The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-01


slavery before il had been abolished by these Sates'
thus establishing in their very midst citadel from which
ncendiary missiles could be hurled threatening them
with danger not destruction And thus was the faith
Of the United States implicitly pledged to the States OF
Virginia and MARYLAND that il would not disturb the
institution of slavery In this District long as should
exist in those two States This pledge, in our view,
as binding as i, would be if ii were stipulation in
treaty, or an expressed provision in the constitution it
self Therefore, in our Judgment Justice and sound poll
cy require thai Congress should stand upon the ground
of non Intervention so far this District is concerned
And now with regard to slavery in the territories. 1t
should never be forgotten that this republic is epnfsds-
raey Of sovereign States possessing eo-eqd rights Un-
der the constitutions Massachusetts possesses the same
rights as Virginia, and Virginia Massachusetts,. One
State or portion of the States pervert the pow
ers OF the constitution, make OF the legislative,
judicial or executive agencies of the government which
establishes, to injure another State, any number
of States They all stand, under the constitution,
upon the same common ground OF equality They
are all entitled TO enjoy the common benefits OF the
Union and all required TO share its common bur
dens When the interests OF the whole require that
war should be waged against another nation or pow
er, each State is required TO- bear its equal share
of the common burdens and sacrifices which war i'm
poses and demands Each State is required contribute
due proportion OF its money and It's blood, and each
should be permitted to share the common benefits which
result from war, if any do result If money, in the shape
of ndemnfcaton is acquired with victory, goes into
the general treasury for the equal benefit of all Or if
territory should be conquered, it seems to that justice
demands that all the States should enjoy it equally.
If there were no difference in the institutions of the
respective States of the conederacy, there could be
serious difference with regard to the in which
conquered territory should be disposed Of But, unfor
tunatey, there is a difference.
In part of the States the institution of slavery exists
and in part it does not The former claim the right to
carry their institutions and whatever they regard prop
erty into the territory of the whole; and the
others insist that that particular institution, and the par
tcular property which it recognises, shall not be intro
duced into theircommon territory. AS this is not only
conflict of alleged right but of pride also serious dangers
threaten TO flow from it, and to disturb the peace and
permanency of the Union. Now, in such state of
things what is the dictate OF patriotism and wisdom
1t is to avoid the dispute, by agreeing to common
ground on which all stand We propose the ground
of NoN-INTERvENTIoN; by which we mean that Congress
shall abstain from all legislation relation to the subject
Of Slavery the territories; leauing it to the people
of the territories themselves to make the necessary proui
sion for their eventual admission into the Union and to
regulate their internal concerns in their ,cay
This position is in accordance with the great funda
mental principle upon which all free government is
founded, viz the right of the people to establish the po
litical institutions by which they shall be governed 1t
is the principle proclaimed in the Declaration of indie
pcndence, and recognised in the constitution of every
State in the Union. is the great American principle of
liberty And il is the enjoyment of this principle which
would secure to the citizens OF the territories
acquired from Mexico; and if they, either of them,
should apply to Congress for admission sovereign
States into the Union with free constitution, say
admit them. If they with constitutions establish
ing slavery, should say the same, just would
insist that Congress should not compel the people of
Massachusetts, establish slavery, the people of vr-
ginia to abolish it.
This doctrine leaves the whole question of slavery in
the territories open to the courts of the United
States, to be determined according 10 the constitution
and the laws of nations 1t will aay the angry
preudces and passions which have been engeudered in
the minds of the people inhabtng the slavehodng
and savehodng States, and restore harmony and peace
among them And it tON furnish a common ground on
uc"oS'utJ
The States 1t does not attack the rights njure the
pride, condemn the opinions prejudces, of any
portion of the Union upon the subject of slavery 1t is
in humble judgment, the generous, the orbearing
and the patriotic ground on which all and should
rally and unite.
As the conductors of public journal which is the
sole organ at the seat of government of great ma
tonal party embracing difference of opinion upon this
subject, shall stand upon this common ground
It is the ground assumed by the democratic party at
the Baltimore Convention in 1s4O 1t was again sane
toned by the democratic party at the Baltimore Conven
ton in 1884, 1t inscribed on its banners in the last
presidential campaign. and affords platform on
which all true patriots and the friends of the Union can
and ought to stand 1t respects the guarantees of the
constitution, without which it could not have been
formed, and without which the Union cannot be pre-
served whilst it admits the great principle at the basis of
all popular bertyhe right of people TO prescribe their
institutions.
With these views, consider duty, with all re-
spect to the opinions of others, but with all rmness and
moderation to urge that Congress refrain from all in
reference with it, either directly or indirectly, and
leave the whole subject to the legislation of those
~L.u- .xA--