The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-06-25
Nashville Convention.
SEVENTH DAY.
MONDAY, June 10Th. 1850.

Mr.. Chapman insisted upon the call, for
the passage of the resolutions Of the com.
mittee, the further consideration of which
had beer. postponed until to-day and it was
sustained The main question was then
put, and the resolutions under call of the
States, unanimously adopted, They arc as
follows;
/. Resolred, That the territories of
the United States belong to the people
OF the several States of this Union as
their common property. That the cit
izens OF the several States have equal
rights to migrate with their property to
these territories and are equally entitl-
ed to the protection of the federal gov.
ernment in the enjoyment of that pro-
perty so long as the territories remain
under the charge of that government.
?. Rcs0lpcd, That Congress has no
power to exclude from the territory of
the United States any property lawful
ly held in the States of the Union and
any act which may be passed by Com
greSs to effect this result is a plain
violation of the Constitution of the Uni
/ ted States.
3. ResoiUed That it is the duty of
Congresstoprovide proper governments
for the territories since the spirit of
American Institution iorbids the main,
tainance of military governments in
time Of peace, and as all laws hereto
fore existing in territories once belongs
ing to foreign powers which interfere
with the full enjoyment ofreligion---the
freedom of the press-the trial by jury
and all other rights of persons and pro-
perty as secured or recognized in the
consultation of the United States are
necessarily void so soon as such terri
tories become American territories, it
is the duty of the federal government
to make early provision for the enact
ment Of those laws which may be ex>
pedient and necessary to secure to the
inhabitants of and emigrants to such
territories the full benefit of the consti-
tutional rights we assert.
d. ReSotued, That to protect property
existing in the several States of the
Union the people ofthese States inves>
: ted the federal government with the
powers of war and negotiation and of
sustaining armies and navies, and pro-
hibited to State authorities the exer-
else of the same powers. They made
no discrimination in the protection to
be afforded or the description ofproper-
ty to be defended, nor was it allowed
) to the federal government to determine
, what should be held as property
Whatever the States deal with as pro-
perty the federal government is bound
to recognize and defend as such.--
Therefore it is the sense ofthis Conven-
ton that all acts of the federal govern
ment which tend to denationalize pros
, perty of any description recognized in
the constitution and laws of the States,
or that discriminate in the degree and
efficiency Of the protection to be ailor-
dcd to it or which weaken or destroy
, the title Of any citizen upon American
, territories are plain and palpable VIC.
lations of the fundamental law under
, which it exists.
5. 5.ReSoLCed, That the slaveholding
States can not and will not submit to
, the enactment by Congress of any law
imposing onerous condition or restraints
upon the rights of masters to remove
: with their property into the territories
ofthe United States, or to any law max
; ing determinations in favor of the
: proprietors of other property against
them,
| 6. ResOlUed, That il is the duty of the
federal government plainly to recognize
: and firmly to maintain the equal rights
G of the citizens of the several States ir
, the territories of the United States, ant
to repudiate the power to make dis
( elimination between the proprietors o.
G different species of property in federal
: legislation. The fulfllment ofthis duty
G by the federal government, woulC
! greatly tend to restore the peace Of the
: country and to aliay the exasperatior
C and exoitment which now exist be
!, tween the different sections of the Tn
r ion. For it is the deliberate opinion o
g this Convention that the tolerance Con
s gress has given to the notion that fed
: eral authority might be employed Incl
/. dentally and indirectly to subycrt o
G weaken the institutions existing in tn,
+ States, confessedly beyond federal juris
o diction and control, is main cause o
n the discord which menaces the exist
t ence Of the Union, and which has wei
night destroyed the efficient action o
the federal government itself.
: Z. Resolved, That the performance 0
this duty is required by the Fundamental
d law Of the Union. The equality Of the pee
Of pie fthe several States composing the Un
n ion cannot be disturbed without disturbing