Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-05-25

collect that the whole sovereignty OF the Nortn
West territory was vested in Virginia. II she
welded by deed of gift, no other state could OBJ
iact to the conditions imposed by the old Congress.
Rut in the case of territory acquired by the blood
and treasure of the whole Union, the present
Congress has no RICH. to exclude the citizens and
nroperty of any State. The clause of the Con-
stitntion which gives the power to make all
needful rules and regulations respecting the terri
tory or other property belonging to the United
States" goes on in the self-same sentence to de-
clare that nothing in this Constitution shall be so
construed as to prejudice any claims of the United
States, or of any particular State" Surely it
would prejudice the claims of Virginia if Con-
gress were to declare in effect by the Wilmot
Proviso, that no Virgnian should take his slaves
to the new territories Where all are interested
all should have equal right to participate. 1t is
under the Constitution that we all claim, and 1t is
inconsistent with the idea of equality to admit
that one section of States have rights superior to
any other. Let US suppose that cuzen OF some
Northern State were to come III our midst ana
proceed to purchase slaves-We might say TO
him .swe will not allow you to hold slaves here
your people have entced or harbored our SER
yants-vour Legislatures have injured and insult
on ms with their statutes" If such language were
ad ressed to a citizen of Vermont or Ohio, how
quietly would he point to that clause of the Con-
stitution which declares that the citizens OF each
State shall be entitled to all the privileges and
immuntes of citizens in the several states, -
and vet when we present ourselves on the borders
of California or New Mexico, where the same
Constitution protects, and the blended stars wave
over us, we are thrust back with the declaration
that it is free so-which, being interpreted, means
that none but Northern man can make tree with
it! Let us suppose on the other hand, that these
territories had been filled up at first by Southern
citzens-this is a violent suppostion, own-tor
he must be fleet of foot who could distance in the
race for gold that people
C who issue forth,
Some South, West, some everywhere but North"
it happens now, as in the days of Samuel, that
Jonathan is always the first man to put his hand
in the honey-comb But let us suppose that the
new territories had been filled up at first by
Southern citzens-could we have excluded the
Northern man. or would we have attempted it?
But we are told that the exclusion of slavery
from the territories is point of principle with the
North. We might answer that there is no higher
principle than justice-with the South principle,
interest, honor, self preservation, are involved Ii
is the proud but proper spirit OF men who resent
unauthorized and unwarrantabe interference-lt
is the uncomfortable scorn of a people who are
falsely accused of cruelty and crime by peders
of philanthropy; and hucksters OF humanity--lt
is the lust Indignation of vrtuous and tree people
who are daily reviled by men whom they do not
acknowledge as superiors, and who would deny
them their Just rights by the assumption of a purer
morality and loftier natures.
The South is not responsible for the existence
of slavery, and when she chooses to abolish it
she can do it, wisely and humanely, without the
assistance of those whose ancestors were instru-
mental in fixing it upon her, The slaves of the
South will be led from the house of bondage under
holier influences than spring from abolition soce-
ties, and with pUrer guides than the Stewards and
Hales. In the mean time we are consoled by the
reflection that no where on the face Of the globe
exist such kind relations between master and SER
want, as in the Southern States--that the four
millions of slaves our continent are blessed
with more of comfort, civilization and religious
instruction, than all their race in Africa beside.
We would remind the people OF the North, too,
that in the Decalogue which warns us neither to
bear false witness against our neighbour, nor TO
covet his man servant or his maid servant, there
is still no Introduction of slavery-on the contra
ry, they will find that even amid the thunders OF
Mount Sinai were handed down the rules and re-
gulatlons which should govern the intercourse OF
masters and servants throughout all time. We re-
member also that the children oflsrael were allowed
to sublugate tribe in their promised land and
condemn them to perpetual bondage But in the
full blaze of the light which beams upon us from
Ohio let us picture to ourselves new Exodus. Let
us suppose that in the inscruGble ways of Provi-
dence-under those mysterious dispensatlons by
which Baaam's ass was made to speak, and Judas
1scariot became an instrument OF Divine VIII, cho-
sen people, shall be guided, not by the son OF Nun,
but bv the modern Joshua of the Western Reserve,
His intense philanthropy and superior wisdom
would improve upon instructions from on High.
He would lift his voice to all the tribes He would
stop them on the banks of the Jordan exclamlng,
"Stay! have some friends upon the other side,
the Gbeontes--I fear that you will make them
hewers of wood and drawers of water. You can
not 90 into the new territories. You shall not
enter into the inheritance which the Lord thy God
hath given thee, until ], wiser than lie, have
spread over the whole land of Canaan, the saving
grace and healing influence of the Wilmot Pro-
yiso."
Virginians are sometimes told, boastfully and
tauntingly by Northern men, that 1t is IN truth
Jefferson Provso" upon which they build their
faith Let them see to il that the people OF the
South are not reminded of another production OF
that great man--the Declaration of Independence
"Of two such lessons, why forget
The nobler and the manlier onei
If that distinguished patriot were now liv-
ing believe he would be the first to denounce
the aggressions of the North, and the insulting in
gratitude of the Northwest. He would speak to
them as he spoke to Britain in '76. He would
appeal to their native Justice and magnanImty
and conure them by the ties of our common KIN
bred to disavow those usurpatons, which would
inevitably interrupt our connexions and correspon-
dence"-and when he found them " deaf to the
voice ofjustice and consanguinity," he too would
have "acquesced in the necessity which de-
nounced our separation" Indeed, we are not left
to mere conjecture on this subject. In writing to
Mr. Holmes on the Missouri question, he express
es the mournful sentiment that he will die in the
belief that the sacrifices of the revolution were
useless-and begs the people of the North (for
such he must iniend) dispassionately to weigh
the blessings they will throw away against an abb
sract principle, more likely to be effected by union
than by scission-and that they should pause be-
fore they perpetrated this act of suicide on them
selves, and treason against the hopes ofthe world