Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-10-30

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ces of thus forctng, everywhere, an nyes-
;Igation Of the merits of slavery, and II
thorough exposure Of the impossibiIity of
long maintaining Union, embracing the
hostile and irrcconclabIe elements of
slavery aud freedom.
| have received from the Executives Of
several of the States, resolutions Of their
respective legislatures, touching the sub
jec, Of annexation, which shall hereafter
communicate for the consideration Of the
General Assembly.
Among the papers received from the
Executives Of other States is the SOLEMN
Declaration and Protest Of the Common
wealth Of MASSACHUSETTS, against the laws
ofSoulh Carolina, under which, colorcd
citizens Of Massachusetts are arrested on
board her ships in the harbors OF South
Carolina, Imprisoned in the jlils of that
State, and sold into perpetual slavery, in
defaul, of their commanders TO give bonds
to redeem them and to pay the expenses
Of their decntion-all which Massachu-
sets asserts is in violation Of that clause
Of the Constitution Of the United States,
which declares that 'thc citizens of
each State shall be entitled to all privileg.
cs and mmunilies o! citizens in the
several States"
To protect her citizens from the execu-
ton ofthcse laws, Massachusetts, commits
stoned one Of her most distinguished ci,-
zcns to proceed 10 South Carolina, for the
purpose Of institutlng such process as
should bring the question Of the constitu-
tu,ionalty Of these proceedings before the
Supreme Court Of the United States. 1t
is matter Of history, that the agent, on
appearing in South Carolina, for the pur-
pose OF executing commission thus look
ing to peaceful and orderly appeal to the
appropriate Judicial tribunal, was driven
away by threats Of personal violence of a
mob; aud that subsequently, the legislature
sanctioned the &C. Of the mob by making
an order "lo cxpc." the agent from The
State. Against this, also, Massachusetts,
protests.
have received from the Governor of
South Carolina, the proceedings referred
to, OF the legislature of thai State. have
also received from the Governors OF the
States o! Arkansas and Alabama, resolu-
tons of the legislatures Of those States, ap-
proving the outrage committed on the
agent of Massachusetts,; and from the Gov
crnor Of Connecticut, resolutions Of the
legislature CT that State, declaring that The
act OF South Carolina "a palpabIe and
dangerous violation OF the national COM
pact" shall hereafter, transmit these
papeas, with others on various subjects,
received from the Executives of other
States, for the use Of the General Assem-,
bly,.
| have made this special reference to the
proceedings Of South Carolina, for the
purpose Of bringing them into immediate
connection with the kindred subject to
which have, al some length, invited your
attention, aud submitting to you the pro-
priety and duty of a full consideration Of
these extraordinary proceedings, and an
expression olthc sense entertained by the
General Assembly of this - State, Of the
true character and tendency. 1t wonld
seem evident that the Union cannot be
maintained, il peaceiblc attempts to APP
peal to the appropriate Judicial tribunal
Tor tho settlement of grea, constitutional
questions, involving the relative rights Of
the States, are to be put down by mob VIC.
lence, aud the added sanction of legislative
authority.
1t is worthy of remark, that, upon an
attempt by South Carolina, TO enforce the
same laws against colored British subjects,
aud the remonsirance Of the British gov
eminent to that of the United States, South
Carolina 1eslsIed; and yet she vigorously
cnforces them against one Of her sister
States, and adds the extreme aggrayaton
OF rudeIy expelhug from her territory an
agent Of that State, rather than allow MN
residence long enough to perfect the
process Of submitting the question oil
difference to the decision Of the consitu-
tonal tribunal
Se,era of the Slave States, it is under
stood, have laws on this subject, similar
to those OF South Carolina. Their enforce
mcnt in Louisiana induced the Legisla.
ttlre Of Massachusetts TO send an agent to
that State for the purpose Of instituting a
similar process, who was also driven from
the State by threats of mob violence.