The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-08-21

and without any of those safeguards about
tho ballot box which can only be provided
by law, and which are necessary to ascer-S 1
tain the true sense ofa people. ltwilIad- 1
init too that Congress- having Yafuaed 10 4
provide Government except upan the 4
condition Of excluding sIaveDY by Law, the
Executive branch Of this Government may
at its own discretion invite sach inhabitants
TO meet in convention under such rules as
il is or its agents may prescribe, and TO form
a constitution affecting not only their own
rights but those also Of fifteen States of
the confcdcracy, by including territory with
tho purpose f excluding those States, from
enjoyment, and without regard to the natu-
raj fitness Of boundary or any Of The con-
siderations which should properly deter
mine The limits Of State. II will also. ad-
NIT that tie convention thus calledinio ex-
Btcnce by the Executive may be pnid by
him, out of tho funds Of the United Slatcs,
without the sanction Of Congress- in viola.
ton not Of the plain provisions OF the Con-
sii,ution, but OF those principles Of obvious
propric,y which would forbid any act calcu-
lated to- make llrn conTcntion dependant
upon it; aud last, but not lie ast, intlle series
of maaaurcs which this Government must
adopt and sanction in passing this bill is the
release Of tie authority Of the United States
by the Executive alone 10 Government
thus formed, and not presenting even suffi-
cicnt evidence of it's having the assent OF
majority OF the people for whom it was de-
signed. With a view of all these consider
atoms the Government could never be
brought to admit a State presenting itself
under such circumstances il it were not for
the purpose of excluding the. people Of the
slaveholdng States from all ahSfportunity of
settling with their property in that territory.
Becnuse 10 vote for bill passed under
sIch circumstances would be 60 agree to q
principle which may exclude forever here
after, as il docs now, the States which we
represent. from all enjoyment Of the com
mon territory of the UniorE n principle which
destroys the equal rights of their cons,ilu-
cnts, tho equality of their States in the con-
fct!erncy, the equal dignity of those whom
they represent es men and citizens in the
eye of the law, and their equal tiale to the
protection Of The Government and the Con-
stltu,ion.
Becn,,sc all the proportions hive been
rejected which have been made TO attain
either recognition Of the rights OF the
slaycholdfng Stntcs to common enjoy1acr:
OF ali the territory oS the United States ov
10 fair diTrsion " thai teTGIaorT, besueen
the rfxl-t,tarclscl4ing States cs tn. Union.
Every effort having failess which hes bees,
made to ob;zin fair division OF the ter.no-
~ proposed to bc bconghi in as the State os
California
But, lastly wc disscrn fluxu this bill, and
soicfn!y probes, zsgaars It's passacr, because
in sapctioning mcasHrns so contrary to form
eF precedent TO Obvious policy, 10 the spirit
and interest OF the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States, ior the purpose Of excluding the
sIayrholdiitg States from the territory thus
TO he erected into n State, this Government,
in effect declares that the exclusion of sla.
very from the territory of the United States
is an object 50 high and important as to JUS
tify disregard not only OF all the principles
of sound policy but also Of the Constitution
itself. Against this conclusion we must
nov and forever protest, as it is destructive
of the safety and liberties OF those whose
rights have been committed to our care, in.
tai 10 the peace and equality Of the States
which we represent, and must lead, If per-
sisted in, TO the disscls,ion of that conf,aler-
acy in which the slavchoiding States have
never sought mose dH,n equality, and in
which they will not DO content 10. renaiis,.
T., t..