The North-Carolina standard., 1848-10-11
LEIGH NoRTH WEDNESDAY MORNINGS

States IN the Territories recently acquired from Mex
leo. He SAYS: .E.,l>al- T,
Mr.. Webster, who is well known to be the expo
nent OF the sentiments of the whg party the North
and who considers we'll what he saws. has avoxvad
his settled purpose to allow no more slave terrtor tn
be added To- this Union in other words to allow no
slaves to be carried into the newly acquired territory
ana Mr.: Van Buren,, heretofore the most popular man
IN the n orth of the democratic party has suffered
himself to be placed on the same ground. Can we.
submit to this without an utter abandonment of
the most important interests of ourselves and our
Posterlty, whose safety depends upon an outlet for
our redundant slave property ? / think not The
slave population of the United States in 1890 was
about 1875 at the last cencus was about 497
555-thus nearly quadrupling in fifty years. If the
increase should continue in the same ratio and see
no cause prevent it, in years from the pres
ent day we shall have ten millions. Now any man
who will cast his eye the worn out lands of Mary
land, Virginia, North Carolina South Carolina and
Georgia, and will reflect that this destruction of soil
Is the work almost exclusively of the slave popua-
tion heretofore employed can readily imagine what
Will be the condition of our country when the same
population shall have increased to ten millions. The
aooonlsts are aware OF our position, have carefully
estimated it, and of them have not hesitated to
aOo,U, on the floor of Congress, the wish to conine
this institution within it's present bounds until it shall
become intolerabe-until the fostering evil instead
OF being scattered, shall discharge its social corrup
ton upon the South.'' We are to be circumscribed
and our posterity starved out! When such men as
Daniel Webster and Martin Van Buren lend them
selves to promote an object like this, it is high time
that all and each of US should look to it. In my
view of the case more iniqutous scheme has never
been presented the world The blood and treasure
of the South have been employed in its full proper
ton for the acquisition of this territory by what
rule OF equity is she to be excluded from her proper
tionate enjoyment of it? There is that will
justify it. 1t is not pretended that there is. The
North feels that they have power, and they forget
right They hold that slavery is State institution
solely that the constitution of the United States has
not established it. and that Congress has power to leg
islate for the Territories without Limitation.
Let us examine these pretensons-and first, as to
the allegation that slavery is not established by the
constitution. The institution of slavery in this
try was antecedent the constitution the confed
Grafton, and to the declaration of independence. 1t
was introduced and in some measure forced upon the
colonies by the mother country. The census of 1890
shows that at the time it taken, every State in
the Union, Massachusetts, a slaveholding
state This is very important fact for it shows that
slavery was then the general rule-prohbitlng OF II
the exception, and that there therefore
sity to institute it very formally in the constitution.
The relation of master and slave existing
ation, the slave considered property and the
stitution recognised both-ths ought be sufficient;
but it did 1t confirmed and established it, by
providing for the continuance Of the African slave
trade and the taxing the slaves imported. by compel-
ing the restoration of fugitive slaves, and by giving
their owners political power in proportion to the
numbers held.
ehiney of government is established by theeonstita
ton, II appears to that Slavery is Iaoes pro-
vide municipal regulations touching it, these being
left with the respective States does it in regard
to any other property of the citizen. do not know
what precise phraseology is deemed necessary by
others to the establishment of any thing in the
stitution but l suppose the freedom of religion and
the freedom OF the press established by the first
article of the amendments and are institutions of the
United States. 1t reads thus: Congress shall make
no law respecting establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof abrdging the
freedom of speech of the press. Now if the
freedom of religion and of the press institutions
of the United States, which one presume will
deny, then slavery is also institution of the Uni
ted States for very much the same language is used
in the 9th section of the 1s article in reference to
it, as is employed in the article above referred to.
Here is: '' The migration importation of such
persons as any of the States existing shall think
proper to admit, shall not he prohibited 6y Congress
prior the year 1903, but duty may be i'm
posed on such importation exceeding ten dollars
for each person." If the slave trade established
by this section, undoubtedly it was, all the conse-
quences of the legal commerce must result, and
among them the right to hold the property acquired
and transport it to any of the possessions of the
United States The slave trade thus fully re-
cognized and established for than t,oenty gears
from the formation of the constitution, without the
of interference the part of Congress,
further than the laying of the tax. 1t Is true that
after the year 1903 Congress is authorized by just
implication forbid the importation; it is true that
Congress did 1orOld IL, Dut IL must De remembered
that the prohibition is the effect of law, that all laws
are liable be repealed by the authority which enacs
the and that if this repealed to-day the constl-
tuition ould authorize the importation of slaves as
formerly So far as the constitution Is concerned, the
is left the discretion of Congress- and
it (the constitution) is authoritative in either
W neither Congress prohibits not but the property
in those who imported previously to the orma-
ton of the constitution and subsequently under its
sanctions, are as much under the protection of the
General Government and as exempt from impositions
and restraints as any other property whatever. How
then can it be said that Congress can exclude tins
property from the territories recently acquired and
which belong to all, and not portion ofthe people
of the United States! " p % IF ..-' |
The only clause in the Constitution that bears di-
recy and expressly the subject of the territories
is this s Congress may make all needful rules and
regulations respecting the Territories and ether pro-
perty of the United Sates,'' When In any lnstru-
ment delegating authority (ether in public private
object is to be accomplished that method goes to the
exclusion of all ohers-so the clause above reclted
must preclude the derivation of authority from any
other source. This believe is admitted prlncl-
ple in constituting all such instruments. In legslang
for the territories, Congress is restrained as we'll by
the general principles of the constitution which maln
tain an equality of benefits and burthens among all
the citizens, as by the precise phraseology OF the
clanse lust mentioned. Why is the word s. needful'
introduced findiscrminate if and unlimited power was
intended! 1t operate restrlcton or 1t was
uselessly introduced. suppose the object OF the
clause was to authorse such legislation only, as
might be necessary to protect the property tor the
benefit of the people of the United States who are Its
ow ners-hto prescribe the modes by whichlt should
be brought into market and TO secure the order ana
well-being of the settlers is scarcely supposa-
II l-.l..k a. iAooo heads