The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-06-06
[Ffoal the Charle.t,.n Mercury. ]

.
From the Charleston Mercury
The CoMPRoMIsE--TaE FuaITlvE Bit
- We briefly aud inperfectly noticed
two of the features of Mr.. CIayis
scheme, when we published his report.
The immediate admission Of California,
a so-called State, formed in contempt
of all law and reason-and the dismem-
berment of Texas, proposed under a
manifest threat, thar if she will not cons
sent to sell her territory, the United
States will take IL from her withourpay-
ment; these two features Of the plan
stand out in bolder reliefthau the Others
and naturally first strike the attention.
We shall have occasion TO say much Of
them hereafter.
But there is another matter not so
much on the surface, % which we now
call attention. 1t is of the most serious
import, though it is shullsd over as if
mere matter Of form in the report,
aud has been studlously kept IN the
back ground by the letter-waters in
Washington. The Committee of Thir.
teen reported back Mr.. Mason's bill
for the recovery offdgittve slaves, with
an amendment providing that the slave
on his return to the State from Which
he fled, may clam from the master a
trial by jury on the question Of his night
OF property. And the master, as con-
dtion on which he is allowed to take
back his slave, is to give bond that he
will submit the matter to such trial.
The pretext for such Legislation is to
prevent the kidnapping Of free colored
persons. Yet the Committee aver that
no instance of that offence has ever co me
TO their knowledge, and they manifest
ly believe it one ofthe many shams un-
der which Abolition carries on its war
against the property of the South -
Mr. Underwood of Ky.in the Senate a
few days ago, exposed this pretext of
kidnapping to merlted contempt, and
showed how absurd 1t was to suppose
that men would go off on a distant ex-
pedition, to commit an outrage equally
abhorent to the opinion and the law of
the South and North, with the mo st
slender chance of succeeding in the
6rst instance, and quite as little Of see
curing their prize in the second. He
did not believe such thing had ever
been done, nor do we, nor the Aboliti.
onists, but it serves the latter as point
of attack, and the more dishonest it is,
the better it suits both their spirit and
their purposes.
But the new project gives a substan
tive Importance to this sham, and makes
il The basis of most extraordinary ex.
ercise Of power on the part of Con.
gross. They propose to give rights to
the slave, aud to fix conditions to the
ownership of the master. They pene-
trate within the States, and seize upon
the relation Of master and slave as sub
ject to their jurisdiction, aud liable to
to be modified by their legislation
This is the first step, and The whole
North-the majority in both Houses
urging them on in a career Of aggres-
siVe measures.
The right of the States to the ex-
elusive control of relation Of master
and slave within their own borders, is
directly invaded by this. proposed law.
Ifthe Southern States submit itihey
allow to be established a precedent
for the intrusion of congress within
their borders, and the exercise of au-
thotity over the question nf slavery in
its most domestic character. They
surrender themselves into the power
Of their enemies. If this grossly un-
constitutional exercise of powers is al
lowed, does any one suppose 1t will
stop here? This beginning of the as
sertion of jurisdiction over domestic
slavery this presumingto to bestowrghts
upon The slave, and to impose conditions
to their ownership oflhe master. is a
foundation broad enough on which
to establish over us a despotism ofconS
.gress as absolute as that which tuned
the gardens of San Domingo into a
desert and carried the blight Of
poverty and vagrancy over the British
West Indies. 1t is distinct assertion
of power on the part Of congress to
regulate the relations Of master and
slave within the States. 1t is in fact
letting in the North-the majority
to determine this momentous matter
for us. Once give them a foothold,
and we oughtto know well what the
consequences will be. They "take no
steep backward" They avow that
their purpose is nothing less than the
utter DESTRUCTION Of the domestic in
stitutions of the South, and it would
indeed be most extraordinary ins
stance Of blindness, if we would choose
thisiyery time 10 invite them onsby an
acknowledgement Ofthelr right to legs
ialate for ns IN tba oneatiOn that lies