Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-11-10

n thing WHICH might DC urokcn; but having
no materials in il which were capable Of
being bent. lie il are TO be found all the
provisions. you cannot put lhem there
all 4he legislation of Congress cannot put
them there-unless in accordance with its
provisions. At the Time of the admission
of Missouri into the Union, | found the
same sentiment very generally prevailing
in some sections. had The same opinions
then on this subject that have now and
in the mids,of The agitation then manifest,
there were many who could not see where
the agitation would end. Then men got
together and talked OF compromises, and
compromises, and made compromises, and
one-half insisted on what they had no right
10 ask and the other haf-submited 10 that
which they never should have submitted
10. Any such system as this is calculated
gradually 10 undermine The Constitution
Far better would be an instantaneous
change in its provisions, by Convention,
than any compromise whatever iuconss.
tence with that instrument itself.
The officers Of the general government
are awake to the importance of this sub
iect; aud there is no doubt that there will
be much agitation in both houses of Con-
gress upon il. In The Senate | have
no doubt it will be examined in all its
bearings; and sincerely hope that some
Thing will be found TO arise from ii, calcu-
lated to place our institutions upon still
more firm aud enduring basis Than they
even now are. The very best thing which
can be done, when all is said upon The
subject that may be said, will be to le, ii
alone entirely leaving il to The people Of
The territory TO be acquired, the business
Of settling The matter for themselves; for
where slavery has no existence; all the
legislation Of Congress would be powerless
10 give il existence; and where we find il
TO exist, the people of the country have
themselves adopted the institution; they
have the right, alone, TO determine their
own Institutions; and as the matter so ex-
isis elsewhere, they are not TO be con-
demned for its existence.
There is but one political course which
man can lake, in safety to his conscience
that COURSE is strict adherence 10 the
Constitution. That is the charter by which
to determine our powers.-That is the
compass by which alone we can safely
steer our political 5arqae. IL you can
accomplish the abolition Of slavery in the
Southern States through its instrumenlali-
ty, why do so. But | hope there are none
who would do so al tho hazard Of our
Union, liberty and independence. The
only true test, however, to which we can
submit this question, or any other that may
arise. is the Constitution. But it is unfor-
tunalely the case, with many Of those who
seem most interested in The question of
abolishing slavery, that they are not much
governed by such principle as lhis.-
There is something above ourConstitution,
above our laws, above our world itself,
that is invoked. These persons should
remember, that there is means by which
TO accomplish their ends, if they be right,
much more safe and sure, han that of
destroying the only Safeguard, which they
have for their own liberty. IL they be
indeed sincere in there designs, let them
toll on until they shall be aole to affect
such a change in The Constitution itself as
they desire; bnithal iaslru,nen! positively
prohibits any Inference BY one Stale with
The Institutions Of another, could hope
that The Stale pride alone, if there were
no more liberal and general principle,
would forbid the people of Pennsylvania
TO interfere with the peculiar affairs of her
sister States, as readily as she would resent
even The appearance Of meddlins by anoth.
er Stale, with affairs especially her own.