot prevail, unless there be ,ettlcd
determination not to respect either the letter the
spir or the faith Of the federal COMPACT.
As has been already remarked II Is freely admitted
that Congress may exercise legislation over slavery
in the District of Columbia in many respects, which
could not pretend 10 exercise out of the limits Of the
District II may prohiii' every species If inhumanv
aid cruel from The master TO the slave; may pro-
vie SOLITARY aud wholesome laws, in all respects
regulating, bv, Destroying the relations of slave
property. And IL Is remarkable fact that perl APPS
the first ns ance where motion has been made to
mitigate the bonds Of slavery in the District, in this
respect, was made by slsve-hc'd'ng Representatives
MIR. Rand h OF Virginia who introduced ie-ou-
tons into the House of Representatives and raised
committee 10 inquire into the existence OF " an in
human and illegal rafic in slaves" in this District
which commit re reported certain aflidsvits which
not now 70 be found in the archiy,s Of Congre
II was not, as has been said, resolution TO abolish
the slave trade in the strict bu il TO arrest
an "inhuman and illegal traffic" in slaves After
wards, wholesome and salutary bills TO amend and
mitigate the laws in the District OF Columbia rela
ting slaves and free negroes, were reported by
Messrs. Alexander and Powell both also Represen-
lives OF Virginia. And il is admitted now, that IL
there be any grievances in this District Of tins SORT
coming within the Of regulating, not abolishing
slavery and its relations here petitions TO Congress
redress such grievances no, only legitimate, but
proper, and ought TO be acted in the spirit of hui
name legislation. Such petitions these, the rule IN
question does not forbid or hinder. tappies only TO
petitions praying for the APO iiio Of property in slaves
and the abolition Of the citizens right TO transport
his slave property from place TO another; which
power Of abolition il has been shown Congress does
not hold under the Constitution.
To be Continued.
nUER ON MARINE kSURANCE-BLY-
~ DENBURGH ON USURY.--A Lecture ON