Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-09-19
-. 49,, .snsr.llv only, Blu, in this very letter,

luties lie oiltr ur rather 10 meant Inc '''-' a
hal when he says the peorls OF The lerrii"lS "a'
"riy h, io,egplate," he means fright I" eSS'u's
General Cas-, however, dues rot concede ~ ~
people Of The new territories the nnttmhs@ i'|"'
wen ITO regulate" slavery-(whch, as IS sew
= ould not include the right 10 c5sluas) ~
,nly comedies right 10 regulate IL "un0s' :"
general principles Of The Constitution !" o'"e'
words, They have the right 10 pass laws c'"1e,"
ing the relation Of master and servant, pfosiue'
those laws are consistent with, and DO mol V'ola''
"lhe general principles Of the Const'n',on'
There is M ,pes,al provision in The Consl''u''ou
of the Uniled Slales relating 10 tue luf'S'''''o"
over slavery in the territories; anu o' eou''s
s,ee;ol pyupision restraining The exercise u INC
jurisdiction over il. Whether that luriso'c"on
heones 10 Congress or 10 the people OF Inc 'e'l'-
tories, (and ii must belong to one or the o'nef' 80
all admil) its exercise is restrained by no Spe',N
prop,sion. and the only limitation 10 il mus. NC
found in the general principles Of The Cons','u
,;on where General Cass obviously considers
them TO exist, when in denying The jurisdic'ioh'o
Congress. and claiming it for the people, he says
rbey are 10 exercise it "under those genera Pf'n>
ciples." Now, we are aware OF oul '"o se"e.
raj PRINCIPLES" arising from The Constitution Oh
the Uni,ed States which have any reference 10
this subect:-one is The security Of all Inc r'sn's
of every description OF property, with Inc ac'
acknowledgement OF the right OF property 10 slaves;
and The other is The equality OF all the people OF
all the States in reference 10 all the public pro-
perly of the United States. General Cass refers
10 some general principles Of the Constitution,
relating 10 this subec,. "uaaer" which Inc Pe"p'e
of the territories are to exercise this right 10 re-
pulote slavery" II there are none but those we
have cited land we should be glad to have 'hem
pointed ont, if any others exst) as there are pu'
t,vo of Them. he must refer to those TWO; and &c.
neral Cass, xhen he says that "he is 10 favor Of
leaving 10 The people Of any territory, which may
be hereafter acquired the right 10 regulate slavery
tor themselves, under the general pranstpies o. me
Constitution" plainly declares that ne would
concede 10 those people The right 10 pass laws
in reference 10 The relation Of master and servant,
provided they did not interfere with The rights OIL
properly Of any citizen OF The United States by
destroying that relation. and did not produce me-
quality between The rights OF The Citizens o The
different states, by prohibiting The in'roduclion OF
slaves into the public territory and thus excluding
The people of The South lhereirom that relation
being sanctioned, and that equality being eulorc.
ed by the general principles of the constitution,
The only fundamental law OF The territories until
they come 10 make their State Constitutions. His
language in this paragraph as plainly declares
this, as il he had used our words and no, mis- Own;
and The whole context Of the letter illustrates II.
He had previously said, that "in various respects
the territories differ from The Slales Some OF
their rights are inchoa,e, and they do not possess
the peculiar attributes Of sovereignty" and in the
very next sentence TO the one we are commenting
on, be expresses the idea again, by saying, that
he is for "eavins 10 the inhabitants all the rights
compatible v.h the relations they bear to the e0ne
deration Some OF their rights, then, in reference
10 This mater, differ from and arc not as exIca.
sive as The rights of The STATES and these people
bear some relations 10 the coniederacy with
which the exercise of those rights must be COM
palible. Now if, as he contends, they have the
right ITO regulate Slavery" can any man con-
ceive that in any other respect that right is
mol as extensive as The rights Of the States, or
that It's exercise would be in any other re-
saecl incompatible with their relations to the con
federacy, cxcep, in prohibiting OF a6olsiing sla-
c. ,b,t
sustained by The whole context OF The letter Isl
that Congress has no jurisdiction over slavery al
all in The acquired Territory, and that the people
there have the right so regulate" but no, 10 ez-
eiude or abolish it.
And this is exactly the doctrine Of the Vrgi-
mia Legislature and OF the Democratic party OF
Virginia. as expressed b. their Convention. God
only knows what is The doctrine Of The Wing
party here; for, as we blush 10 say in regard 10
any respectable portion of the citizens of this
unterrfed Old Commonwealth, as she has been
called, the Wings Of Virginia have not, that we
recolecl, by resolution or in any other form
darcd 10 express any opinion on the subject,
and we fear cannot be made 10 express any;
unless indeed wc consider as The act OF The
parry, tie resolution adop ed in the Clut-
House here, which, we are constrained TO say,
for so il appears to u.s. stamclessy and sneakinsly
declares no more about il, than that lin effect
they are satisfied God save the mark y with The
opinions OF MILLARD FILLMORE about Slarerv
in The STATES, as being Sound and patriotic" No;
nor can their candidate for the Presidency, either,
though Southern man, be induced 10 express any
opinion whatever on the subject, except such as
justihes his Northern advocates in claiming him
for their own, and unless his qualification at hav-
ing Millard Fillmore on his ticket DO considered
as sufficient sanction to the resolution of the Tay
orClub in this city. Fillmore graciously comedies
hat Congress has no RICH! TO take away the
slaves Of the people of the several States, with.
put one word about or alusion to our rights in
he territories, in regard to which only, is there,
1t this time, any question made; and Virginia
gentlemen, who have heretofore maintained that
my attempt TO exclude U, from the territories,
would warrant our resistance ''at all hazards
md to the last extremity" are now satisfied 1c,tt
that Mr.. Fillmore c,ncedes-wilh what no in
elligent man ever donh ed, and none, till now,
ave dared to question. General Taylor is
made, Gas we belicve,) TO say, that it is a .'pri
ipie" with him, this only and most extraordina-
y prineiple) not 10 express his opinion on the
Vilmot Proviso at all, or say any thing abou
he slavery questions. And this, too, is perfectly
satisfactory 10 The South, and all right. Does
OF every man see and know that all this is said
I'D done merely 10 satisfy the Abolitionists of
heir party at the Northi And yet these are the
who have the bodness, we had al.
lost said the bare faced etfrontery, to attempt
} arraign the Democratic party on this subject
efore The people of Virginia; not that the
arty has not taken bold, open and proper
rounds, but because these gentlemen, thus sa
SIZED with Taylor and Fillmore, cocsider that |
ieneral Cass's views do not eractly quare with |
be resolutions of his party here; and 10 qnarre