The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-06-26

10 The People Of De1awarc, Maryland,
Virginia, Nor1h. Carolina, South. Car
olina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
55sts mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky,
,ousiana, Teras, Missouri, and dr.
kaasas::
g FelloB Citizens obedience to the
commands of those we represent, we
q sg2,ave assembled together to confer with
sseh 6ssier concerning you= relation
;4fssith., lie gsa.sasyal Government and the
aon slaYe- holding States OF The Union,
onthe subject Of, the institution Of Slave.
Try. We deem it proper to lay before
you as briefly as the subject will per-
nit, tho result ofour deliberations and
councils.
In order that your condition may be
understood, and the conclusions at
:EyLich we have arrived be Justly apprc-
Grated, il is necessary briefly to refer
70 few past transactions.
1t Is now sixteen years since tho in
stitution Of Slavery in the South began
TO be agitated in Congress and nssaled
by our sister States. Up to tina, time,
ahc people of the Northern States seem
to have respected the rights reserved TO
the Southern States by the Constitution,
and to have acted under the conviction,
that the subject Of Slavery being be.
yond the Legislation Of Congress, all
agitation with respect TO il on the part
of Congress, was equally forbidden by
the Constitution. But at this time, q
portion Of the people of the North. be.
gan to assail, in Congress, the ins,itu.
tion ofSlavery, and 10 accomplish their
object ofdragging it into the vortex Of
congressional agitation, they claimed
the right Of petitionng Congress upon
all subjects whatsoever. AS petition
is only The first step in legislation, it
was clear that right TO petition legis.
iative body, must be limited by its pow.
ers of legislation. No one can have a
right TO ask Of another to do that which
he has no moral or legal right to do
Nor can any tribunal have the power
TO receive and consider any matter be.
yond its Jurisdiction. The claim ,hcre-
fore 10 present petitions TO Congress on
the subject Of Slavery, was considered
by the Southern Representatives gen.
orally, as an attempt indirectly, TO us.
sumo jurisdiction over the subject itself,
in all pnrts Of the Union. The object,
without disguise, was the overthrow Of
Slavery in the States; but our assaiants
framed the petitions presented, chiefly
against Slavery in The District Of Co.
Iumbia and our Territories, and
against what they call the internal
Slave trade-that is, the Transmission
of slaves from one Southern State 10
another. Conscious Of the fatal ten.
dency Of the agitation Of Slavery in
Congress, TO destroy the peace and
stability Of the Union, an effort was
made, supported by large portion Of
tho Northern Representatives, TO sup.
press il by rule in the House of Rep
rescntatives, which provided, that all
petitions OH the subject of Slavery,
should be neither considered, printed
oErefcrred. This rule was assaiIcd by
the people OF the Northern States, as
violating that clause of the Constitution
which prohibits Congress from passing
laws TO prevent the people from puacc.
ably assembling and pclilioning for
redress Of grievances. In December,
1914, this rule fell before The almost
unanimous voice cflhe North; and thus
the unlimited power Of introducing aud
considering the subject Of Slavery in
& Congress, was asserted In the mean
time. .tihn course of tho Northern pco
\ pie slowed clearly, THAI The agitation
a. 4 . T..