Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-01-29

Who gave 20 Congress the a'n. Va
sovereignty, or ANY Legislative r'gh's re-
sul,inc therefrom, rot TO be ioune' eA'
pnssiy or by necessary implication IN
the constitution! In the people OF the
limited States resides the sovereignty OF
this country, and no department OF their
government can claim that high preIoga-
i've. nor assume any functions arising out
Of il not to be found in that great act OF
the people which brought them into P'lll-
cal existence.
Mr.. Cass introduces the Diary oil Tie
late John Quincy Adams, and handles II
ungoved. Mr.. Cass says,
In this diary, the compromise by which
the constitution was established, and with
out Which it could never have been eStab
lished, is denounced as " the bargain be-
tween freedom. and slavery" and II Is pro-
nounced "morally and politically vicious,
with various harsh epi,hets aud illogical
deductions, little creditable to the Judg-
mcnt of the writer at any time, and least
of all that time, considering the position
in the Government he then occupied, and
the acknowledged claims he had TO still
higher distinction.
We would have liked TO make further
extracts from this speech, but our limits
forbid it. Agreeing as we do with the
general tenor of Gcn'l Cass's argument:
we think lie runs into ultraism in totally
denying to Congress any power whatever
over persons living in unorganlzed terrific
ry. As il has been in California and New
Mexico, so again, circumstances might be
such that the organization OF Territorial
Government will be necessarily delayed
is then every man in such unorganlz@d
territory to live subject 10 no law but his
own will But if Gen'I Cass is right,
then certainly we wantforthwith an amend
ment 10 the Constitution, the case obvl-
ously being, dignus taato rindice nodIS.
We can see no harm from admitting to
Congress full power aud authority over all
persons as we'll as all public property in
an unorganized territory, if we subject
that power and authority TO the limitations
(Which are the Palladium of every Amerl-
CAM imposed by the constitution.
In case Of conflict between an individual
and Congress, or Territorial Government
more or less the creature of Congress the
place of common appeal is TO the Judicial
establishment, ending, in final resort, with
a reference of the dispute to the Supreme
Court. If Congress were abolished, as
it is in the power of the people to abol-
ish il, the rights of the individual would
remain upon the basis of the guarantee in
the Constitution. SO long as the COns'l-
tuition exists these rights are indestrucli-
BILE, which Congress Itself is not neces-
sariIy.
Is it not to be regretted that our noble
State has so completely barred herself out
from all ability to established herself up
on these glorious maxims? Yes, the fact
is Iamentable. She has, by an act louder
than any wordy " resolutions" taken sides
with the oppressor, ana guilty yielded to
Congress a power never accorded consti-
rutionally to it. Virginia has acknowl-
edged before the world the unqualified SUI
premacy of Congress over the dearest pub
lie and private rights in fact she holds a
position at this moment, radically Anti
American. This may sound painfully
strange TO many a ear, but it is neverthe-
less, absolutely true!