Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-06-21
NASHVILLE CONVENTION.


mittee to whom the whole matter was
referred. These resolutions were unani-
mously adopted on the seventh day:
The first resolution states that the ter
ritories of the United States belong to
the people of the several States as their
common property-that the citizens Of
the several States had equal right to mi
CRATE with their property to those terri
tories, and should be protected in the
enjoyment of that property, SO long as
the territories remain under charge Of
that government.
The second resolution sets forth that
Congress has no power to exclude from
the territory of the United States proper
ty lawfully belonging to States of the
Union and any act wnich may be passed
by Congress to effect this result, is plain
violation Of the Constitution of the United
States.
Third, Rcsolyed, That it is the duty of
Congress to provide government for
territories, since the spirit of American
institutions forbids the maintenance of
military government in time Of peace,
and all laws heretofore existing in terrific
rics once belonging to foreign powers,
which interfere with full enjoyment of
religion, freedom of the press, trial by
jury, and all other rights of persons or
property, as secured or recognised in
courts of the United States, are necessa-
rily void, so soon as such territories be-
come American territory. 1t is the duty
of the federal government to make early
provisions for the enactment of those
laws which may be expedient and neces-
sary to secure to the inhabitants and
cmigrants to such territories the full ben
eht OF their constitutional rights.
Fourth. ReSolved, That to protect pro.
perty existing in the several States of
the Union, the people of these States in
vested the Federal Government with
powers of war and negotiation and of
sustaining armies and navies; and to pro-
hibit to State authorities the exercise of
the same powers, they made no discrimi-
nation in the protection of the property
to be defended, nor was it allowed to the
Federal Government to determine what
should be held as property; whatever in
inc otates Is known as property, govern
ment is bound to recognize and defend as
such. Therefore, it is the sense of this
convention, that all acts of the Federal
Government which tend TO denationalze
property of any description, recognised
In the constitution and laws of the States,
or that discriminate in the degrees of the
efficiency of the protection to be afforded
to it, or weaken or destroy the title of any
citisen upon American territory, are plain
and palpable violations of the fundamen-
tai laws under which it exists.
Fifth. .Resolved, That the slavcholdimg
States cannot and will not submit to The
enactment by Congress ofany law impos-
ing onerous conditions or restraints to re-
move with their property into the Terri
tories of the United States; making dis.
examinations in favor of other property
against them.
Sixth. Resoloed, That it is the duty of
the Federal Government plainly to re-
cognise and firmly to maintain the equal
rights of the citizens of the several States
IN the Territories of the United States,
and to repudiate the power to make a
discrimination between the projectors Of
different species ofpsoperty in the Feber-
al legislation The fulfilment of this du-
ty by the Federal Government would
greatly tend to restore the peace of the
government itself
Seventh. Resotved, That the perform.
ance OF this duty is required by the fun.
damental law of the Union-the equality
of the several States composing the Un.
ion mot be disturbed without disturb,
ing the fame of the American institutions
this principle is violated in the citizens
OF the slayeholding States, if power tc
enter the territories with the property
lawfully acquired be denied-the war.
fare against this right is war upon the
Constitution, and the defenders of this
right are defenders Of the Constitution
Eighth. Resoloed, That in the per.
formance of its duties, upon the princi
pie we declared, it would enable Congress
to remove the embarrassments in which
the country is now involved. The vacan
territories of the United States, no lonee
regarded as prizes for sectional rapacit,
and ambition, would be gradually occu
pied; the inhabit;. is drawn to them b,
their interests and fee ing; institution,