Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-06-28


jority But this resource cannot avail US
in the violation of the constitution, which
now press and b, the South. BY
changing their repi. .atiHes, how can
the people of The south effect the maiori-
ty in Congress and restore the constitu-
ton? Their representatives are true; and
have done all that men can do, to pre-
serve the constitution from the aggression
of the majority. Removing them, and
putting other Representatives. G Gongress,
could have no effect in restoring the con-
stitution. 1t has been broken by the
representatives of the people of the nor
thern States, who sustain them in their
violations ofthe constitution. lis clear
that the ballot-box in the south is power
less ftr its protection. And the same
causes which induced the violations of the
constitution by the northern majority,
prevents its restoration to its integrity
Throughout the northern States there has
been no indication of any change in their
policy. On the contrary, the majority
against the south is greater in the present
Congress than in the last, following the
usual course of every successive election
for years past. Nor have we seen in the
action of the States, with few exceptions.
any proof of a returning sense Of Of JUS
tice to us, or of reverence for the constitu
ton. Several of them, lest false inferen-
ces might be drawn,as to their position,
have taken care lately to reitcrate in the
most offensive forms their former declara-
ton againts our rights; and when a great
senator, representing one of them, anx-
ious for the perpetuation of the Union,
has ventured to advocate something of
justice to the south, he has been rebuked
by the Legislature of the state he repre-
sents, and virtually denounced for his
fidelity to the constitution. This resource
then, under the ordinary operations of
the constitution, is of no avail. And how
is it with the present Congress, the only
other source of redress in the usurl admin
| istration of the constitutions? For six
months it has been in session, and during
this whole period Of time slavery has
been the absorbing topic of discussion
and agitation. Yet nothing has been
done to heal the discontcnts which so lust
ly exist in the south, or restore a bleed
ing constitution. ill we have received
has been bitter denunciations of our insti.
tutions by many members of Congress,
and threats to coerce us into submission.
Although nothing has been done, report
has been made in the Senate by com
mittee of thirteen members, which is
now pending in that body; and as the
measures it proposes have been pressed
upon the South as worthy of her accep-
tance, we deem it proper to lay before
you brief consideration of the matters it
contains.
This report embraces four distinct meas
ures-lst the admission of California as
a State, with the exclusion of slavery in
her constitution Cd, Territorial Govern
ments to be erected over the territories OF
Utah and New Mexico, with nearly one
half of Texas to be added to the latter.
Sd. The prohibition of the slave trade in
the District of Columbia; and 4th., provis-
ions for the recapture of fugitive slaves in
the non-slaveholding States. To under
stand whether these measure are consis-
tent with our rights and worthy of our
acceptance, each of them must be consid-
cred separately;
The South is excluded by the bill
from the whole of that part of California
lying CT the Pacific, including one hun
dred and fifty thousand square miles of
territory; and if this is done by the legis-
1ation Of Congress, the mode in which it
is done is of no Importance. California
belongs to the United States, and all ac-
ton by the individuals in that territory,
whether from the United States or from
the rest of the world, appropriating the
soil to themselves or erecting govern
ment oyerit, is Of no validity. They con-
stitute people in no proper sense of the
term; but are citizens of the States or
countries from which they have come, and
to which they still owe their allegiance.
When therefore Congress attempts to
carry out and confirm the acts OF these in
dividuals, erecting California imoa State
and excluding slavery therefrom, it is the
same thing as if Congress had originally
passed law to this effect, without the
intervention of these individuals. The
exclusion of slavery from California is
donaa hx, fha oof ,>f 0o,,oraee anl hy NO