Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-09-19
TIE RICHMOND ENQUIRER.

NJ nomlt canducc bnt lite 10 our ulure secnlly,o.
indeed 10 our present reputation, u .,;nn
re 70 nndiale ali expectation OF compfnsa!loh
rom me Mexican government, ana are h-huns'
40, lar anv nraclical result. but lof some V"s"e
n.rhaps pniianlhropic Object, when essape' |
n,netraliun. and must be dthoea ny 'no'e " ~
assume this new principle OF nan'ha il,'ei'U ,a,,
municaion All wars are 10 be deplccd'eu o. IT, WI
by The statesman, as BY he phl!an'hfop'h
are great evils, but there are greater evns .''a"
,hsse and submission 10 injus,iceis among 'hein
sTh. na,;on which should refuse IL delend us
r;ah,s and its honor when assailed would soou
nave neither 10 defend; and when driven 10 wal,
!, ia no, by professions c disinleIesle lhess dhu
declarations OF maenanimiiy that us ra'io"di
oh;ecIs can be best obla ined or other naliohs
,aroh, lesson OF forbearance-the strongest
security for permanent peace. we are al wal
win Mexico, ard its vigorous prosecution Is inc
surest means Of its speedy termination, anu
amole indemnify The suresi guaranty against Ire
recurrence of such injustice as PROVOKED IL
The Wilmol Proviso has been before the coun
try some lime. II has been repeatedly osscpsseu
in Congress, aud by The public press 1 an
strongly impressed with The opinion, lDat e'ed,
change has been going on in Inc pnohc ,linu
upon this subjecl-in my own as well as o'n.Is,
and that doubts are resolving themselves ln,o
lot,
no kept ou of the national Legislature ana lel
IN he neople of The conteieracy IN theif respec-
tive local governments
The whole subject is comprehensive one,
and fruitful of important consequences. IL Wouiu
hs ;,l.Iimed 10 discuss il here shall not assume
,S,, resnonsible TASK, but shall con6ne myself
~ such general views as are necessary 10 Inc
fair exhibition of my opinions.
We may well regrel the existence OF slavery
in the Southern SIales, and wish they naIl oeen
saved from its Introduction But there iEis ana
mo, hy the act offhe present eenelIa'ion; ana we
mns, deal with il as great practical Question:
invnlvins The most momenlous consequences. =
| We have neither the right nor The power IL ionch
il where il exists and i! We had both, thei' exeI-
else by any means heretofore suSges Cd, mleh'
lead 10 results which no wise man would Wiling
" encounter and which no good man could con-
template without anxiety.
The theory OF our government pTe-sopposcs'
that lis various members have reserved 10 mem
selves The regulation Of all subjects relating 10
| what may be termed their internal police. lhey
are sovereign within their boundaries, except 10
those cases where they have surrendered 10 me
| general COVE rnmenl portion oftheif fiShts N
| order 10 give effect 10 The objects Of me Union,
whether these concern foreign nations or Tue
several States themselves. Local institutions, II
may SO speak, whether they have reference 70
slavery or to any other relations domestic or pub,
lie are lell 10 local authority, either original or
| deriyalve. Congress has NJ rich, 10 say, thai
there shall be slavery in New York, or that there
snail be no slavery in Georgia; nor is there any
Other human power, but the people oil those States
| fesoectiyely which can change IN. relations ex-
| lsipp therein; and they can say, ntney VIII, w
will have slavery IN the toi mer and We wiz aDol-
| ish il in The later"
| In various respects the Territories differ from
me States Some OF their rights are lnchoaIe, and
,hey DO moi possess the peculiar attributes oil SOW
ereienly. Their relation 10 The general govern.
| ment is very impeTtcclly defined BY The Cnnsiltu
lion; and il will be found, upon examination mat
m thai instrument The only grant OF power con-
corning hem is conveyed In The phrase "Con
sress shall have The power - dispose oil and make
| all needtul rules and regulations, respecting The
territory and other property belonging 70 me
4 United Slaies' Certainly this phraseoio9y !. We
~ loose, if il we're designed 10 include in The grant
The whole power ot legislation over persons a.
we'll az things. The expression, the "terrilory
| and other property" fairly construed, relates tc
the public lands, as such 10 arsenals, dock.yarts
| lors, ships aud all the various kinds OF property
| which the United States may and mus possess
| But surely the simple authority 10 drp1e d
and regulate these does mol extend 10 the unlimi.
| led power Of legislation 10 the passage Of al
| ta,ps in the most general accepation OF The word
| which by The bye is carefully excluded from The
1 sentence. And indeed, II This we're SO, IT would
render unnecessary another provision oil The Con.
slution, which grams 10 Congress the power 10
legslaie, with The consent OF The Stales. Tespec.
lively over all places purchased Tor the erection
OF f5ns, magazines, arsenas, backwards" &c
| These being the 'prcpe,tp" o! The United States
| il The mower 10 make 'needtu rules and regula.
| ions concerning them includes the genera pow-
er OF legislation then the grant oil authority 10
regulate me 'verrilory and other pr perry oi Inc
United States" is unlimited, wherever subjects are
ounI Tor lis operation, and lis exercise needed no
auxiliary provision. Ii, on The Other hand il does
not include such power Of legislation, over the
"olher properly" ot the Unied States, then II does
not include il over the 'ferr'toryi Tor inc same
terms which grant the one grant me other. Ter
ritory" is here cassei with properly and treated
as such, and the object was evidently TO enable The
general government as property bol'er-which
from the necessil il must oe-o manage preserve
and "dspose OF" such property as ] nigh. pos
sess, and which authority IS essential almost 10
is being. But The lives and persons oil our CHI
Gems with lne vast variety Of objects connected
with hem, cannot be controlled by an authority
winch is merely called into exisience ior The pur-
pose oil making rules and regulations tor the DIS.
position and management 81 property.
Such appears 10 me, wold be The conslruc.
lion put upon this provision OF the Constitution,
were this question now first presented Tor consid-
eraton and not controlled by impcrious circum-
stances. The original ordinance Of The Congress
OF the confederation, passed. III 1857, aud which
was The only ACT upon This subject in force AT The
adoption oi Inc constitution, provided complete
frame OF government Tor the Country north Of
The Ohio while IN a territorial condition, aud for
us eventual admission in separate States, INTO the
Union. And The persuasion that This ordinance
contained within itself al! The necessary means
oi execution, probably prevented any dirrc re-
ference lu The subject IN the constitution, farther
han vesting in Congress The right 10 admit The
States formed under il iulo he Union However,
circumstances alose which required legislation
ds we'll over the territory moth o. the Ohio, as
over other territory both within and without The
original Union, coded 10 the genera government;
and, al various times, a more enlarged power has
been exercised over he Territories -neanins
thereby The different Territorial Governments.
than is conveyed BY The limited grant referred t9
How lar an existing necessity may have operael
in producing lhs legislation, and inus * ending,
ny rather violent implication, powers no. Ill.
rrctly given, know no But 4 tam j, is ihat
lhr principle Of interference should moi tie car
lied on beyond The necessary implication
which produces il. II should be limited 10 The
creation OF proper governments Tor new c,In-
tries, acquired or settled, md 10 The ne
cessary provision for their eventual admission
into The Union, leaving in lhe meantime 10 the
people inhabiling Them, 10 reeula hei. Internal
concerns IN their own way. They are lus; rs
capable Of doing So, a he people Of the :,afs,
and they can do 81 as their poii,icsl n.eprniencc
is recognized by admission mo the Un,un Du
ring this Temporary condition il is hardly ey n.
dirnt TO call into exercise doubtful ami invid.
Gus Authority, which questions Inc intelligence
OF respectable portion oil our ciizeos and whose
Limitation, who ever il may be, will BE- rapidly
approaching its termination; an authority wh;ca
would Civ 10 Congrcss desPoiic power, uncan-
lrolled BY The constitution, over most important
sections OF our common country. For, il The
relation of master and servant may be regulated
or annihilated by lis legislation 50 may the rca-
liun OF husband and wife, OF parent and child,
and OF any other condition which ouf institutions
and the habits oil our society recognize. What
would be thought il Congress should undertake
10 prescribe The terms of marriage in New Yurk