The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-04
THE UNION.

III
ings. the violation then commenced and which they
intended 10 rebuke has been fully and perfectly
consummated. The citizens OF the South in their al
tempt 10 their slaves, meet nsead of aid
and cooperation resistance from all sides resistance
from hostile acts of legislation intended TO battle and de-
feat their CLAIMS by all sorts OF devices, and by inter-
posing every description OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES from
Judges and magstrates-and finally, when all these fail
from mobs composed OF whites and blacks, which, by
threats or force the fugitive slave from the pos
session OF his righul owner. The attempt
slave, in most of the northern States cannot now be
made without the hazard OF insult, heavy pecunary loss,
imprisonment and even OF HE itself, Already has a
worthy citizen Of Maryland lost his life in making an
attempt TO enforce his claim to fugitive slave under this
provision.
But provision of the constitution may be violated in
directly well as directly by doing act in its nature
inconsistent with that which enoined to be done OF
this form OF violation there is striking instance con-
neced with the provision under consideration. We al
Jude to secret nbnatons which are believed to exist IN
most if not ALL the northern States adacen, 10 the South
including with them Michganwhose object is 10 entce,
decoy, enap, nvege and seduce slaves TO escape from
their masters, and to pass them secretly and rapidly by
means organized for the purpose, into Canada. where
they will be beyond the reach of the provision. That 10
entce slave, by whatever artce to abscond from his
master into -slaveholding State, with the intention
to place him beyond the reach of the provision pre-
vent his recovery, by concealment or otherwise is as
completely repugnan TO II as lis open violation would be-
is too clear 10 admit OF doubt to require illustration
And yet, as repugnant these combinations to
the true intent OF the provision, 1t is believed that
not one of the States within whose limits they ex
to punish those by whose agency the object for which
they formed is carried into execution. On the
contrary they have looked on and witnessed with IN
difference, if not with secret appreciation, great num-
Der of slaves entced from their masters and placed be-
yond the possibility of recovery to the great annoyance
and heavy pecunary loss OF the bordering southern
States.
When we take into consideration the great importance
of this provision the absence of all uncertainty as to ITS
true meaning and intent, the many guards by which is
surrounded to protect and enforce 1t, and then reject
how completely the object for which 1t was inserted in
the constitution defeated by these twofoi lnrachons
we doubt, taking all together, whether more iasrant
breach of faith to be found record We know the
language have used is strong but 1t is not less true
than strong.
There remains to be noticed another class of az
gressive acts of kindred character, but which, IN
stead of striking at express and speclhc provision
of the constitution, aims directly at destroying the
relation between the two races at the south, by
subversve in their tendency OF one OF the ends
for which the constitution was established. we re-
fer to the systematic agitation of the question by
the abolitionss which, commencing in 1888, Is stilI
continued in all possible forms Their avowed intention
is bring about state of things that would force eman
cpaton on the South To unite the North in fixed hos
ulty TO slavery in the South, and to excite discomfort
among the slaves with their condition, among the
employed to effect it. With view to bring about
the former every means are resored TO IN ORDER 10 rem
der the South and the relation between me two races
there odious and hateful to the North For this purpose
societies and newspapers are everywhere established de-
batting clubs opened, lecturers employed, pamphlets and
other public atons pictures and petitions to Congress
sorted to- and directed to that sing point regardless OF
truth decency while the circulation OF ncend'ary pub
LEGATIONS in the South, the agitation OF the subec, OF abo
tion in Congress- and the employment OF emssares are
relied to excite discomfort among the slaves. ms
agitation, and the use of these means, have been
continued with more or less activity. for fifteen years,
not without doing much towards eitecng the object
intended We regard both object and means TO be ag
gressiye and dangerous 10 the rights OF the South and
subversve, stated OF OF the ends for which the
constitution established. Slavery is a domestic IN
sution It belongs the States, each for itself TO de-
eide whether it shall be established not; and II 1t be
established, whether il shall be abolished or not Such
being the clear and unquestonabe right OF the States 1t
follows necessarily that it would be ,gran act OF ag
gression State, destructive OF ITS rights and sub
versve of its independence for the federal government
or States. their people, to undertake to
force on the emancipation of its slaves BUTT sound
maxim in politics. well law and morals that no one
has right to do that indirectly which he cannot DO d.
rectly, and il may be added with equal truth, to ald OF
abet, countenance another in doing it. And yet the
abolitioniss of the North, openly avowing their nten-
ton and resortng to the most efficient means Tor the
purpose have hecn attempting to bring about Stale o
things to force the southern States to emancpats then
slaves without any act on the part OF any northern
State to arrest or suppress the measures hy wren
they propose to accomplish it. They have been
permitted TO pursue their object, and to use what
ever they please; if without aid or countenancs
also w sns sass to- whos IS the as
that one of the to effect their object that OF ex-
citing discomfort among slaves tends directly to sub
vert what its preamble declares to be OF the ends Tor
which the constitution was ordained and established,
''to insure domestic ranquity-and that IN the only
way in which domestic tranquility likely ever e be dis
turbed in the South Certain it is, that an agitation so
sysematic-havng such an object IN view, and sought
to be carried into execution by such means-wonld be-
tween independent nations constitute Just cause OF re-
by the party against which the aggression
directed and, If not hceded an appeal TO arms Tor
redress Snch being the case where an aggression OF
the kind takes place among independent nations, how
much aggravated must be between contederaed
States, where the Union precludes appeal TO arms,
while it affords medium through which It can operate
with vastly increased force and etect That would
be perverted to such entered INTO the Imagn
alton of the generation which formed and adopted the
constitution and, If il had been supposed would, 1t is
certain that the South never would have adopted It,
We now return to the question of the admission Of
Missouri into the Union and shall proceed to give a
brief sketch of the connected with it, and the
consequences which has directly led In the latter
part OF 1919, the then territory of Missouri applied to Con-
gress, the usual form, for leave to form State cons
tuition and government in order to be admitted into the
Union A bill reported for the purpose, with the
usual provisions in such Amendments were offered,
having for their object to make il condition OF her admis
sion, that her constitution should have provision to pro-
hib slavery. This brought the agating debate which,
with the effects that followed has done much to aene
tons Those who objected to the amendments rested their
opposition the high grounds of the right OF sell govern
ment They claimed that territory, having reached the
period when is proper for to form constitution and
government for ITSELF becomes fully vested with all the
rights OF self government and that the condition
the formation of its constitution and government, but its
admission into the Union. For that purpose It provides
a condition, that the government must be republican,
They claimed that Congress has no right to add TO this
condition. and that to 1t would be tantanount to
the assumption of the right to make lis entire constu
ton and government no limitation could be imposed,
to the of the right, if it be admitted that it ex
lists all Those who supported the amendment denied