Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-01-17

nate by its legislation against the cizens Of sos..
o the States and in favor OF others, SO far al .th
privileges and immunities'' Of citizenship ar. 49,.
cerned IL could not declare that the people of Viy
Sina Should, as citznns OF the territories be emf;
lied to hold slaves, whilst The people of Massachu
se''s were forbidden to hold them but it is Connie
tent for it TO pass all Legislative acts affsc,;n IL
rights ct persons and the rights of property ,sr,v
ded those acts operate alike the citizens Of IN IN.
States, when they come into tho territories ff(.o..
greSs were 10 pass the Wmot Proviso il woili1n..
clare simply that there should be no such 1juht -
property IN the territories the right of one man
~ "Od another 10 service against his consent Thie
Mo",G apply To citizens from all the States-thers
would he no discrimination. Compress MIGHT DE-.
care mat MASTER should, upon going into The ter
i,"ies rose ms control over his apprentice-tb.e
mere shouid be no such relation as master and an
Pren'ce IN The terrltories.-Provided such law. A..
made 10 apply to all who come, they are within IA.
potccr OF Congress, however unjust upeou,I =, -
eXpedent they may be.
MT. > ,hen argued TO prove that the resolutions
! pledged Virginia To dissolve the Unon-to reals.
the Federal GuveTnuien:-n case the Wilmo, Pro-
vlSo Is adopted by COngress--to" dsfermin,d r..;.
lance al all h0sdrds and TO The last crtre,o;t,, -
Mr. Speaker, said he, let us pause for one u.
ment and ask ourselves the question, "were wa
sent here Tor any such purpose What right have
we I" make any such pledge for our Constituency
A pledge To do what! To uplift the standard of re-
4
ment-to tear down the pillars Of the Union--,o
light at the affairs IF liberty The torch ofcivil war
Una our constituents def gate To us the power 10
make such pledge Cam we-dore we make ri
Attend Mr.. Speaker, To the phraseolugy of tho 3rd
restitution: il directs that in tie event Of the ms
sage ct the Wimot proviso during the recess of tho
General Assembly Tho GGreymor of the Common.
wealth shall call US together consider Of ,he mode
and measure Of redress. "-JFe, in our wisdom dj-
rec. the Governor 10 call us-not the people can
us, to consider of the mode and measure Of redress
| What right have we then 10 precipa,e tho peopIe
INTO Tits iearul1nstiun2 Again, how shall we re-
deem this pledge of resistance? Shall we nuilify
the law of Congress No: this We cannot do. no
cause II IS not 10 be executed in BORDERS Shall
we order the drum and The fife to s,nnd the anrn,
"i waE-io beat up t'r troops to march to Califur-
MIA ! Shall we order the public guard 10 take nm
lis march for The of war2 1t is laaphable 10
speak Of resistance by iurce the execution of the
law. Shall we secede from the Uniuh set IN fur
ourselves and proclaim Virginia an independent Re-
public God forbid tina! such madness should como
l upon us.
Again, said Mr. s., for whit practical GOOD shall,
the representatives of Virginia assume this fearful
responsibility Can slavery ever exist in these
Territories All men Ut all parties say il cannot
Mr.. Buchanan says lit is impossible to legislate
slavery into existence in these territories'-AIr
Walker agrees with him: General Cass declared
the thing. Who has denied or conrroy sIted
the truth of these declarations Yet we are to
pledge our constituents 10 resist at all hazard, law
which will prohibit the existence of slavery wheT,
slavery can never exist. Again. said he, the South,
with almost perfect unanimty, agree 10 the Com
promise bill of the Senate. What were the pro-
Visions of that bill! Ii provided that neither Con
gress nor the territorial legislature should legslats
on The subject Of slaveryt reserved the question
for the Supreme Court To decide whether tho mas
| Ter could carry his slave into the territory. Tho
existing laws of the territories prohibit slavery
/ q I've NJ nd tIo
question Tor the Supreme Court TO decide was
whether those laws continued in force. That oues-
ton The Supreme Court had already decided that
is to say, that the munich pal laws OF conquered or
ceGed territory remain in force ill repealed or mod
ted Dy the Conqueror. The Senate bill, then,
was a concession of the utter immaterial of the
whole CUES on.-ln ,his bill the entire Democratic
party and a large portion Of the Wing party oG the
South acouiesced.
Friday the 18th, Mr. Scott resumed his arpu-
4 nent. can give you sketch no idea of his
great effort to-day. never heard such speech
! from any nan--so Overwhelming i'll arguIrent-so
thTIiihS III eioquriicc-SJ 8 'eInn III its lone Hia
eulogy upon lie Union-hs picture of the future,
II The threat OF these resolutions were carried into
! eliecI--Oi tho woes unuierabe lha. would follow
/ the fatal blow at the Union, wa enough 10 appal
! The si"ulest heart. Would that could give YOU
an IDEA OF the effect produced the House by the
following sentences. .'Glve me good cause Mr.
Speaker-one that my judgment and conscience
aPPioFeS ana N1iiSl cldlIn no more than the Ordi-
nary degree OF physical ruurage, could strike till
death palsled my powers of resistance but put a
sword INTO my hands in doubtful cause To strike
death blow at the Union, and the memories of the
past would unnerve me-the shade of Washington.
stern yet bengnant IN lis majesty would rise before
me-ihe glIiiering steel would fall fru,n my hand
and tfemongly would fall on my knees md thank
God was saved from striking the parricdal blow"
FEARS stood In the eyes of many, even of these who
will be forced To do what they dIsapproye, that TO-
vote fur the resolution.
Mr.. >. demonstrated that if the hour OF strife
came on this question, ii would find Virrinans
themselves divlded-first upon the question Of Con
Sii'nlona power; bu' secondly especially up
ON The eNpediency oi resistance ON an abstraction
Fathers woulG stand in hostile array against their
suns-brotheTs against brothers, and the demon Of
intestine war would wave his bloody hand over tho
land.
Again he demonstrated tina. the object of the res
olnons was 10 tlrce slavery the people Of Cali
iorhla and New Mexico against every opinion the
people ol those territories had thus far expressed on
The sutDec-. " not, why this excitement? He
knrw that from her infancy Virginia had opposed
The extension o! slavery--that in the preamble To
her Constitution she charged il as one of The acts Of
"a detesiabie and imsnpportable tyranny - on the
par; Of The King Of Eng land, that he had "by an
u"tumnn use Of his negative refused her permissin5
To exclude by law" the Introduction of slaves into
her BORDERS. have thus Civ zen you an idea of soma
only Of the points in this great speech X
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ron The sTkUNroS srEcrAror