The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-09-30

and New York seldom. SO that three States wit
We hve southern ones against Pennsylvania, Jersey,
Delaware. With respect To the importation of slaves,
was left TO Congress. This disturbed tue southern
suppress The importation of slaves These States,
fore, struck up bargain with the New Englan,
states, II they would Join to admit slaves for
the two southernmost States would Join in changing tn
clause which required twohrds OF Legislature an
vote II was done These articles changed accord
insiy and from that moment the southern States
the three norhern joined Pennsylvans Jersey,
Deaware ana made the majority to against ms, nsea,
OF to for il had been through the whole convention
nder THIS coaitIon he great psnee of The constitution
were changed IN the last days OF the convention"
Now sir by reference TO the journal of that convention
it will be found that the of the States implicated
changed recorded in that memorial. And wha
approved by III Why hrst that the right import slaves
for twenty years barered away by three of the New
England States and, second, that consideration 0
this immunity, the whole right of Legislation all
affecting commerce and navigation which, up that tme hat
been restricted to majority of two-thrds committed t.
bare numerical majority; and very bad bargain TO
the South But, hac disco Let this example
illustrate the whole Sir the South has been faithful
all their constitutional engagements. Ii there be
instance where however onerous the South has failed bo
in spirit and letter. to fulfil hoe engagements her part
pray gentlemen to make it known.
Let reference to these guarantees respecting the
institution Of slavery, how they have been fulfilled by th
States now called " States" instance the obligation
the States for the surrender of fugitive slaves How ha
that been fulied The clause imposing part Of The
same section, and pa' mae'ia with that requiring The
surrender of those who shall flee from Justice" Sound
and good faith to the compact requires that each class
uguves should be delivered up' of State au.
hOrity the demand of the eXecutiye the
and the claim Of the party" entitled in the other
ask of representing the so-syled free States
how these obligations discharged? Is due
faith of the constitution that should be regarded
equally obligatory? And, yet, what is the fact! Why
laws enacted all the States requiring of the
authority surrender fuguves from justice upon de-
mand Of the State whence they fee and providing for their
arrest and detention until such demand is made But the
of fugitive slaves, in of these States is the like
constitutional duty regarded In some laws
cd denying the of their as for the custody Of such
tha,rn
lend any aid arresting them whilst in ALL the citizens OF
the South who go there pursuit. nsuted and deed
and hunted down and killed. have disposition to
speak terms of elimination, to excite angry bitter
feeling But property Is insecure. The guarantees
under which hold it habtuay and wantonly dsre-
garded, and should be wanting in duty to those whose
honor and interest committed to my care, did
avail myself of the occasion to make 1t known Sir, all
that the southern States ask is that the constitution shall
be observed in good faith. They have right to demand
and they do demand that the guarantees OF the constitution
shall be observed and held sacred have heard
this Hoor-the from New York MIR. DIx and the
senator from Vermont, Mr.. PHELPS, this session. and
within week. declare is the purpose of the northern
and States do-what To prevent the
of what they call the " slave power" put those
Mr. DIX. did not make such declaration
Mr. MASON so understood the senator in his remarks,
although do find the expression in his printed speech
1t used then, by the from Vermont. What
the save powe" In the discussion of question like this,
we have right expect that senators should give
that Ineligible. What, them is the power to
is the representative weight which is assigned by the
suton this species of population property If there
be any power lodged by the constitution which sup
posed the northern States do share with
their brethren in other States is refeabe to the clause
the constitution which arranges and distributes the repre-
senaton. And it is this power for which ample equiv
aen has been given, which told by senator's is
not further be extended Mr. President this representa-
tive weight, assigned to the States of this Union by the
constitution be preserved II it preserved,
need tell gentlemen what the consequences will be. Ii
it is indispensable to their political welfare. The question
of abolition heretofore has been brm tula,en but
il in shape that is longer to be dcspised
The institution FIRST assaled when majority in the
federal Congress attempted 1920 to prevent the State OF
Missouri from coming this Unon unless upon terms
derogatory TO her sovereign State and directly IN vO-
laon of the constitution. Sir know not how 1t felt
at the North; know how far northern statesmen
northern politicians may that their ascendency
was involved in the curtlmen of the slave
but know this, that in the South required but the app-
cation of the torch kindle the whole country. They
looked upon not only vital their safety but they look
ed upon the attempt assai insult ndgnity Offer
ed them sovereign members of this conederacy Sir
Mr. Jefferson lived in those days No man, suppose will
question his loyalty to the constitution and none his saga
other day by the honorable senator from South Carolina
Mr. CALHoUNl in which Mr. Jefferson spoke his alarm at
against the South. His mind filled with the porens
the OCCASION and his views, freely expressed in letters to
his friends show that in this parrcda attack he the
days of the constitution numbered.
Mr. Jefersons opinions, the occasion cited
titled to great weight matured statesman and phos-
opher profoundly versed well in the science of govern
the shoals and depths of party he through
the vista of years this disturbing infuenceever the
alert when aroused until its wicked work ended
in the overthrow of the constitution of his country
In letter. dated on the 18th April, 1920, TO Mr.. ''
la gentleman now living, he says:
"The old schism of federal and republican threatened
nothing because existed in State and united them
together by the aernism of party but the coincidence
marked principle. moral and political, with geo2raph
cal line, once conceived feared would never more be
obeTaed from the mind that II would be recurring on
every occasion, and renewing rritaons, until II would
knde such mutual and mortal hatred render
sanguine in believing that Union would be o.
long duration now doubt it much and see the event al
great distance and the direct consequence of this ques
ton
On the Goth December 1890 he wrote to Mr. ''.''.''
gentleman also now living, thus:
Nothing has presented so threatening an aspec
as what is called the Missouri question The iederaisa
completely put down. and depairDg OF rising again
under the old divisions of wing and tory, devised
one, OF slaveholding and slavehoding Saies which
while it had sembance of being moral at the same
time geographical and calculated to i've them ascendency
by dcbauchng their old opponents TO coalition with them
or the question uainy is not becauc the removal o.
slaves from State another than their remova
from country another, would never make slave o
one human being who would not be without it. Indeed
il there be morality in the question, IL is the othe
their happiness would be increased and the burden o
their future liberation ighened by bringing greater mum
Der of shoulders under it, However, seemed TO throw
dust the eyes OF the people, and to fanatcise them
line OF the Potomac and Ohio, throwing four
States North and East and the South and
West With these, therefore, it Is merely question o
power. But with this geographical minority lsa ques
ntion arogate the right of regulating the condition
the inhabitants of the States It's majority may, and prob