Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-02-14
MO. A..

full share Of men," TO say nothing of
money, and is of course, on every princi:
pie Of right, justice, fairness, and equal:
ly, emitted 10 participate fully in The hen:
efts to he derived from their acquisition:
But as impresnable as is this ground;
there is another no' less 30. Ours is d
Federal Government; a government ia
which. not individuals. but Srales,. as dis
tinct sovereign communities, are the cob:
sriluteuIs. TO them, as members of The
Federal Union, the Territories belong;
and They are hence declared 10 he Terri.
tories belonging, 10 the United States -
The States then are the; joint owners. Now
il is conceded by all writer's on the Sub
jeci, that in all such Governments their
members are equal-equal rights and
equal in dignity. They also conceede that
this equality constitutes the basis Of such
Government. and That it cannot be des-
'royed without changing. their nature
aud character. To deprive. them The
Southern States and their citizens Of their
full share in The Territories declared TO
belong to them in common witt, the other
States would be in delegation Of The
equality belonging to Them as members
OF lhe Federal Union, and sink them. from
being equals, into subordinate and de-
pendent condition. Such are the solid and
impregnable grounds OH which we rect
our demand 10 an equal participation in
the Territories.
But as solid aud impregnable as they
or in fba of, o,I
oppose feeble resistance TO a majority,
determined to engross the whole. A, ihe
last session of Congress, bill was passed,
establishing a territorial government Tor :
Oregon, excluding slavery therefrom. The.
President gave bis sanction 10 the BILL and
sent special message 10 Congress assign
ing his reasons for doing so. These :ea-
sons pre>supposed that the Missouri c0m-
promise was to be, and would be extended
ives, Of the Rocky mountains, to The Pa
c6c ocean. And the President inlimated
his intention in his message 10 veto INV
future bill that restricts slavery soulh Of
the line Of that compromise. Assuming
TO have been the purpose and intention
OF The North to extend the N issouri Som-
promise line as above indicated, The pass.%
age of the Oregon billzcould fonIy be re-
graded as evincing the acdliesSence df alhe.
Sodlh 10 thatline. I, But, the developments
n fhade II manissi 10 ali, thar Esoc bur-
pose or intention now exists with The North.
to any considerable extent. Of,he iruib.
of this, we have ample cvidence innwhat,
has occurred already in The House of Re-
presentalivesi where the popuIa, feelings
are soonest and most intensely felt.
Although Congress has been in session
but little more than one month. greater
number of measures Of an aggressive char. {,
acter have been introduced, and they more
aggravated and dangerous than they have
been for years before. And what clearly
discloses whence they take their origin is
the fact, tha, they all relate TO the territo-
rial aspect Of the subject of slavery, or
some other of nature and character in
timately connected with it.
The first Of this series of aggressions is
resolutian introduced by nlember from
Massachusetts, tne object of which is 10 re.
peal all acs; which recognize The existence
of slavery, or aulhorise the selling and dis
posing Of slaves in this District. On the
question Of leave to bring 10 a Bill, the
votes stood 69. for andS2asainsl leave. The
next was resolution offered by a mem-
ber from Ohio, nstructing the Committee
on Territories to report forthwith bills for
excluding slavery from California and N.
Mexco.t 1t passed by a vote of lO7 TO
80. That was followed by bill intro
duced by another member from Ohio, to
take the votes Of the inhabitants Of this
district, On The question whether slavery
within its limits should be abolished. The;
bill provided, according 10 the admission
Of The mover, that free negroes and slaves
should vote. On the question to Law the
bill on the table, the veles stood, for FO6..
against 70. To this succeeded the resolu-
rion Of a member from New York, in the
following words: Whereas tho traffic now
prosecuted III this metropolis of The RepubS
lie in hupiap beings, as chatrels, is contra
ry 10 uatura justice and The fundamental
principles of our political system, aud is
nnioriously reproach to our country,
throughout Chrisendom, serious hind
rance TO The progress of republican liberty
among the nations Of The earth, therefore,
"ReSoired, That the Committee for tho
Districr Of Columbia be instructed 10 re-
port bill, as soon as practicable, pro-
hibiIins the slave trade IN said Dis,rict.''
On the question ofadopling The resolution.
The votes stood 50 for, and So against. lie.
was followed by member from Illinois,.
who offered a resolution for abolishinE
slavery in The Territories. and all places
where Congress has exclusive powers Of
legislation; that is, in all forts, magazines,
-G-
Total number Of volunteers from the Seu,h::
Regiments, 33S
Baitaliuns, f4
Companies, 12
To,al number Of volunteers from The s. az 6iGs