The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-20
ADDRE ss
To the People Of Maryland, Vrgiaia, North
Caroline, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
.aLaban.a, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Teras Missos,y; mud arLoasos

icIdS, SutSSOt1t, utu sIfhuHSuS.
FELLow-ciT IzE Ms: In obedience 10 the commands
OF those We represent we have assembled together
TO confer with each other concerning your relation
with the General Government and the non slave
holding States OF the Union on the subject OF the
institution OF slavery. We deem IL proper TO lay
before you, as briefly the subject will permit,
the result of our deliberations and councils.
In order that your condition may be understood,
and the conclusions at which We have arrived be
justly appreciated il is necessary briefly 10 refer to
few past transactions.
Ii Is now sixteen years since the institution Oh
slavery in the South began TO be agitated in Con-
time the people of the Northern States seem to
have respected the rights reserved " the southern
States by the Constitution, and TO have acted under
the conviction that the subject OF slavery being pc
yond the Legislation OF Congress- all agitation with
respect 10 il on the part OF Congress was equally
forbidden by the Constitution. But, at this time,
portion OF the people Of the North began 10 assal
in Congress the institution Of slavery; and, to ac
compsh their object Of dragging 1t into the
vortex of Congressional agitation, they claimed
the right Of petitioning Congress- upon all sub
jects whatsoever, AS petition 10 only the nrst
step in Legislation, il was clear that right to
petition a Legislative body must be limited by its
powers of legislation No one can have right to
ask of another 10 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 beyond
Its jurisdiction The claim therefore toprescpt peti-
tons Congress the subject Of slavery was con-
sidered by the southern representatives generally
the subject itself in all parts of the Union The OBJ
ject without disguise, was the overthrow OF slavery
in the States, but ASSISTANTS framed the petitions
presented chiefly against slavery in the District OF
Columbia and our TERRITORIES, and against what
they call the internal slave radethat Is, the trans
mission of slave from southern State to another
Conscious Of the fatal tendency Of the agitation OF
slavery in Congress to destroy The peace and sta
bility of the Union, an effort was made, supported
by large portion Of the northern representatives,
TO suppress IT by rule in the House OF Representa-
tives, which provided that all petitions on the sub
iec Of slavery should be neither considered printed
nor referred. This rule was assailed by the peo-
pie Of the northern States violating that clause OF
the Constitution which prohibits Congress from
passing laws to prevent the people from peaccaoiy
assembling and petitioning for a redress OF griev-
ances. In December, 1874, this rule Tell before
the almost unanimous voice Of the North; and
thus the unlimited power of introducing and con-
siderng the subject OF slavery in Congress was
asserted In the time, the course of the north
people showed clearly that the agitation OF sla-
very in Congress was only one OF the means they
relied to overthrow this institution throughout
the Union Newspapers were set up amongst them,
and lecturers were hired to go abroad to excite them
againt slavery in the southern States. Organiza-
tons formed to carry of slaves from the South
and to protect them by violence from recapture.
Although the Constitution requires that fugitive
slaves, like fugtives from justice, should be rendered
up by the States to which they may have fed, the
Legislatures Of almost every northern State, iaith
less to this treaty stipulation between the States,
passed laws designed and calculated entirely to de-
feat this provision Of the Constitution, without which
the Union would never have existed, and by these
laws virtually nullified the act OF 1874, passed by
Congress to aid its enforcement. Not content with
the agitation of slavery in political circles, the north
people forced it also into the religious assocla-
tions extending over the Union, and produced
separation Of the Methodist and Baptist churches.
The result of all these various methods OF assallng
slavery in the southern States, was that IT became
the grand topic onteres and discussion IN Congress
and out of Congress, and one OF the most important
H. UT....x tttp-
ton, belonging to the southern States exclusively
was wrested from their exclusive control; and, IN
stead of that protection which ID the great object OF
all governments, and which the Constitution OF the
United States guarantees to all the States and their
institutions the northern States, and Congress I'M
der their control, combined together to assail and
destroy slavery in the South. The southern States
did nothing to vindcate their rights and arrest this
course Of things The Mexican war broke out /;
and, instead OF that patriotic cooperation oil all
sections Of the Union, which would have taken
place in the better days OF the Republic, TO bring II
to just and honorable conclusion, in the very hrs
appropriation bill to carry it on the North endea
vorcd 70 thrust the subject OF slavery. Throughout
the war, they kept up the agitation; thus clearly
manifesting their determination that the General
Government, in none of its operations internal or
external, shall be exempted from the introduction
Of this dangerous subject. The war closed with
honor; and an immense territory was added to the
United States. Their previous threats were real
lied; and the non slavehoding States Immediately
claimed the right oexcude the people OF the south
States from all the territory acquired, and to
appropriate it TO themselves II this pretension
arose from a mere lust of power, 1t would be hard
to bear the superiority and mastery II implies IL
would degrade the southern States from being the
equals Of the northern States TO position OF colo
NAL inferiority. But when your exclusion Is not
from a mere lust Of power, but is only further
step in the progress Of things, aiming at the aboli
ton Of slavery in the States by the extension and
multiplication Of non-slavebolding States IN the
Union, the pretension Is TO be as alarming az
4 ia
gislaturcs, set forth, with great unanimity, the
rights in our Territories belonging to them in com
mon with the northern States, and declared their
determination TO maintain them and, hnding IN
the northern States disposition 10 abate their de.
mands, the convention in which we are assembled
has been brought together TO take counsel as To the
course the southern States should pursue for the
maintenance of their rights, liberty, and honor.
Such is n brief but imperfect statement oil past
transactions; and they force upon US the question,
in what condition do they place the southern States
And fret, what Is their condition In Congress! Inc
time when your Representatives in Congress
were neither offered nor would they endure reproach
in your behalf But for many years past they have
heard you in Congress habitually reviled by the
most opprobrious epthets, account OF the nstitu
ton OF slavery. II their spirits yet unbroken
they must be chilled by sense Of humiliation al
the insults they daily receive your Representa-
tives. You are arraigncd as criminals. Slavery
ia dragged into every debate, and Congress has be
come little else than grand instrument In the
hands of Abolitionists TO degrade and ruin the
South. Instead Of peace and protection, aggres
sion and insult on the South characterize its pro
ceedings and councils. And what Is your condi.
ton with respect to your sister StateE Where Il
that respect and comfy which (due from all ma
tons towards each othcr) is more especially due
from States bound together in a confederacy, anc
which once displayed in all their intercourse
Instead Of respect and sympathy, pronunciation
and hostility on account OF your institution o
slavery have for years past characterized th'
COMMUNICATIONS addressed 10 you by the northern
States. And what is your condition in the Union
The non -siaycholding States stand combnednotonlJ
10 wrest from you your common property, but
place upon your front the brand OF inferority fot
are not 20 extend, account OF your institutions
but they are 10 increase and multiply, that tn
shame and sin Of slavery may, by their philanthro
pic agency, be cxtinguishcd from amongst you
But the worst feature OF your condition n, that IT
progressive As low and ting as IL now maj
be- IL is destined If not arrested, to "a lower deep
Every effect has cause and the spirit Of anaticisn
brooks delay in the progress II creates. III yo'
were to yield every thing the North now require
abolish slavery in the District Of Columbia--submi
10 be legisatcd pirates for conveying slaves from on
State 10 another-let trial by jury and writ OF ha
ha