Southern patriot. (Houston, Chickasaw County, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1849-08-29
Note TO Gen Foote'S, letter
TO Hon. Henry A. Wise.

i : ~ o ~ AStt~AB VIII UUoEIAG llluL
l have not entered atall upon the dis.
lcusslon Of the constitutional cues.
ton involved in the Wilmot Proyiso
ltwould have been aside from the oh.
lJect which ! had Immediately in view
TO have done so. Besides, have been
for some time Of opinion that the time
had gone by for mere argument in
reference to a point upon which so
many powerful speeches have been
made in and out OF Congress. A
man who has read Mr.. Pinknevs great
speech on the Missouri question Gen
Cass' Nicholson letter, and the spec.
ches Of Mr.. BeTien, of Georgia, at
the two last sessions Of Congress. &
yet suppose Congress to have consti-
Itutional authority to legislate upon
the subject Of slavery anywhere, eli
Their in States territories, or in the
District of Columbia, either directly
or indirectly, must be a madman. If
there were no other fact connected
with the question which might serve
to convince an m1reiudiued mind
that it was not designed bv the fra.
.mers Of the constitution to allow Con.
.gress 10 mtermeddle with slavery
anywhere, it would be sufficient if
seams to me, TO show that the con.
stitutiOn would not have been estab-
hshet without the fullest guarantees
upon this whole subject; 10 have IL
proved to be not only true that the.
constitution would not have been.
agreed to and ratified without these
guarantees. but that it would not have
been made, or ratified, unless the
states had been allowed to import
additional slaves from the coast of
Africa, TO be protected in the same
way and TO the same extent, as those
that were here at the period of the
adoption Of that sacred instrument
Those who will read Mr.. Madison's
account Of the debates in the federal
convention touching these matters,
will find the facts alluded to mot con.
clusivly established, Twill here. for
the advantage Of those who have no
opportunity Of examining Mr.. Mad. |
lson's writings, append a few extract
from his account Of conventional de. !
bates, vouching most solemnly for
the accuracy Of the quotations.
Mr. Patterson. He could regard
negro slaves in no light but as prop, |
erty."
Mr.. King said eleven out the thir.I
teen states had agreed to consider
slaves in the apportionment of taxa.
tion' and taxation and representation
ought TO 60 together"
In the debate upon the proposition
to allow the southern States represen.
tatlves on account of their slaves. inI
order more e0cctually to guard their
right Of property in them.
GOuvoneur Morris said: There
can be no end of demands for securl.
-y if every peculiar interest is 10 be
entitled TO it, The eastern States
may claim It for their fishery. and for
1ther objects"
To this Mr.. Butler of South Caro-.
ina replied! The security the SOUTH
I'm people want is that their negroes
nay not be taken from them, which
iome gentlemen within or without
ioors have a good mind to do"
Mr.. Gouvemeur Morris, speakingI
IF the part of the constitution guaran,
wing slavery to the southern States
md allowing them 10 20 on impor-
ing from Africa, said: The adj
mission Of slaves into the represen-
alton, when fairly explained, comes !
o this: That the inhabitants Of Cteor. I
yia and South Carolina who 20 10 the
coast of Africa" &c, shall have
more votes in government institu-
ed for the protection of the rights {
If mankind than the citizens of Penn.
ylvania or New Jersey" sc. q
"lle would add, that domestic slsv- q
ny is the most prominent feature in J
he arisiocratic countcnance of the )
constitution. \
$3.50 And what is the uropos. !
ID compensation to The northern b
tates?' &c. They are TO bind a
themselves TO march their militia for /
he defence Of the southern States. /" I
&c. "On the other side, the south. a
I'm states are not to be restrained
rom importing fresh supplies of
rrciched Africans, at once 10 increase J
he danger Of attack and the diflicultyIl
u defence: nav they are to be en- /
outraged to il by having their votes
p 'he n2loa1l goy,.uM,u. increased