The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-05
The slavery Quest,on.

The Slavery Question.
The following communication is from personal friend
and western democrat, whom we highly esteem; bn,
he must excuse for saying that whilst duly appre
cate the compliment which he pays to our heart and
head yet we can plead guilty to no " error" which
have committed this delicate and embarrassing sub
iect We have considered what it duty to say
and have marched on, fearless of consequencespas
present, to come We friend that
though never refuse advice and that frequently
seek it from who qualified to give it, yet we
generally make it rule to follow opinion We
shall continue to do The press would indeed be as
empty brass or tnkng cymbal, if it refused to speak
its honest sentiments subjects which concern the
dearest interests of great republic.
Wherein have we offended! We pass over the cr-
csm which correspondent makes upon the laying of
Mr. Gddngs's resolution upon the table. We certainly
never meant to brand any man who voted against it
with being the friend of ''negro suffrage" But we
regret to find that "a Native of Pennsylvania only voted
against laying the table for the purpose of correcting
it in feature, instead of voting it down in every
respect No good can come from any agitation of such
understanding but mischief The best way is to let
the question rest forever in public councils, and to
leave it to time to soften and reform our institutions
Leave it to the citizens Of the District 10 the State of
Maryland and those Of the South, to in this mat
ter, and everything will smoothly
and fortunately The same advice might be prop
erly extended to every northern and western man
who attempts to NEEDLE with the question OF sa-
very in the States. The fanatics have counteracted
their designs by their meddlesome interference.
Some years since we know that movements ma
king in Virginia to promote the gradual abolition of
slavery. The freely and boldly discussed
in the Legislature. But the abotionists of the North
came down upon the South like Infatuated wolves-sen
their mischevous missionaries stir up the slavcsscat
tered their rebrand publications through the mails and
produced much excitement that thu discussion ceased
amid the Indignation which was excited against the
northern agtaors Men afraid of being COMPOUNDED
with these ncendiares, and reaction commenced, and
the whole movement arrested The South has tight
demand every possible orbearance the part of the
other sections Leave it to mc leave to the prog
of this enlightened age, apply the proper
AT all events leave it to those only who may be less for
tunate than their northern brethren, manage their own
affairs in their way. What do these agt ators know
of the real condition of the saves' Have they visited
the South' They have been grossly deceived by the cx
aggerated pictures which have been drawn of the yran
ny of masters and the misery OF the slaves. What will
become of the slaves if emancpaed at once' Are the
agators acquainted with the disease Can they supply
the proper remedy! Have they forgotten the warnings
which even Mr. Jefferson gave this subject, in his
letter to John Holmes in April. $780, during the violence
OF the Missouri controversy Here they
81 can say, with TRUTH there is
earth who would sacrifice than would to relieve
from this heavy reproach, in any practicable The
cesson of that kind of poperyor it is misnamcd-is
bagaele which would not cost second thought II,
in that way, general emancipation and erpatriatio"
be and and\y ~
think it might be- But as it is, have the wolf by the
ears, and neither hold him. safely let him 60
Justice is in scale, and seltpeservation in tue other
or thing ccrtainhat as The passage OF slaves
from State another would make slave Of sim
gle human being who would be so whoutit II, so their
diffusion surface would make them ndVid-
uay happier, and proportionay facilitate the accomplish
ment Of their emancipation by dividing the burden on
greater number of coadutos An abstinence too from thus
act of power would remove the jealousy excited by tho
undertaking of Congress regulate the condition OF tho
different descriptions of men composing State IhIs
certainly is tho exclusive right of State, which moth
ing in the constitution has taken rom them and given to
general government Gould Congress, for example, say
that the reemea OF Connecticut shall be ffeemen, or
that they shall not emgrate any other State regret
that die in the belief that the useless sacrifice
of themselves by the generation OF I776, acquire self
government and happiness their country is be thrown
away by the unwc and unworthy passions OF their sons
and that my OILY consolation is be- that live weep
it, they rould but dspassionGv neigh the blessings
they ,cM hroW array against abstract principle mos
pause before they ood rpera.e this act of suicide on
them setrs and Of treason against The hopes Of The ,od"
This rcbuke is fit reply to those who agita-
ting the Territorial question and the question of slavery
in the District of Columbia The last should be
written has been lately said in etters of god, and
placed the halls Of Congress- and it should be writ
ten the heart of every who loves the Union OF
his country.
We shall present discuss the question Of slavery
in the District Years ago protested against any in
reference with it. Years ago the agitation
which it would produce. We begged northern
brethren ''touch Saguntum." But the southern
States, from whose bosom this territory has been TAKEN
and which carried with it their institutions, have
stronger claims upon it than the Romans had upon the
neutrality of Sasunum We will not discuss the sub
iect but cannot forbear quoting the following extract
from long editorial article which appears in the last
New York Courier and Enquirer Ii carries the more
force with it, because the article presents strong excep
tons to the course of the southern members on the
constitutional question: the article takes debaiaDie groahu
..To us nothing can clearer than that, under the con-
stu,ion the power to abolish slavery in the District Oh
1 Columbia is vested Congress. But II is equally mani
st mat when the District cedcd to the general gov
eminent the operation OF this power was not ioreseeh'
and the possibility of being exercised never O
momep, entertained by either the States or the geneA
government This is conceded by all For Congress- '
lore to exercise a power thus accidentally ootaned
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