Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-02-02

ACQUIRED, combined with otner causes III Son
slant operation, tends inevitably 10 the removal
of this constitutional impeachment. Sererai OF
the States of this Union are in trans'lion
stale, from the condition of slavehoding 10 tnat
| OF Dou-slavehoiding States When that cnange
shall have been accomplished, and they snaii
have taken their position among the non siase-
holding States, and when TO these are aodeo Tue
! new States to be formed out Of territories now
or hereafter to be acquired, the aggregate WIN
constitute the requisite majority OF States 10
remove the constitutional impediment to an in
reference with slavery in the States. And how
can thew abstain from the exercise OF The power
which they will thu, have acquired consistently
with principles avowed and acted upon al ihls
moment 10 the full extent of their capacity 10
enforce them} Can the people of the South De
insensbe to the danger which thus menaces
| their own peculiar and cherished instltulionsf
| Ought no, the sound intelligence and conserva'
tive feeling of the American people IN every
norton of the Union, alike Independent oil anu
superior 10 party or sectional divisions, 10 Do
exerted 10 avert tl
II remains 10 present to you bllet view OF d
series OF measures inlro iuced into The repfeseh-
taliye branch OF Congress during The present ses
siop. ami connected with the subject oil lnis au-
dress The first OF these is resolution in'lo-
| duced by a member from Massachusetts, the oo'
iect of which is 10 repeal all acts or paris OF acls
which authorize the existence OF slavery, OF Oh
selling or disposins o, slaves, IN inns Dls'''cI-
| On the question OF granting leave 10 oilns ~ d
| bill, the yu!es stood 50 Tor and o. against T.
The next was a resolution offered D. MEMBER
from Ohio, insHucing the COMMITTEE on lfiiho-
ries 10 report forthwith bills Tor excluding slave
nv from New Mexico and California. |! passed
BY vote oil IO7 TO so; and the bill has been since
| reported. Tina, was followed by BIZ introduced
| by another member from Ohio 10 lake The votes
of The inhabitants OF this District, whether slave
nv within lis limits should b. abolished. Inc
| bill provided, according 10 The admission Of the
| mover, that free negroes and slaves should vote
On The question 10 lay the bill on The table, he
votes stood LOG Tor, and 70 against The notion
| To this succeeded the resolution proposed by
member from New York, in the following
words "Whereas, The traffic now prosecuted IN
this metropolis 81 the republic 10 human beings
as chauels, is contrary 10 natural Juslice ana
the Iunda mental principles OF our pol'lical sys-
ten, and is VIGOROUSLY reproach 10 or connry
throughout Chrstendom, and serious him
drance TO The progress OF republican liberty amcng
the nations OF the earth = Therefore, Res0tpcd,
That the Committee on The District be Instructed
10 report BILL as soon as practicable, prohibit.
ing The slave trade in said District" On The
question OF adopting the resolution, the votes stood
95 for. and So against il. He was followed by
member from illinois, who offered resolution
for abulishng slavery in the territories, and all
places where Congress has exclusive power oil
legislation; that is, in all forts, magazines, arse
mails dock yards, and other needtul buildings puf.
chased by Congress with the consent oil Inc leSis-
laiure OF The Slaie This resolution was passed
over under ne rules oi the House. These vari-
Gus Propositions have mol been nnaly acted upon.
Indeed the resolution offered by the member from
New York has been rtconsidered, and remains
now on The Speakers table as reso ulion presen-
ted but not acted upon BY the House. To this
indication OF a more conservative feeling il ought
10 be added, thai while the support OF these seve-
raj measures was confined TO the representatives
of non-slavsholding States, and consisted oil those
OF both parties, there were patriotic individuals
from those States who refused their support 10
measures which they believed were uncalled for
BY The occasion, aud untriendly TO The peace and
harmony OF The Union.
We have now brought TO close the narrative
Of measures connected with the subject OF this
address, including those which are consunmated,
as well as those which are in progress; and we
think il will not be denied that the contamination
OF the latter would afford just cause OF appre-
hensi to the people of the slaveholdlng States.
If slavery were abolished in the District OF Co.
lumbia, and in the numerous and dispersed pla-
ces in the South, over which Congress has ex.
elusive Jurisdiction = if to these measures be adj
ded the exclusion Of the PEOPLE Of Inc Southern
States from the Territories of the Union, now
or hereafter TO be acquired, every outpost and
barrier would be carried, and even in the States
themselves the institution Of domestic slavery
would be at the mercy OF those who had so
far successfully prosecuted their assault upon il.
We iorbear 10 present 10 you detailed view
If me evils which must result from these meas
ures even in their progress, and YET more in their
consumma,ion, operating frs on The people OF the
South. and eventually on the American people al
Large Happily these measures are not consum-
mailed. There remains a locus penitenti0j there is
vel time 10 pause-a moment OF which intelligent,
patriotic, conservative men in every quarter oil
The Union aIoof from the influence OF party on
such subject and effacins all sectional lines OF
division, NAV avail themselves 10 consider, II
here be any duy 10 be ful6lled-it there h. any
iu,eres, to be advanced-if there be any object to
be attained by The prosecution OF these measures,
which will Justify The hazard (hOweyer remote
they NAV believe il TO beg OF j"opardine The
peace and harmony OF the Union. All will ad-
nit that the nslilulon Of domestic slavery IS one
which il belongs exclusively 10 the States in which
il exisls 10 establish, 10 regulate, 10 continue or
10 abolish Any and every interference with il
by the citizens Of other States, whether
direct or indirect, IS therefore wrong which
becomes aggravated when il is committed
by those with whom We are for certain pul.
noses united as one people, and who avail
themselves Of this relation 10 make that lnterle-
renee more huniul II slavery BE- sin, he who
is not STAKEHOLDER is free from The guilt of i'll
Why should he desire 10 become his brothers
ketpef7 Is there no ieelins-no lhoueht-no
ACT OF his OWL which requires his care, and which
would better reward his visilance} Is an opn
ion, a sentiment a measure OF sectional poll
az, 10 he urged and enforced at the hazaId
II disturbing the peaceful relations 0! twen-
" millions OF people 7 Why may not this
controversy be adjusted? Does the District Of
Columbia present The obsiaclel Cannot some
no &c b. devised 10 withdraw This disturbing ques-
ion tom the national lssslatnre3 Is II The
question in relation TO The territories Why
| shouli We MOI prof! By experience Inc WIS.
dom OF those who ha&e gone before Us was COM
n,iali - n restoration ui harmony IN 1870:
Why should ne n, follow in their steps The
aense excitement 4 hal day was allayed BY il,
and its bcnef:en, laA1cnccs were ielt during Inc
mex, twenty years (" our political existence
Wien the questions Connected with The annexa
ton OF Texas seemx likely 10 revive That excite
menr. the sans American feeling prevailed, and
The danger was ayelie!. Why should II no. bs
equally cfficacious nrw2 Has our love Of coun-
try dminishei-is il limited 10 seco- or does
il not embrace our whole country II the ierrI-
tories which we have acquired are unified 10 The
institutions Of the Soulful they cannot exist
there-why the derunciaion Of lh'm7 II it be
said that the South is contending for an ab-
.trsc,iou, because the righ, which she claims,
If it were conceded, could not be exercised
in these territories, is il not yet more oovI-
aus ha, those who insist upon the express
denial Of tho right, are themselves pursuing
phan,om7 Are ,hey not insisting upon me sol.
emn legislative denial OF a right which, (they
themselves being lie judses,) whether il De al
irmed or denied, can never be exercised} But
the denial is not confined 10 the Territories now
he'd by the United States; il extends alsoto those
which may be hereafter acquired, however pecu-
iarly such Territories may be adapted 10 slave
labor; nag, even although they should be Terri!o'
ay,st lie Ihp ri q q