Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-08
THE CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION.

Some of the Wings Of Virginia arc, without
any intention, and without The slightest sympathy
with such fanatics virtually clubbing their forces
with the Aboi,ioniss Of the North. They are
fighting upon different grounds, and with separate
weapons; but they are in one respect both aiming
al The same object and are both struggling Tor the
same victory. Texas mast not enter this Union,
cxcIaim the Abolitionists and their Northern al
lies. The annexation OF Texas must be defeated,
re-echo many ofthe Federaliss ofthe South. "We
must not extend The range Of slavery" say its
Northern opponents-"lNe must not permit ano.
Their slave State 10 be annexed 10 the Union"
The least thai some ofthem say is, 1--WE must
circumscribe the extension of slavery, by pc
remporily apportioning The territory South OF
thirty-sjx and a half degrees latitude between
the free and the slave States" Some OF the Vir-
GINA Wings say, awe must not permit Texas
to come in by Joint resolution OF Congress.
Our Senators have constitutional objections, and
we mus, indulge Them You have no right (say
MANY oil our friends, and we must indulge them
loo. y 10 bring foreign State into The Union. =
They say, the Constitution fo'dids it-and as for
bringing il in by a Treaty, thai we all know IS
impossible. The fanalical spirit OF the North
and West has con,rivcd TO fix upon us more
than one third of the Senate. And thus we are
10 surrender Texas entirely 10 the clamors OF the
~
the Wings. Mark we pray the people OF Viz
gina, as was we'll remarked by Il Democratic
Orator, in his admirable speech of Thursday
evening-Massachuselts Connecticut, Rhode Is
land, New Jersey and Ohio, Gall Wing Abolition
Legislatures protest against annexation, on the
ground of slavery-But the Wings OF the Legis-
lature OF Virginia, unable 10 take that ground, are
resorting 10 constitutional question 10 justify
their cwn course-and are permitting onr Scna-
tors TO escape from their responsibility under The
preext of constitutional scruple
The Constitulion"-"Constlu scruples"
-asrict construction" are strange ex-
pressons indeed from The lips Of Federal poll
icians. They, who do not hesitate TO resort 10
The boldest implications TO establish National
Bank. National System of Roads and Canals,
TO carry out any OF their latitudinous Federal
measures, are now resoring TO even holder de-
vice 10 defeat The annexation OF Texas. They
deny The power not because il is deduced from
ile. widest inluaeeiaqa. Int when il is positively
stiiution-"NEw STATES may DC admitted M NE
Congress into Tic Union one would suppose,
from tie course Of the Wings that there were no
such words as these in the Constitution. Yet
there they are-and now the next effort OF he
Wings is, 10 change their obvious meaning, By
confirming them to such States "as may arise in
The bosoms of the thirteen primitive States
(Mr. Madison $ words in '.Ihc Federaitst IRE
memberng TO forget that MIR. Madison further
saws, or '.in their reighborhoods. The Wings also
remember 10 forget, that when these words were
introduced by the Convention which formed The
Constitution, other words, limiting the erection Of
new States in The territory which had been in The
Union, were stricken oul-and The provision was
made general-lhus applying either TO States
arising within their bosom, or TO States created
u;r IL or naiuhhurboOds"
AS, however, the Wings have assumed an en-
tirely new character, OF the stricest construction
lists or rather OF "he stratest sect ofthc Pharsees
il becomes necessary TO encounter them upon the
new ground, and expose their impotent and con,
tempiblc bubble.
For this purpose We lay before our readers two
yerv well-wrten arices-one exposing the So
phislra ofMr. Kennedy-and the other "a friend
of the Constitution" who occupies the whole con
stutional ground, and dislodges The Wings from
every hiding hole in which iheyare attempting te
conceal their Ostrich heads. We recommend The
article 10 our readers. They will see how liltlC
substance there is in the constitutional scrupe-
The pons assinOrum Of the day.