Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-07-12
From the Charleston Mercury.
SLAVERY IN TERRITORIES.

To be right of indispensable necessity
in every case. 1t gives strength IN Time
of need, confidence in danger, make VIC
tory, virtue, and rubs defeat OF s'iame.
|, il only he duty. but The interest ol The
South. ,ha, on The question of slavery she
should be right; otherwise, The institution
mus, perish by the operation OF Tia! ~
evitabIe law which sonner or later rl1h's
The wrong. Have no: some OF the South
ern politicians abandoned the right on
this subject! Exusperaed ny the az
eressions of fanalics, have they not' i"e
stead of being content TO repcl these at
lacks, advanced beyond that line upor
which therefore the South has heen invln-
chile. Heretofore. we have demanded That
the institution If slavery shnuld be lrta'
lone. We denied he riShl ol' Congress to
limi, lis extension. We never claimed
The righ, to extend it by legislative enact
mpn,s. Apply this rule 10 Territories
Congress has no right 10 pass laws excl"d
ino slaves, neither has il right I" enacl
laws establishing slavery. Is this true!
Then the emigraut to newly acquired
,rerritor7 must he governed by 'he gen
eral principles Of the Constitution and Inc
acrs of Congress founded upon 1t. Now
neither the Constitution nor these acts es
rabish slavery in any Territory. aud i'is
not part Of the common or unwrltten
law of this country. Slavery exists no
where in this union but by legislative
or positive enac,mAn's. Il is mum cipal
regulation. How shall the cmigrant re
cover his slaves were there are no laws
recognising them 10 be propery-punsh
injuries to lhcm-eXercise ownership over
them? Docs the slave owners carry with
him The laws nf South Carolina in favor
of slavery? linen the free laborer Of the
West carries with him also The laws of
his State against slavery Which shall
prevail and be paramount? WIN shall
decide this controversy There is no
tribunal to try The question. Assuming
that Congress have no power 10 establish
10 exclude slavery -,hat Territorial Le-
gisiature cannot restrict their admission
(Which implies previously excis'ins au.
,holy TO eslobish-f'r the Shareholder vir.
rually excluded from the Terril ry. Now
there are manifest reasons why the power
10 legislate upon this subject should he
denied 10 Congress. Among others, that
lis acts might be made To affect The whole
Of the Southern States. while The laws o
a Territory can only operate within lis
own boundaries. Is it no, wiser to rcs
cognise the power Of Territory LcsisIa-
ture 10 establish or exclude slavery than
10 deny il! The 'ncw comes into The |
territory" as Mr.. Yancey styles them.
will. VIC are justified 5y experience in as
suming, regularly slavery according to
their interests. II slave labor be profita
BILE, it will be employed as certainly as
steam or water power, horses or mules.
II Improbable. no legislative cnacimenls
can compel or persuade 10 their introiuc.
lion. The;new corners being, we will sup
pose, free aborers from the West, may
pass laws, excluding them; but these laws
will nat. coniiauei of force after1hc inbab-
ianst discover them 10 be siniurinns 10
BaiFlhe. .airgutn enitInay be 're,orted: If free
aborers.s belugS the first comers. have no
light TO exclude slavery, then The slave
owners. being the. first corners. have no
10 establishit. The admissions as
10 the one as exclusion is to The
piher. The rule must work both ways.
Cnforlunately, if This rule be adopted
slavery musl succumb for the want oflaws
10 maintain it, In other words. the IN
s,iru;inn cannot exists unless es'aol'shed ny
law. Those politicians therefore. who
depy the power of a Territorial Lcs'sla
,ure 10 regulate its territorial concerns IN
this as well as all other respects. pracl''
ca!ly aid in The exclusion Of slavery from
terriory. For they cannot deny The rIghl
to restrict, aud assert the rlsh, to establish
il. Moreover to claim The rieh: TO establish
and deny the rish, TO restrict, Is 10 al
vancc beyond our former dnc'rinc-'et us
alone; and. being therefore aggressive II
invites aud jatiiies atIcmps TO destroy our
domestic institutions.
These remarks have been elected by
the comments Of Mr.. Yahcey. al The late
meeting in this city. upon that portion OF
MIR. Cass's letter of Mr.. Nicholson in which
he declare himself in favor Of leaving TO
Territories the right to regulate Their own
affairs. We are persuaded that the SCUM
will accomplish the purposes Of the Ahn'l~
,iouisrs by adopting any other policy than
that indica'ed by Mr. Cass. No WIlmol
Proviso can more certainly exclude slave-
owners from Territories that the absence
Of all law to pro,ec, slave property when
introduced into them. The institution. we
repeat, connot exist unless established by
law To enable The saveuwner TO obtain
admission into Territories. we must adopt
policy equally distant from the ultra
politicians Of the South and the abliion
fanatics Of The North.
INDEPENDENT DEMOCRAT.
The correspondent, ofthc N. Y. Tribune
,no,I,;,,, of ,be Sonata and lie unensineSs