Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-03-14

therefore the means cannot be implied. ~
The argument Of the North, stated briefly, is this
That the object of the power to legislae over the Ter
ritores to give them good government and that the
exclusion of slavery is necessary and proper to
secure that object The conclusion is warranted by
the premises even considering 1t general PROPOSE
ton without reference to our peculiar form of Govern
ment; taken in that eonnexlon, 1t is not only illogical
bat aroeous 1t is assuming that there an implied
power given to the head OF our political system to
against its members-a power stamp with reproba |
ton the institutions Of fifteen States Of the republic,
declare their institutions inconsistent with good govern
men and to forbid their adoption, desired by the
people, by the inhabitants OF the domain OF all
the States There lies the real question between US
This preension is not only warranted by the cons-
tuition, but brings you in direct collision with the tunda
mental principles of this Government and of all good |
government This Government established for the
protection of the rights of persons and the rights of
property OF the political communities which adopted It,
These are the primary objects OF all good government
The protection OF property the cornerstone OF indus
try, OF national progress, OF civilization Nc govern
stand i'll America ought to stand any where,
which brings IT, powers IN hostility i to the properly OF
positions which l assumed at the opening OF this Con-
gress. They ELECTED much animadversion from the |
press of the North and from people at the South
who are among but not of u.s. desire here again to
reaffrm them. | shall stand by them; if their malnte-
by the South costs the Union is your fault not
ours Our lives, our property our constitutional prlv-
leges all really involved in the issue. our posi-
ton offers us the fate OF Hay or, at best OF jamaica
or resistance to awless rule trust there nothing IN
our past history which ought to induce you to doubt
which alternative shall accept Though the Union
may perish, though slavery may perish, I my
counrymen never to surrender their right to equal
participation in The common property OF the republic
nor their right to full and ample protection OF their pro-
perty from their own Government. The day they do
this deed their tall will be like that OF Lucifer
TO rise again.
This general duty of Government to protect the pro-
perty OF the people so obviously just that it usually
admitted, with the qualification OF excepting slave pro-
perty. This very exception is but asserting in a more
odious form hostility rights The principle upon
which the exception pretended to be based u.s. that
lie q liar inst ic The
mon law of mankind. Ii slavery is peculiar instu-
tion have to reply then our Government is peculiar
constitutions Tor have already shown that both the Co.
vernment and the Constitution impregnated with the
peculiarly. The common law Of mankind" is at
best but an uncertain term. 1t wants many OF the
sental ingredients of good law 1t is difficult of as
certainment and more difficult to enforce tale its
best exponent to be the practice of mankip3. Tested
BY this rule the position Of our opponents unenable
There sno period in the history ~ human race in
which slavery has existed in great portion of the
earth. 1t was the universal practice of mankind from
the days OF Abraham until the formation of our con-
stution. twas expressly authorized and sanctioned
and was Mt that time the General law of 1on
Al the formation of our Constitution property in slaves
was recognised and protected in some form by every
civilized Government in the world If our constitu-
1ona ripht to the nroecton of orr slave nronerv ia to
be subjected to this new test this new invention of our
opponents " the common law of mankind we claim
to stand upon the law as it stood when the compact
was made 1t is the legal and lust rule of constituting
private contracts is equally Just when applied to the
exposition of public compacts 1t is the only mode of
arriving at the true sense and meaning of the parties to
the compact in relation to the test applied
Atthat day slavery was lawful in every country in
the world where it was not prohibited by law. The
dictum of Lord Mansfield to the contrary, in somer-
against the express decision of Lord Hardwcke and
other eminent English ursts the precise point and
was dsavowed fifty years afterwards in judicial dec
sion by Lord Stowe one of The most able learned and
accomplished of Englands Judges That such was
the common law OF these colonies, Lord Mansfield
himself in the case referred to- expressly affirmed and
that such was the understanding of the law by the States
who formed constitution concusively proved by the
fact hatemancpaton where has taken place has been
effected in every instance bnt one bv nrohbton
and it further shown bv the uniform protection which
this Government from its foundation, has given to pro-
perty in slaves without enonrv into its origin This
Government has no power to declare what shall or
What shall not be property or to regulate the manner or
places of its ENJOYMENT eycent in the cases Of nateut
rights and COW RIGHTS This mower belonos To the
State Governments to the exs,s anv where
Whatever any Of the States gnize as property is
the duty OF this Government protect. When places
itself in hostility property thus secured it becomes an
enemy TO the people, and ought to be corrected sub
verified This is question which affects the rights Of
all The States
ms IS the only rule which can preserve the harmony
OF the Union, and enable the General Government to
perform 1mpaltlay It's duties to States having different
interests and institutions We have no right to
PLAN, and we do not complain, OF policy which
contederates may impose upon their citizens, in re-
lation to slavery within their own limits; nor do we
complain OF the opinions of individuals in reference
IT. Massachusetts can send aboltonsts here il she
chooses, and she makes free use OF the right What
we have the night to demand, and what do demand is
that they shall not impress their ant-savery opinions
upon the legislation OF this government We neither
desire to force our policy upon her. will we submit
to have hers forced upon u.s. We offer her the power
and the resources of the Republic protect her proper
ty. We require the same for ourselves. What object
OF material wealth, animate inanimate, recognised
by the laws OF the Northern States have we ever failed
to protects None. When have we ever attempted, by
legislation or otherwise, to war upon their domestic
policy Never. We have not only protected her
wealth. "nen created or acquired, put we have done
IL,
by 4ur naVsauon laws we nave gwen her the monopo-
y VI our coasslag laoe; 1y olscrlmnatng .ar1s we
nave anu s'ua.ea Ihe arm o. het NOUS
ly ". nave loomeu WIN oui laws ner SHIPS Heigl
eG Wllh het properly anu hel marcy seanen IN pursuit.