Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-21

wand roam o. becoming cHh'L-u "ui
zst, Coaeress considered aiythins uu' d '"'s'''
tune To ihsm. !, AIR
Giles !, ,srropcr ,ha, shapld biiehS 'r'cr %
rhs .ub, cnueA: leg station Vi Congress: u io'o'
Congress- fcgicwcd is legislation II ierie"'e ~
inc say ,;aic; aui III ne ac; 0! 2Jh hPi'i !.
HAT yeat u .e,aiGcd 80 pfovisioA ~ Tug ~ =
islT rrlr,iye 10 tie disposmun q lie ats''"s.
''rney were toIcmsin subject 10 The iese'a''o"s
which TIE legislatures Il m Srveiai o''',> ~
.rs,,.,.,,i,s may a: any time ne!ei"i"ic ha'c
.m4d,. or hereafter ma, make, iof di'l'o-'hi; =
any such Negro, muiai!o, q pcis"n OF Iu..' cn.
II 1919, the sui G again ea"e $50 nenv.
greg; aud IN tae aci Of 81 .hats'' i9'.'
| sion Was made requiring III -. =, IN.
more e. pfei Africans Without nc i,'.'''e -
Jjn;rea SAFES and transport them 10 ine coast OF
| All. rous showing, ny The unofoheh ieSis,
! la,i,n nj Congress, that il was consioefea u,ds
H.. momen, NEGROES were lei loose IN any OF me
S,a,,s o, Territories they became sur 'eAciu'
s,vrly 10 State and Territorial legislation.
mir i. here sent 10 III: Clerks Table, 10 Ne
read. The following extract iron tEc "ihinss U
M. Giles: u ;,., ;,
uWncu The bill was before The comniuee o.
he Senate who framed II, All inquiry TOOK p'alS
frsptcling all ne material citcai;i>'dhSes AZ,
;na lhe Atlicaa slave uadc. hh'ohs>' o'Ne'
'ac,s, il was in proof 'hai IN saves weie ss'
faiIy crowded in the >la:e vessels, anu 'he
se;s themselves il nhy coalition; 'lo'i IN"
circumstances aad lhc coarse ara scauiy .are inf-
pishrd TIC slaves generally arrived ~ tins c"nn,
nv in 4 S ky cond.,ian and feq@ned immaculate
landing fur her relief These taos nducen NE
commute. H. abandon all attempts al ma%ias
provision !or their immed ate re'uin 70 Africa W
ease ii cgptufe Nv American c;aiS = "hit'.
measure wuuid have been preferred, u " 'hcu
nraet, ,ahl. Their iau.lua il the Uhilea Staies
| tnn, becoming necessary, question aio'c wa
| Sna; mi. 3,ytian tn.y would h placed mheh
hrops6 ia,o any nor! III thr UGsied SAFES w'iain
H.. i.mits .; any particular STATE or IrilN'tF
yyuuiI ,..ry he placed untcc iae j"ri"s'icu"n q
the uniic. sta e. or uGdsc lha. al n paf'icuia;
State or Territory w,ih;u whose 'mis iasy should
b. andea2 Here. hn he question u' llii>dic'
lion spiXgcrn ine I'm; "a States ana The inGi'iCu
I'll ae o. Territory, a 10 iac ccne'lion 81 persons
drought within the .i,nis eli ony STATE or tcili-
tafv, was directly presented Tor Consideration.
The wftei believes NJ subject ever pfesealei ~
Conn:rs. demanded or received moro inVesnSa'
ton and consideration; the Fesull ct Wnien was,
ha; The jurisdiction was deri ed 10 b. exclusive.
" in The Individual States and Terri ofies ani
me two provi>oes 10 he 1;h and 8 h sections were
prepared wIh an express view IL LEGISLATIVE
interpretation OF the Constitution upon mat mo
men'ous question.
"The iciiowius circumstances attending the de.
cisou OF Congress, contained il ihc provisions OF
the an anf On sections OF h" BILL give line hlshtSt
possible sanction 10 h precedent
us Tas question Of ia lsiieiion was 1'cty
and stngg b,uG.Ai into consideration.
"2d IN. aues ion was discussed upon lis own
intrinsic meri,s uninhaenccG hy any exrlhsicc n
sderations whaiegsr. Ituh alone was rs ool'ci,
ruinnnenced b. elecl:Onee ine, or any oInefia
cal exicmenis.
5 Tha question arose from sp"citla Porrer
srqHtsd by he Constitution 10 The FEDERAL Gov.
rfnmeni gown, out ot the general T1r'r retaiaca
hv the States respectively ani the t5l"ci oil ihe
provisoe> was 10 dtaw III precise boundary iiae
between the GRANTED and The nta'aed powell
The greatest possible attention, therefore, wa>
bestowed upon ece,v word 81 Inc TWO provi>oes.
"4n The discnsson was long, consideraie, an !
iispassiona,e, and eyen,uaied in the conviction OF
every member OF both Hoases o. Congress that
ihe jurisdiction over persons was with The STATES re-
spectiveiy. The bill passed unanimously in the
Senate, as is believed, ne ayes and hoes not De
ing taken. and with FIVE dissenting Votes III The
House OF Representatives. Those Votes were IN
deisooi 10 have been given against The oil, IN
consequence OF other objections.
"The principle contained in th-se provisoPs pro.
duced The discussion OF The following questions:
Has slavery existed from the b'gihn,nS OF me
80 Ia 10 this day. as far as authentic accounts OF
tis human race had been Tecofdc,i2 Is slavery
recognized and sanctioned ~ the Constitution OF
The Uned Sia;c>? is slavery recognized AMI slnc-
toned By Inc holy Scriptures! Is slavery Tecos-
z-d and sanctioned by International la~i Is
slavery recognized and enforced ~ the muaici.
pal avs Il Individual gallons ami particularly
by the municipal laws 81 he several STATES :
What cocrcive acts performed BY enc o. mum,
Der Of persons up n the body o. bodies o' others,
would have he effect OF reducing those Others 10
4 stare Of sia"efy; or, in oihef words, y Saasc-
lion 10 The will and disposition OF NJ person OF
persons exe,ci.in2 thee corrcive acr", a"oa'l'ug
u III maaici2a Laws q ird''iila na'ions aud
ne s.Gc.ioa III International aw9
IA these questions were !nus ably discusses,
upou legal puili:a! an philosophical grounds,
2 ad syen'ua,et ~ lie CONVICTION Il every one,
t.a,, Notwithstanding he Icilned ScasioIliles Of
the prsseLt times >iavc,y men was, aGG always
had been, ! cal and ac'ual condition ol man,
a. deGuced from all liz preceding authoritative
,e1's Thc clsuse in h. cnnsli u'ion which ~
,horizcs the passage o. the bill from which h
fiteguing sections ar ahcn. is in The following
wor's
"'The migration a. i,nrn, alton o. snch per
sons as any u nc ;laic' now eSis M shall lhink
sarorer 10 admit, shall no, BE- prohibited by the
.eish'; bar lax or day NAV b. imposed on such
importation, not exceeding len dollars for each
person.
"Fhe preceding part Of the 4lh section having
in,erdiced The Importation OF slaves into The U.
States, concludes AS fellows:
"'And neither the importer, nor any person OF
persons claiming from or under him, Shall hold
ANY RICH, or Tile whatsoever 10 any negro, mn
latto or person Of col r, dor 10 the service u H.
II 30 rtal hrAp "a
'whn lie United S'a'es or Territories thereof, il
vio!aion ol lai, 'aw; hu the same shall REMAIN
Subject Il auy regulations no, contracting Inc
provisions Of III aci. which he legislatures .;
tae several State. or IrIitgtcS a, aRy tine fhcrs
later may make for dtp'sta@ ~ any sAsa rs2To,
mnl2tt0 NJ p:1s0B 81 cot"r.
Tine fist pau OF iui> clause goes 10 declare,
that neither the impirtcr, sc, shall hold any
right or r,'e TO any nesru &'., who :3aY be in
ported ~ ,roaaht Sth'n thr Un,iei S'ars "r lei
ti,uti-s lhe,c.i 10 Y, lstu:. 4 this law Hefe
s,aps HE jntis lic,iun i; II. Uni cd States under
| he foregoing clause II h. Constitution i; docs
not pretend 10 exercise any :risftctiun Whatever
over the person .: las negro &c, bai il hen pro.
ceeis v,caal!y d,,ciaim al rishi 10 sucn Jur',
diciion, aad virtually 10 declare lh.! snch
III s3iclioa is in re S'GtsS and Tenn.
lies wi;hln whose linus sucn negro, &c, may
be Brought respective :. The words are, 'hut
',he same shall RFM,r. subject 10 any rcgula-
'lions no, coutrayeuuE tie provisions Of th,
act, lciich the legislatures IF T. scrersl Stat's
or 1er ito,ieS, NJ airy i'm hereafter mag moks
for disposiug IF any such negro, m"ianO. or p r
san 7 cy0r.' THIS clause contains u virtual
disclaimer of jurisdiction on the part II the
Uated States, and declaration that The same
shall REMAIN subject 10 any regulations not
'coniravenlng the provisions Of this act, which
the Legislatures IF the secera' states or Terri
'tories at any time hersgftsr may mafe' g.
Here then it will be scea that the jurisdiction
over persons is declared o b. in the Lcgi iaturts
as well rs of the States; TO be exercised not
merely now, bu. al any dme he.eaf,er, at their
own discreton.' (Tnc Italics in this extract
are all Mr.. Gilcss.)
Aud in this same connection permit nc 10 say
that Mr.. Adams, whose death has created .uch
sensation IN Tie country, was N the Senate at
the time and took an active part III all these
proceedings