Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1850-12-18

ful means; and whereas, the Union of these States
which was designed by its founders and adopted
by the people of the respective States " in order to
establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, and
secure the blessings of liberty to them and to US,
their posterity," should be sustained and protected
until time and experience have proven it to be utter
y incompetent to the answering of these great pur-
poses; and whereas, in it should become neces-
sary for the slave holding States resort redress
of their grievances, growing out of Northern inter-
ference with their domestic institutions, that can be |
much more efectually attained by unanimity and con-
cert of action than by local Legislation irresponsi
BILE conventions: Therefore,
l. Resolued. That the institution of slavery, rs it
exists in the Southern States is subject with which
the people of the North have neither the cons:itu-
tiona power the moral right to interfere, either
directly Indirectly, either by legislative enactment
social organization; and that all such interference
should be resisted as an unwarranted assault upon
onr rights.
2. Resolved That the territorial lands of the Uni
ted States, whether purchased by the common trea-
sure. conquered by the common arms, ought to
be free to the enterprise, and open to the
mon emigration of all sections alike; that any dis
elimination by Congress, which shall prescribe the
OF any species Of property peculiar to any
ton would be subversive Of that "jusce and domes-
tic tranqultv, and those blessings of liberty -
which the Constitution designed to "establish.
ensure and - and that any amendment of
the territorial bills passed at the last session of Con-
authorize and demand of the slaveholding States,
measures of retaliation as hereinafter suggested.
! 3. ResOlved. That the owners of slaves in the
District of Columbia, hold that kind of property un-
der the guaranty of the Constitution, which declares
that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or
property without due process of law and that those
who remove slaves from one slaveholding State to
another for the purpose of sale settlement, en-
titled under the Constitution. to all the rights and
privileges of slave in the States where they
| olo1s< oc
said District of Columbia would further involve a
gross breach of faith towards of the slaveholdin
States; that such abolition in said District, such
Introduction of the removal of slaves from slave
holding State another, could he regarded in 9TH
er light than blow aimed at slavery in the States
that the passage of either of these measures by Con-
gress could not fail to exert most injurious inau-
ence on the institut ion of slavery throughout the
Sonth ard would authorize and require of the slave
holding States those reaiatory measures, hereinafter
suggested.
4. Resolred, That the series of acts passed at the
last session of Congress, constituting what is gener-
ally termed "the Compromise" viz: The act admit
ting California as State-the act establishing ter
ritoria government for Utah-the for the adjust
ment of the eXas boundary-and the act establishing
the territorial government of New Mexico-the act
providing for the surrender of fugitive slaves-and
the abolishng the slave trade in the District of
Columbia-having become the law Of the land, and
obligatory on all sections States, communities and
persons ought to be obeyed; and the Executive
is bound by the most solemn obligation to see that
they enforced should any resistance be offered to
their execution.
s. Resolusd. That the people Of the slave-holdng
Staes yielded much in some of the measures of that
:. Compromse for the sake ofconciliaon and peace
with scarcely remuneratiny benefit in the passage
of the act for the surrender of fugitive slaves; that the
repeal of said fugitive slave law, would be manifest
breach of faith the part of Congress to which the
people OF the South cannot, ought not, askJil not,
quietly submit; and that in of such rep9aA the
realiaory measures the part of the slave-hoTdng
Staes hereinafter suggested, would be authorized
and demanded by the occasion.
6. Kesolred, That any system of organized opposi-
ton to the execution of the said fugitive slave law in
the non-slavehoding States, either by Legislative en-.
ac,nent, by police regulations by lawless violence,
or by overawng demonstrations of physical force, the
result of which shall be to render this law practically
uopeative will also Justify and require Of the slave
holding Slaes those retaliatory measures hereinafter
suggested.
most sincere and abiding attachment to the Union of
these States; that will maintain and defend the
Unon and sustain the constituted authorities of the
Government as long the same can De done consist
en,ly with the preservation of liberties, and the
enjoyment of those rights and privileges, which the
Union was designed to secure, and the Government
to proect; that it behooves the Southern States to
resort to eyery mode of redress incompatible with
the Constitutions before they should contemplate the
alternative of disunon and that if disunion must
COME they should act as throw the responsibility
on those who disposed wantony to insult us, and
to kvade rights.
3. hesolrcd, That in case Congress shall here
after so alter the laws of the last session establish
ing territorial governments as to apply to them the
principles of the Wilmot Proviso, should repeal
the law providing for the surrender of fugitive slaves
or so change that law as render it inefficient for
the accomplishment Of the purposes designed by it,
or should pass any law for the abolition of the insti
tu,ion of slavery in District of Columbia or in
terdctin the removal OF slaves ftom State an
other-lt will then be the duty of tine save-holding
States to send delegates to be appointed under author
itu of a,v to conventlon the business and authority
OF which convention shall be to devise and recon-
mend to the said save-holdng States respectively
such realiatory measures, not inconsistent with the
Constitution, as may be demanded by the exigencies
of the occaslon and with view to obtaining that
unanin,y and concert of action, without which all
attempts at redress will be in vain.
g. ResDLved, That it be and hereby is recommend
ed to the respective slaveholding States of the Unio,
to provide by law for the assembling of their Legis
laures for the purpose of regulating under the
thorty OF law, the appointment of delegates to said
Convention in of such change by Congress of
the territorial buis of last session. of the re-
peal or modification of the fugitive slave law be-
lore sugyesled the abolition of slavery in the
District Of Columbia, the inerdicton of the
val of slaves from State to another; and in case
OF the necessity of holding such convention, each
State should be- entitled to the number of dele
rates as it will be entitled to electoral votes for Pres
Hent and Vice President of the United States, under
the census just taken-the manner of appointing said
delegates be regulated by law in each State the
Legislature thereof may PROVIDE majority OF the
Idesgaes appointed to said Convention to constitute
la quoruu-lhe manner Of voting to be regulated by
the Convention itset-and that it shall be the duty
! Of said Convention when assembled, to devise and
Of aliotoru wiz.