The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-09-24

defence and general welfare" will be severed. and
section of our beloved Union will be arrayed agans
another, and anarchy and confusion, and servile war
and bloodshed and dissolution of the government mus
be the hnal and disastrous result IT, then, we would
preserve our beloved Union and hand down to our chill
dren republican torn OF government, the terms upon
which the several States entered the Union must be
sacredy and regously observed and the action OF the
general government must be confined strictly within the
limits prescribed by the constitution.
1t should not be forgotten that before the adoption OF
the present constitution OF the United States each State
separate and an independent sovereignty Just as
much so as England and France are separate and inde
pendent soveeigntes and that the formation and adop
lion of the constitution not the act OF the people col
ectvey of the Unon but was the act OF thirteen sepa
rate and Independent States, IN their sovereign capacity
Ii was be binding upon none OF the States until 1t was
ratified by nne and only binding upon those SO ntfy
ing it Any of the States might have refused to rat
fy it, and have remained separate and independent
eegny to this day. If she had seen proper so to do No
State would have entered the Union she had supposed
for moment that the action of the general govern
ment not to be strictly confined within the limits
prescribed by the constitution.
In many OF these States the institution OF slavery ex-
listed at the time of the adoption of the constitution; and
the people of these States had supposed that Congress
was invested with power to interfere any way with their
right to hold and enjoy property in their slaves as fully
as in any other species OF propey that Congress had
the power TO impose any disabilities, increase their bur-
dens, deprive them of any of the privileges and immu
mites enjoyed by the citizens of other States, because OF
their holding slaves, they would have ratified the
constitution, they would have entered the Union
and our present form OF national government never
would have existed. The general government cannot,
without gross and papable violation OF the terms upon
which the slave States entered the Union, enact laws
which SHALL their operation, deprive the citizens of the
saveholdng States OF the privileges and mmunities
enjoyed by the citizens of the nonsavehoding States
If the United State. shall acquire territory from Mex
ico it will be acquired by the common toll and blood
and treasure of all the States collectively and will be the
common property oa the States and the citizens OF all
and each of the States will have equal right to the en-
ioyment OF the privileges and benefits arising from such
acquisition of territory Every individual in the Union
will have the right guaranteed by the constitution, to
Of property which he might lawfully hold in the State
from whence he Citizens OF savehoding States
will have undoubted right, which Congress has no
constitutional power to Affect to emgrate to such terri
tory with their slaves and to enjoy property in them as
fully they might do in the State from whence they
came To deprive them of this right, would be to de-
se the an Sa T hy ns
this right would be to deprive them of the benefits arising
from the acquisition OF territory for which they have been
compelled by the laws Of the Union to contribute their
portion Of blood and toll and And finally. to
deprive them OF this right would be to impose burdens
and disabilities upon them, by the general government
penalty for not changing their domestic Institutions;
bear upon the legislation of the States upon matters
exclusively within their own jurisdiction, and in
direct violation OF the terms upon which they entered
the Union. 10 do this, 1t seems to me, would be an
act OF injustice violation OF good faith, and usurp-
alton of power on the part of the general government
which must scatter the constitution to the four winds,
ate and blast the ondest hopes of the friends of liberty
and equal rights throughout the world of the success OF
our beautiful system of republican government.
1t may be said by some, that it is contrary to sound
morals to hold slaves and therefore Congress ought to
prohibit slavery in any territory hereafter to be acquired
by the United States Congress has power to deter
mine the question OF morality or immortality OF sa
very. This is question which was reserved ex-
clusively for the decision of each of the States 1t
was agreed that the general government should not take
upon itself the responsibility of deciding this question;
and the saveholdng States entered the Union under the
solemn pledge that this agreement should be most sacred
y complied with And now would most respectfully
inquire, upon what system of ethics the violation of this
sacred obligation can be justified suppose it will
hardly be satisfactory to the mind OF any thinking man
Tor the general to say to any one o. the
soemnly agree leave the decision of this question OF
the morality of slavery to you; and it is also rue that
YOU have not decided the question according to our no
tons OF right and wrong and therefore we are not bound
by your deesion!" MERCER.