Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-08-07

possession. know the Northern coiohies
rrIa;n.d that "a the acquisition Of this territory
was the result Of the war Jointly wsged oy all
the States, it ought to belong 10 them 10 coh.'
mon. Blu. they did not choose TO apply lhi'
doctrine 10 their own territorial Possession''
New York had about The same population as
MARYLAND, and about the same resources 10 ca,
~ on the war, but was much more exposeu.
Yet New York retained some 96 Uoo sqoafe
miles of territory, and Maryland only g. o'o OF
9,OOO-no one hf;h Virginia had The cicares'
right By charter to the Northwest territory sue
perfected that title BY The expulsion oil hfi'!sh
power, and was in exclusive possession anu "
rsdlc,ion. Yet she gave up TINS territory 10 .no
confederation, and thereby gave ABOUT one "un.
dred million, Of dollars 10 the treasury u tue
Union; aud The Congress OF the conieoeia.'on
BY the ordinance Of 1887, gave inc Occupation
and political power Of that territory 10 'ne
Northern section oil this Union.
By the mual6cence Of Virginia then, the peo,c
nile Of The Northwestern territory, VINO are Oh
Northern origin chiefly, have acquired i'r
home tho most fertile region OF country on
which the sun ever shines.
The people of thai region owe more man
their country TO Virginia; they owe her he'r
principles OF government and policy. coming
as they did from The North, they were q. mrs.
the supporters Of the Northern system-'hal oi
Adams and Hamilton-bul soon change oc>
Cured, and the Southern system OF politics was
adopted-a system founded by the Statesmen OIL
Virginia; and more recently large majority OF
the Congressional delegation from the northwest
voted in accordance with tho views OF their con-
sliluents in favor of that system oil tar'n OF TAX
alton known Us the favorile of The extreme
rrlp n
menl have prevailed throughout every seclIoh oi
the Union, North and South
Bul this is an epoch Of revolution. And we
have witnessed within the last year an extensive
conspiracy in the Northern aeciion OF the Union
10 overthrow tho power and the TERRITORIAL
rights of the South. And now we have intel
isencc Of recent assemolase OF Cleveland,
town in Northern Onio, part oil The northwest
err territory, TO aid in this scheme ot plunuer-
10y and degrading, among others, this Common-
wealth, their ancient benelacior, to whom They
owe their political existence. And what Is the
plea ON which il is proposed 10 Perpetrate this
lujus ice aud ingralilude2 Why, the FIRST, the
avuwed motive is, 10 protect TIE whole oil our
remote territories from being profaned BY The
institutions of half the States OF this Uuion, old
AID new; and this too, when we know that
those territories are now tho resort oil MeXl-
cans aud South Americans Of every hue and
lace, of Sandwich Islanders and even oil
Chinese There is no law there now 10 pre-
vent HE practice oil polygamy-ihere can De
none TO prever! the institution OF iGvialry; and
idolatry aud polygamists are resoTsing ihliher
without restraint or without any proposition Tor
restraint. The only people who il is proposed TO
prohibit from going 10 California, because they
would te curse 10 il, are The people OF fifteen
Southern States and OF that particular class 10
which Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Henry,
Pinckney. Ruuledge and Carroll belonged; The
class from which the people Of the North and
The South have elected large majority OF their
Presidents.
Bul it is said this claes OF people may be per-
milled to 60 there, only they must not be allow.
I'd 10 lake their slaves. Is il true, them hat such
peope as those Of the fifteen Southern States
,rh their institutions are unfit to belong 10 this
Uaiop. or less fiji man moile mixture Of Free
Negroes, Indians, Hindoos, HeaIhens and Ma
hometans7 This ought 10 have been thought OF
before The purians OF Massachusetts, isho ale
said by their descendants lc have been very
mural and religious people, ought 10 nave feIec-
led The connection and cooperation OF The Souh-
ern States in The Revolutionary Struggle Tor a
common independence, and in iormns our pre-
y
Slavery, however then existed in all The colonies
! or S a,ts. But il is said that il was then Under
stood That il W. IS to be renouGced. Where IS The
rvideDce3 We are told by those who lately AS
semblcd al Cle:eland To celebrate The passage Of
The ordinance of 1857, thatthe adoption oi lbat
measure by The Congress 0. The Confederation
was The grand pr0nunsi1mchto OF ocr ReVolI-
,iUnary statesmen against slavery. The very
reverse ol This conclusion results from that very
measure. When this ordinance passed, there
was a Southwestern as veil Is 2 Northwestern
tegi,ory--boih subject equally 10 the jurisdiction
OF that Congress. Why was no, slavery piu-
hlbEed in brln, IT slavery were regarded as OBJ
noxious 10 our political system by that body 7
Provision was made by The same Congress or
Inc government OF both these territories. in one,
slavery was proh:biicd IN express terms; in The
other, its right to remain and 10 extend was nol
only no, prohibited, j. was not weakened even BY
permissioa or liberation II was left as matter
| ul course: The most perfect recognition OF lis
| right that could have been proposed. The pro.
hbltion OF slavery in The Northwest was specia
| was in It's nature an exception 20 The general
| and, but for it, The inevitable CONDITION aud pro,
| gless OF The social aud political systems OF the
| ume. The object Of that prohibition was To
! equalze The territory and political power Of The
| Two sections oil The Union, the North aud South;
| as without some such measure The Southern
| would have preponderaed over the Northern sys-
| ten; and for hat purpose The ordinance was well
adopted. II augmented the territory u The North
from faction Of less than one.iil'h TO about one
| halt OF the area then held by The Union, and b.
limiting the number OF States In that territory to
| FIVE, which compelled Them TO be much larger
,h.n The average size OF Northern STATES, The in
,en,ion was clearly indicated OF preserving the
equality Ut the two sections in The Senale; The pre-
sent constitution being then contemplated. For
| The even, which has SINCE occurred, was then
clearly ioIeseen, that long before all these FIVE
States could be created and admitted hose Of The
South western Territory would cnier he Union
| Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, in addition
| 10 Kentucky, and would cqnaIze The vote oil The
| South in The Senate before The admission OF The
| younger OF The North Western Slalr>; Tor lhr
South was in a minority in the Continental Con-
gTeSs, the vote in that body being one Tor each
State. II is thus evident that lie ordinance If
1897. instead Of being the manifesto Of the early
government and statesmen ul This country against
the institutions oil The South, and in favor oil those
| OF the North, was most signal recognition OF
their political equality. II made an equal d,ri
sum Of territory Gstwsen item aud even l,s rains
ed The North rum such multiplication OF States
| as would have prevented The Souih Som aCQuT-
ing that equality in the Senate which she did no.
| posses al inc beginning Yel a Convention OF
| Norbern men recently assembled 10 celebrate The
passage OF that ordinance al Cleveland, in Ohio,
the eldes, Of Nurih Western States; and there, on
the soil they owed 10 Virginia va!or and lof,iude
that acquired II, and 10 The magnanimiiy OF Vr.
GINA that offered il as The richest sacrifice ever
made by people 10 palruiism,-,hcI on soil,
the trophy, and the g, Of Southern institutions,
aud oa pie;ence oil celebrating an ordinance,
which was solemn recognition and covenant
Of equally between the North and The Suulh,
there vas The design proclaimed With ali the
insoence OF ancied power, with al The e1irava-
gance OF phrenzicd tanalicsm, with The Iur.
pnude Of political hypocrisy, with The Conscious.
ness oil gross ingraIiiu.e and The Alteration o!
exalted motives, there was The design proclaimed
ul deyoling The political power Of hat very s, il
10 the spoliaIlon OF Virginia and be South, to
plaader them Of their share in remu,e territory,
and 10 destroy that poliucal power they have
hitherto possessed.
The moIali>s and deacops of Cleveland and