Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-12-29
s, lVfLNloT PR Owls o..
Report ofsthe Committee on edcral Reid:
tioas on the " ilmus Propiso, aSs
- he Committee on T Eederal Relations,to


seraofs al essaset. assrela1es 10 The efesoIus
lion passed blythe Legisla lures Of ~ Virsinia,:
sConneciicut and Rhode Island, touching
ahe yVilnor Proviso, and Transmitted TO the
.ExecutiYe of. Ibis State, and 10 whom,
were also referred certain resolutions upon.
The same subject, submitted by members
of this House, respectfully submit The lol,
lowing Report. +
Il is universally conceded that the Go.
;yernment created by the Constitution of
the United States is government oflimit-
ed powers; that the legislative authority
conferred upon Congress is Limited by The
terms and specifications %ofthe grant, and
can be nowise extended, save 10 make
such laws as shall be necessary andsproper
for. carrying into execution the powers
vested BY the Constitution in the Govern
ment Of The United States. Congress "may
admit new States into the Union; aud
The Uniled States are required "to guaran-
ty to each State a Republican form Of Go
vernment." This" enumeration exEaustsi
aIllhe powers conferred by the Constitu-
ton upon Cong ress, or the Government
of The United States, in relation 10 the ad-
mission ofnew States into the Union.
lrlherefure, it is sought 10 impose terms
upon he admission of new States, or 10
prescribe their form of Government, as
for example, 70 require that The legislative
power shall be vested in but one house OF
Assembly. .orlhat the Governor shall have
an absolute veto, or that theiJudges shall
! be elected by the people, or thatno pro-
perty qualification shall be requisite Tor
either -eleclor or Representative, or any
other restriction or modification Of tue
Constitution Of the Stale to be admitted,
the power must be sought elsewhere, than
lin the Constitution oflhe United States.
| 1t must grow er necrssitaie ou, of the pow
er granted it must he. a necessary infer
.cnce, ,s0ril cannot be exercised, because II
lis clearly .uot embraced by the express
1 terms of the grant.
1t is indeed prescribed that in each
Slave the voters on the electors of Repro
4 seutativcs To Congress. shall have tho quail
lifcalions requisite for eleclors.of the most
numerous branch of:ihe Stale Legislature,
but each Stale IS lefral liberty o.prescribc
what shalt be the qualifications of voters,
and who, shall exerciseihe elective franz
chisc. So far therefore as any argument
can be drawn from this clause Of The Con-
sliIation, The power of The Slate govern.
.ment is absolute and beyond the reach Of
Congress; aud there is an implied mega. nesal I.
tive ofaIf authority on the part of Con-
gfess,to prescribe -as.io The statute Of the in
shabitants Of a Stale. or. their political
rights. Inso far as.their civil or political
'righls are concerned, the Constitution is 81
tlenl, and it is left to,the SIales 10 deter-
mine the same. The form Of Government
must indeed sbe Republican; but since
moslofthe States tolerated Slavery aslhe
sadoption ofslhe Constitution, twill hardly
be asserted that the Republicans form OF
Government contemplated by the :Conslita-
tion implied a negationof domestic seryi- T
tude. five resort 10 history. il will De
found that nearly all the republics ofanti:
quityr even those where the most absolute
democracy prevailed, admitted the instltnt.
ton Of slavery, aud were moi considered