Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-08-24
For the Enquirer.
FREE so1LISM N THE SOUTH.
Congress has the power abolish slavery 10 ..s

u
other qualification. Aout as good on ans"s.
ser,ion, and 10 demaa the proof. Inc P' ~
camel be found in the Cons,itution-and II Inc
mower is not thare gen, Congress nds :" w.
il cannot be found thre-but clause oau
found ia that inslrment-u clause 100 oi.eu
forgotten in comprmises ke Inc n,s.o.a'
.Comoromise-and rskessly disregardea oy Po-
lticians like Col. Bnlon; who, 10 gra,ly ps'
sonal yani;y-promoe personal agranu,Zsnen.'
kill off a political 'aemy, or accomplish au5
selfish purpose, are YER ready TO bury LUG oo,
cations of The Constitution under former usul'
palions, and TO make acts Of Congrtss, unau.no,
rized By the Constitution, paramount 10 Ut P'A''
of the Consttutionitself. ~.
Article 10, of lib amendments to 'ne ' Hun.
stitution is in these oft forgotten WORDS t nS
powers not delegasd 10 the United STATES "
the Constitution, ior prohibited BY II 70 .ho
States, are rese,Nd 10 the States respectively
or 10 the people" 49,. -
Where, in thai article or section, iine y.
sylable of the Constitution, can the Tree so,'1i'
of the North or tie South find the power ue.?
gated TO the Unild States, to abolish or prom
bi. slavery in the .erritoriesi Fher.?
The last CLAUSE of Art. OF the amenulne .I
to the Constitution is in these WORDS: no W.
shall private property be taken Tor PUBIC USE
without just compensation" ,
Are slaves private property Coi. ben'u,,
admits that they are. If Congress cahno' .aA'
them, even "for public use. without just compen,
sation'-how can they be taken, or the risnt OF
property in them be abrogated, without Tue
preience Of "puhlic use'' or a little oil power
delegated TO the United States by the Constr
tuiion!"
Col. Benton charges Mr. Calhoun with "pro
found error" in conlending for the right IN "lhe
citizens of the slave States 10 remove 10 Ne"
Mexico and California with their slave proper
w." "the property, ne maintains, sis the ia"
which creates it and t1at law cannot be carried
an inch beyond the State which enacis ii"
Now, here, charge Colonel Benton, not only
with "profouud error" bu, glarng inconsls
tclcy dangerous heresy, and reachery to Inc
South. prove it from his own lips. AT Pag.
80 of his speech at Jefferson City, no takes
credit 10 himself Tor backing MIR Calhoun in hi:
efforts to get redress for the "cnormities' per
petraed by the Britph authorities in the Baha
ma Islands, in ibrating american slaves
who had revol,cd against their owners, com
mitled murder and piracy, and carried theiI
masters vessels into British ports.'
Here he acknowld Ses the right OF property
in slaves, not only IN the high seas, but IN lht
domiuions of forign power. At the samt
page Of tho same speech, he rebukes MIR Cal
houn for abandoning The South, in leaving hiu
(Col b. sand few others alone BY the SIDE
of the Inflated ownsrs Of the Comet, Encoml-
um, Creole Enlcrprze and others and he ha'
the efrontery 10 rcer 10 his speech against tn
Ashburton treaty, in which he not only contends
for the right Of property in slaves on The higl
seas, and in foreign dominiuns--p That GU
government, with the concurrence OF North ant
South, has compelled Great Britain 10 acknoW
ledge that right ard make reparation TO slave
holders for slaves who have escaped from th'
seas, and gained refuge in her dominons bu
in tones of indignation, he denouDces The treat.
and all who approved il, as playing into IN
hands oil Abolition plottcrs, foreign and domes
tic. And yei, with face Of brass, no now assert
that the right of property in slaves, does no
extend ian inch beyond The boundary line o
the State which creates it."
The Jefferson City free soil speech is tissu
of imposlure and incendaryism. The right
property in slaves existed before the formation
of either State or Federal Constitutions. 1t /
Recognized and guaranteed by our Constitutions
but was not created BY them. 1t is an lmpostur
then 10 talk about This right, as being create'
by State lass-and it is a gross usurpallon Il
abiosate il or NEEDLE with it, unless in the
ercise of sovereign power in STATE. II exist
everywhere in The United States, unless 10 IN
non slaveholding States, which have oy soye
reign authority excluded t-and even hlre, 10
right exists and is guaranteed oy the federa
Constitution, in regard to runaway slaves cs
Gaming from the service of their masters.
exists in the territories, as much as does In
right of property in merchandise, or any house
hold charel-and Congress, repeat, has q
power delegated 10 it, TO abroSale it. II IS
dangerous assumption 10 derive the power Il
abolish slavery in the territories, from lh'
clause OF the Constitution which declares tina
",he Congress shall have power to dispose oil an
make all needul rules and regulations respec'
ting The territory and other property OF The Y
SAFES" The power 10 make such ''neediul rule
and regulations respecting territory AMI otae
y opsytv oftie United States" cannot honestly b
construed into the power o! unlimited lesislatio
over the persons and private properly oil clIzen
in the territories. A more hagrant usurpalIo
has never been perpelrated than that which dare
10 destroy The rights oil property in slaves
ANYTHING else usually considered property IN IN
territories. repea, that no such power Is grant
ed in the Constitution, and the Southern ma
who would assume il or justify its exercise IS
traitor 10 the South, an enemy 10 the peace an
harmony OF the Union, and 10 the equal and II
alienable rights OF The people. Ten thousand ac'
of Congress cannot divest The assumption an
exercise OF such power oil lis true characteI
that OF usurpaton.
The friends OF The Constitution, as ii is wri
ten, OF the Union and rights OF The States and
porular rights, must resolulely array themselve
against compromises not authorized by The Cor
sliulion. Sound Republicans, under The pres
sure of supposed difficulties and dangers, haV
too often yielded their scrupes ana sanclor
ed or acquesced in usurpalions for The sake
peace. lnslead of geIling peace they have loun
ELL. demanded Tor every inch yielded. In sane
lioning one usurpation, though under me Id
name OF compromise, though under Inc lar pre-
.ence of preserving public peace ana saie'y
though under solemn proIcsaions against mai
ing such assumptions prectden's, lney nave
after times found themselves gagged WheneVe
they have al,emptd 10 resist similar hsnrPauoh
Their acouiestence in one instance IS InVarlabl
regarded as n rcfutation OF all arguments again:
rendition of The usu.paton, and thus The Con
s,i,u,ion is becoming dead letter and the cor
scienlicu, Republican, who pleads by s'ricI an
honest construction OF il, is borne down win cue
precedenls sanctioned by names aud authorize
OF high fame ia The annals OF the country.
People of tn. South bring back your pnoIl
servants TO the Constitution as ii is. You hav
acouiesced in the Missouri compromise; 70
have acicd in good faith in It's observance Ca
you lolera,e-wil you honor and reward publ
men who insult you aid demand surrender
your equal rights in all oil The territories Of me I
States, because you have already, for the sake
peace, in The Missouri compromise, snfrendere
your rights as shareholders in the immense al
fertile regions North OF latitude SO degrees an
80 minues7 What ought 10 be The measure {
YOUR condemnation OF Southern politicians, WIN
barter for popularity with your Northern assai
ants, making your rights an exchanseable CON
modify for Northern voles7 Bring Them back
the Cons tuition as il was handed down 10 n;
bring them down from their high places, an
swear in yonr hearts that you will nei'he
compromise with nor tolerate any ma
who conlends for The POKER in Congress
exclude you from an equal participation wit
citizens OF other States, IN The right 10 settle vi
disturbed in your rights OF property, in our newl
acquired territory.