Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-07-24

S,.;as ~ h,s,,aI;,v he executed. Row, wa.n
du.,eS y. hoS ,s; ;.ns far. has been iathiu'iy
a,son,ss / n,,v asser with truth lhat - 80
r,nch lar more man bad hoped, co"'i I'm hv
10 .,.,. in which The subject had oxen go ,bn
, ts n.scot;,o Adminis,ral,on. 80 thutn ~
oh Nv. ina; had abandoned you Gu ."V ia, Ia
SION end the assertion q Coi. pS"''
I'D srood by the affiliated owners :,.ondcd ia
ia" SO INV rercileu al! The charges 'n'eh'e'
nov '.,,,r confidence in my fidelity 10 you ~
,.,onca IN The mos, Via OF all sua'ccs - .ns
I'm have shown thai they al sess e'n.'
an sI,,emens that arc utterly ia!se' &c ga;
s;ons thal are entirely erroneous OF i"cone III.
7 have also shown that Col. Benton mas 'n.um
cd himself at every s,ep in false s'a, !.;us
contradiction inconsistency, and spsu'H's.sm
will not say that he MADE his chai se, MY
lhcn 10 be false fer that would Dfahu "..' ~, 49,,
base calunnaor ard slance:eI; uu. W" ;, "y
tha, he ought 10 have known tEey WIZ. - W.
be. however, that he was too hieou ,: oaiu
passion and prejudice, OF iache1 '"'
ton 10 perceive they were. ,,,.,od eoo;n.,
me persoually. AMI nc, intended TO impeacn my
6deiirv 10 Won aud your cause; because II oid
not tall within The reasons which inducea ne 70
nn,ire him a. all. have also passed over the
rorren, Of abuse he has poured ou' against ne;
M, on,v for rbe same resscn bnt because deem
!; hsneab INV no,icc. He doubtless thinks offer
enlv and regards il as Tie fnes portion Of his
snsech for h. has used expressions which pretty
clearly indicate thai he anticipates IL will raise
him 10 the level of The great Athenan Orator lot
indignant denuncatcn. lie mistakes hls ia'e.-
He will be fortunate should ne escape sinhlS "
The level Of Thcrsi,cs. He seems rol 10 appte
bend that the difference S wide between tne ~
dienapt clCoueuce oil patriotism and truth and
i MI
tack on the Southern Address, because II mas
been loo generally read, and is loo well under
stood BY YOU, for him 10 do any mischief oy as
sailing il. The wcnder is, that be should venture
IN make an attack in open daylight. Inc remote
twiljeh, region of the past, lying between tIuih
and fiction, best suits his taste and genius.
Passing al, these by, am broush! 20 where
be throws OF his Disguise aud enters lhe camp
q, the enemy, and, openly prcclai1ing himself
an abuliionist, endorses all their doctrines anu
Steps form as their champion. In mat cGafaclcf
he assumes dictalorial air, and pronounces
that il is absurd 10 deny the power OF Congress
,orgislaie as II peass on Inc suolec, q siaseiy
in the territories; that il has exercised Inc power
| from the foundation without being questioned,
mill introduced my resolutions; that slavery Is
Ioca in lis character; thai il must be created oy
l.u and canno! be carried an inch beyond the
limits OF the Safe that enacted Il; That slaves
canno, be carried into New Mcs leo or California
hecanse the Mexican laws abolish slavery there
and are still in force; and concludes that IL is
| mere abs,racl question oil no importance, because
The peuple there and especially the foreigners, are
opposed 10 il and will not permit you 10 emisrate
INTO the territory with your slaves
lido not propose 10 enter into iofnnai comfen
ton of assertions so ostenlasiouslY p'onou"..us .
;s mi necessary. They were the same that were
mn, firth and relied on by those opposed 10 you
IN The discussion on the Oregon territorial b'i
dnrinp The session preceding lie ias, and whlcl
were then fully met ard refuled By me aud other
| who took your side al the question What nov
nronose is a very summary and brief notice
these several assertions.
Ihpoin with thai which asserts that Congress
ba, the power 10 do as il pleases upon The SUB
iect OF slavery in the territories. deny Inc as
.eriou. and maintain that Congress has no sue
ooyer over slavery there or elsewhere, or owe
any other subject. Ideny that Congress has an
absolute powers Whatever, or that II mas any Q
any descrip,ion, except such as are specifically dc
lesaled, or that are necessary anu proper 70 carr
| ,hpm in,o execution. maintain that III lis pow
orc are delegated and l.u.l powers, and DOL posi-
tive and absolute, and that all Of the latter des
crip,ion belong exclusively 10 the people OF III
| several States ir their sovereign character.
| also hold tina, Congress is but their representa-
tive and trustee, and that. in carrying into exc
| cpiion il, roWers, il cannot riehiIlly exercis
any Inconsistent with The nature and object
the trust, or with The character Of The parry WI
created the trust, or for whose bench. II was cre
aed. foaliy hold that, instead OF having Ia
absolute power over The territories OF dong as
nleases. Congress is restrained by all these Inn
. ,a,ions and that its power 10 exclude you iroI
emieraling with your slaves INFO Them cannon !
maintained without denying that ours 10 Coy
5. elQRssp, 5iieShifhs, shd lhal- Congress h"lis i
, | movers ms delegated ami trust powers Nor ca
il be maintained without assuming that ours
a consolidated Government AMI holds lis poI
ers absolutely in It's own sovereign rght oil doiE
as il pleasas.
also deny the truth OF his next assertion, IN;
il has exercised the power over the territories
il pleased, without being questioned, until nrl
! duced my resolutions. maintain, on the cor
irary that such power never was exercised b
, Congress, until he and his associates passed III
Oregon territorial bill. That was the first bi
containing The Wilmol Proviso that ever passed
, as has been saed-passed solely 10 assert Ia
absolute right OF doing as il phases. All other.
including The ordinances OF 1877, were passed a
compromises, which waived the question c
power, as has been frequently shown. Nor
. his assertion more correc,, that the power neve
was questioned from the start, beginning vii
The ordinance OF 11S7. CIR. Madison pronounce
that Il was adopted withou, shadow OF righ
Since then ii has been acquiesced In, no, as
right, but as a compromise, until The North re
fused all compromise, and forced the South /,
stand on its rights, where il should have stoot
from the FIRST
The next assertion, that slavery Is local in IL
character, that il must be enacted by Law, ant
cannot be carried an inch beyond The limits o
The State tina, enacted il, is equally unmainiain
able. II is clear thai, in making il, he iniendcl
o afii;m lha; in these respects property in slave
sands on very diffesen, grouni ison every olhe
description OF property.
deny the fact, and maintain that here /. NJ
distinction between it and other property il
that respect Il no moro requires TO be enact
ed By law, or 10 express it tnorc specifically, Il
| have a positive ensctment for its origin thar
property in land or any thing cse. The rcla
lion OF master and slave was one Of the frs
and most universal forms in record Of lis origin
| Il is probably more ancient than separate ant
stinct property in lands, and quite as easil.
delended on abstract principles. So far ffoI
being created By positive enactment. know o
no instance in which il over was; or, 10 expires
il more accurately, in when il had its origin il
| act. Of Legislatures. 1t is always older thar
Il e laws which undertake to regulate it. and
| suca is tn case with slavery, as 1t exists with
Us. They were for tie most part slaves il
| Africa they were bought as saves, brought
scre as slaves, sold here as slsges, and held a:
slaves, long before any enac ment mado them
slaves. even doub; whether there is single
Stale in the South that ever enacted them 10 be
slaves. There arc hundreds Of acts that recog
Mise and regulate them as ouch, but none, ap.
prehend, that undertake TO create item slaves
Mas.cr and Slaves are constantly regarded as
pro existing relations.
Nor is il any more 10 ,a in lis character Than
elmer property. The laws Of ell countries, in
references 10 every thing, including property OF ey.
cry kind G-e heal. and c :nnut 20 al inch beyond
The limits 10 which The authority of the country
extends. In case OF propsriy Of every descrp
ZION, if it passes beyond the authority OF The
cuun.fy where il is iu.o ano;he! wGe.e he same
description OF things are regarded as properly, il
| coniinups IN he su there but becomes s.hlect &c