Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-27
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, VA.
Thursday Morning, August 2s, Is47.
THE POWER OF CONGRESS OVER
SLAVERY.


ciples Of the Wilmol Proviso, The power oil Con-
gress 10 prohibi. slavery in The territory OF the
United States, and TO impose certain conditions on
new States coming into The Union. The leading
editorial OF The Wing OF yesterday forces US
again TO recur to those subjects.
Our readers NAV remember, that we have more
Than once alluded 10 remark Of The Wing, per.
tinent 10 the questions growing out OF the VIII
mo, Proviso, which announced principle 10
which we could never assent. To show that We
represent our antagonist fairly, we will qnole his
words They are as follow: "N has "srer, zoe
belieps been denied Mat Congress has al It's dispO'
sal Tie ,cAols questions Of the admission Of ne~
Staies and Mat Il ea,, prescribe The terms on whteA
Mep shall Gecome constituent part, Of The Caio'' IN
thai coSacifv." We have assailed this passage as
containing doctrine 10 which VIC could mol as
sent, because it claimed fc. Congress more than
the Constitution gives il and arms that body
with powers eminen,ly dangerous 10 the Slave
holding States. But We have never, as The Wing
inlimaies, denied to Congress the power 10 admit
ne " States, whether formed from our own terrific
ries or that OF foreign nations, willing TO come
under our institutions So far from this, we
have uniformly and consistently conlepded for
this mower under The plain literal articles OF
The Constitution. While we do this, we deny
most emphatically that The Federal Govern
ment, in exercising this power granted by
the Constitution has right 10 impose con-
dlions and restrictions which the Constitu-
ton dees not authorize. Congress has no
rich, TO degrade them from their high position as
SOVEREIGN States. II can admit them, bul has no
power TO deny them freedom and independence,
and no authority TO take from them the supreme
control Of their domestic affairs, paying only
that obedience 10 the Constitution OF the United
States which is due from the original States -
We know full well that Congress has claimed
and exercised the power of refusing admit,ance
TO portions Of our territory entitled 10 come into
the Union. But we deny lis risht 10 do so. We
deny that the Constitution enirusls II with such
power; and We contend if it has such power, it
has il in defiance OF the Constitution and can
only exercise j, when unmindtul OF The high pur-
poses Tor which j, was created.
According 10 the o..s inal act of cession, ii was
an express condition olhe grant that The territory
ceded should be laid out and formed into States and
tha, The States so formed SHALL BE distinct repno-
lican States and adm ed Members II nc Federal
Union haring Tic sane rights Of Sovereignty, free
dom and independence, as The other States. These
are The words Of The act itself. This REQUIRES
that the territory ceded should be divided INTO
States and makes il IMPERATIVE on Congress 10
admit those States INFO The Coniederacy on an
equal footing with he original States. congress
found that it would no. be expedieni 10 carry on
the views Of Virginia. and made some alterations,
asking Virginia TO AUTHORIZE CoNoaEss To DO so
By amending her deed OF ccssion. This was
done by The acl Of 1888, from which we learn
that the territory coded ~ Virginia was divided
into States, and lha! 4 solemn compact was
entered into with those States by The United
Slales, ratified by Virginia, who changed
her deed Of cession for that purpose, which
provided that whenever any OF The SAID States
shall have sixty thousand Tree inhabitants
therein. such State SHALL BE- admitted into The
United States on an equal footing ar'M iae o''st-
nal STATES ~ ALL RESPECTS WHATSOEVER. No",
when The Wing says that Congress had Tie r'sn'
TO refupr TO admit those States or 10 impose con-
dilions which ,c3,lN mol leave them on an equal
footing with the original States. We mnst enter
our solemn protest And when asked BY Inc
Wing ''ii Congress has not the disposal oil thls
question, who has" We see no necessity Tor an
answer
The Wing contends, that because the old Re-
dsral Congress in 1857 thought itself empowered
10 prohibit slavery in the territory coded BY V'r-
sinia, the present establishment under The Con-
silulion, being vested with more enlarged pow
ers, must have greater, or al least equal, power
over slavery. We do no, admit The soundnesS
Of such logic especially as used BY The wing
This force. MS again TO aludc 10 The course
pursued by Mr.. Jefferson in 1874, and The pow
ers OF Congress under The Articles OF Confedera-
lion and The Constitution OF The United States
We do this willingly, because we lear mat We
did NOT define our position on yesterday as PLAIN
ly as we always desire.
The Old Congress never did claim any power
whatever over slavery in The Northwest lei
ri,ory under The Articles OF Consideration
lis ario'e clam was derived from the deed
OF cession executed by the authorized agens
of Virginia. It rightly commended that The pow
er conveyed by Virginia might be exercised
BY the Congress, not under The Articles OF Con-
federation but under The deed Of cessIon. And
when Congress found that it was expedient 10
depart from the deed, it properly asked Virginia
10 alter and amend The instrument, TO give it au'
thorily 10 make lha, departure. Virginia had
conveyed all her right lille and interest, as 'eeh
of soil as jurisdiction in The Northwest territory
10 the old Congress. under certain conditions. The
old Congress thought itself empowered n''der TN
deed 10 prohibit slavery, before States should o'
created having rieht 10 come into The Coniede
racy with all the attributes OF sovereignty. Th'
Ordinance OF 1857 was passed, and Virginia
was called upon TO alter her acl OF cession. Sh'
did no, alter il at The time, bot she took INTO con
sidera,ion the Ordinance Of 1857, which, from
The nature of The case, was only provisional, IN
Ill she ratified il: and on The 30h OF December
I7sS, she gave her consent 10 that part oft whIci
contained the compact with The people OF TIT
Northwest Territory.
We hope that we have now made this matte
clear-at least 10 those who are not blinded By
passion or misled by prejudice. We do not e1
nee, 10 convince The Editors OF the Wig OF IN
souudness of The States Right creed, or TO Induce
them 10 give up any thing which they claim 10
The Federal Government. When they can con
strue The power nto maze all needfn rules and rcsH
lations ,espeetins The Territory" Of he Unitf1
ssa.es, as meaning to give Congress The Powe
to deprive the people OF The non-slaveholc
ing States OF their right to inhabit all or an.
OF our territory with whatever properly they ma.
nossess and 10 confer on The Federal Govern
men, The power 10 do more in The territory oil IN
United States Than our States have right 10 d.
In their own borders-to attack vested rights
We lear that no warning from US will either d