Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-09-29
RICHMOND,
!, eancs,lav Morning, soptembe. 81, ls4s.
GEN CAss' NICHOLSON LEt shR.

II is stated by The Times 10 the telio"ihs ~o'us'
Gen. Cas- discusses the question Of Jntisl'c-
lion over slave in the territories, a. 4ues',on
m issue between Congress and me acSuai '"""
bi..u>, without giving The siish'es' con- ius,
ion 10 thc ground upon whIch me SCUM u'>Pu.s
the cun>liluIonaliy o; the " iih"t nv ~ 80
MAI !, wDu,i a.nr;ge the people q the Southern
SAFES ol enjoying Inc common proper ~ -.
Union On ou.l terms win the peope OF he NORM.
And re-. as "a SOUTHERN MAN shows, by ciuns
a massage of the Nicholson ieuer that mas hos
before attracted general attention, the nature ol
the Southern argument was no; misuhuels'o'u
by Gen. Cas-"
Now, we cheerully admit tina, in the portion
OF his letter in which "Geu. Cas- discusses me
question OF jurisdieioa over slavery IN Inc tef'-
turies,' he considers it as in:olsing al issue
between Congress aud The aetna! inhabitants q
people OF the territories onlu. II was fis"' '"''
proper he should do SO; because there can W ~
other party, than Congress or The people u Wv
territories, who can pretend TO any cid'n " '''a'
jurisdiction is, the right to pass laws 's"'
laling slavery there. Surely the STATES cd""o'
pretend, as no, one OF them IN TACT mas ever P'e'
tended, that they can claim any 3uTtsaaet~"
over slavery in the territories" OF The Union
EouCH Il Gidlu NUulu P''N>''S'
State certainly could claim the Jurisdict'o~ ior
itself alone. II The claim were established, II
mus, belong equally 10 all he States, ana IN n an
the laws OF all the States would prevail Al 'ie
same time in each and all The territories, though
those laws are nearly al different and some OF
them directly contradictory. For instance, the
laws OF Virginia and Massachusetts, on this very
matter oil slavery, must in that case, both prevail
in California, for example, al the same time,
though the Virginia law directly recognises slave
~ and the Massachusetts Ia 10 a'roc'ly i"'
rms would make confusion worse coniounaea
in California, and the people had much better be
without law than attempt 10 live under lnese ''it-
ferenl and conflicting statutes, which would pat-
don and punish them al the same time Tor The
very same act. Blu no one, we presume, ever
dreamed that the States had any claim 10 this
1urlsd,ct,on nor do We suppose that elher 'hr
Times or its correspondent intended 10 assert
il, though il is difficult oiherioise, to under
stand this part oil their complaint again>, Geoe-
raj Cass. In the nature OF things The JIrlsd@
iDn over slavery in The territories" mus
belong either 10 the "aclual inhabitants" there, or
10 Congress" SO far then, this new discovery
amounts only 10 this; that in this admirably con-
else, lucid and able letter, Gen. Cass, "in discus
sing the question OF jurtsdiction over slavery IN
me territories" confines himself 10 the consdera-
ton of the rights OF the only Two parties namely,
Congress and The People there, who have any
prelence Of right TO thar jurisdiction. The Tunes
and lis correspondent may think This wrong; out
we cannot doubt tina, every one else will consid-
er il ve.y high compliment TO Gen. Cass and
MS euer-and not undeserved. though doubtless
not Intended. Ii they will examine The letter
little more, we should not be surprised II they
found reasons 10 pay it, however reluctantly, Still
higher compliments
But the important part OF this new discovery
doubtless is, that General Cass, in his view Of
this question of Jurisdiction does not give "the
slightest consideration" 10 the Southern argu'
ment'' against ''the constitutionality of The vii
mot Proyiso" though it was obviously mot mis-
understood by'' him. Now suppose admit
this, and what does it amount io' Why, only
that General Cas- in the view he takes Of the
power of Congress over slavery, as II affects the
''constitutionality of the " ilmot Proviso,"
), i
.-,.., =,
that neither the Times nor its correspondent
;.
does understand ill., IL is not stated, nor can il
be pretended, that he does not consider The vii.
iho' 'o'''o A".o"'"''
'uo ''''' 'se" -
le'ei . ~ SUI" '''' ~. '''"'''"' - ~
slso oy congress wouiu NC an infringement "
''o iis"''' no y wy f>'f' " w
o.''.' - = -
ne
jas -
VIC '''''o'''S - ''o 80 - : = =
Jfi"ge l'o>e " '''e pcoP'e VI 'he se'e'a'
states anu no Que e'e' Hea'u 'ha' '"e ~"
NOT Ffor'" was 20 DC enacted os any oouy
except bg congress. II 50. lhen uehera'
Cas-, IN demonstrating that tins Proviso would
infringe the r'.his Of those inhabitants, must
consider II unconstitutional. lie thus, It is ad
,nited, comes to Tie same !, ,cl,Hioa that the
South has come 10 about the ,Yilmot Proyiso:
and the charge IS, that he come. 10 il by dif
.,rent proce.; of reasoning; in other words he
maintain. ,,,. Southern conclusion. w,,hou, ns;nr
the e.Sou,hern argumegtn If ,h,s were so
,uph, we Ia fla, f,ult with il, Surely II would
he rather .>,rsyagant TO require General Cass.
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49,.
.o"''"'''"'
ior suggesting - ''''" = Nv '1u "s'' 'u' ''o
one, Tor now we nave TWO conclusive reasons
Tor the same opimoa'
Bui, as VIZ naue'S'aha NE matter zen Cass no
only c'nc"rs IN me southern cooc'os'oh OUT nc
does >uhS'an iiii. use the "S6hffcTn arghRicHf