The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-07-09
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN MCQUEEN.
CONCLUDED

CONCLUDED.
T am aware that to all this it will be replied,
that Garrison and his associates are a misera-
BILE band of fanatics and madmen, unworthy
of the notice of statesmen yet truth bears me
out when assert, that they have been, and are
the pioneers in fact, in this unrighteous crusade
against the principles of the Constitution and
the rights and honor of the South. They but
mark out the road, and all, with but very few
honorable exceptions, upon this fioor follow IN
their wake and so far as the practical results
to the South are concerned, it is of but little
Importance to what party they belong, or under
what name they are known. | know dlstinc-
ton is attempted to be kept up at the North
between those who are called Abolitlonists and
those who are not; hut SO far as the records
of this House will show, it seems to me 1t Is
distinction without meaning, unless they
mean that one party aim openly to accomplish
their object, while the others dlsavow 1t, yet
always vote with them when slavery Is con-
cerned Let us see for moment whether the
action of this House has not kept good pace
with Garrison and his band for the last fifteen
years. Then petitions for the abolition OF sla-
very could not be received; now, your Clerks
desk almost groans under them. As late as
1888, Athertons resolutions passed this House.
being separated, by votes from two to one t"
four.fiftis of this body, and are as follows:
81. Rexolred, That this Government is a
Government of limited powers; and that, by
the Constitution of the United States, Congress
has no jurisdiction whatever over the lnstitu-
tion of slavery in the several states OF the Con-
federacy.
"2 Resolred, That petitions for the aboli
ton of slavery in the District of Columbia and
the Territories of the United States, and against
the renewal of slaves from one state to anotli-
er, are part of the plan OF operations set on
foot to affect the institution OF slavery in the
several States, and thus indirectly to destroy
that institution within their limits.
"3. Rcsolred, That Congress has no right
to do that indirectly which 1t cannot do directly;
and that the agisation ofthe subject of slavery
in the District of Columbia or the Territories,
as means and with view Of disturbing or
overthrowing that institution in the several
States, is against the true spirit aud meaning
of the Constitution, an Infringement Of the right
ofthe States affected, and breach Of the pub
lie faith on which they entered into this Con-
federacy.
ID. Resolred, That the Constitution rests
on the broad principle Of equality among the
members of this CoDtederaey; and that Con-
gress, in the exercise ~f its acknowledged pow
ers, has no right to discriminate between the
institutions of one portion ofthe States and ano-
ther, with the view of abolishing the one and
promoting the other.
as. Rcsolued, therefore. That all attempts
on the part of Congress, to abolish slavery in
the DISTRICT of Columbia or the Territories. or
to prohibit the repoyal of slaves from State to
State, or to discriminate between the institu-
tons of one portion of the country and another,
with the views aforesaid, are in violation of the
Constitution, and destructive of the fundamen-
tai principles on which the union of these States
rest, and beyond the jurisdiction of Congress;
and that every petition, memorial, resolution,
proposition or paper, touching or relating in any
way or to any extent whatever to slavery, as
aforesaid, or the abolition thereof, shall, on the
presentation thereof, without any action there,
,on, be laid on the table without being debated,
printed, or referred.
Gentlesaen from the North make no prece-
dent of those resolutions and the vote upon them
now. As late "a 1912, the great abolition Il.
postlc and martyr from Ohio Mr., Giddings]
received the censure of this House for. offering
the 'I"wing resolutions:
81. Resoiued, That, prior to the adoption of
our e,leral Constitution, each of the several
States composing this Union exercised full and
exclusive jurisdiction over the subject of slave.
ry within it's own territory, apd possessed full
power to continue or abolish it at pleasure,
go Resolved, That by adopting the Con.
stitution, no part of the aforesaid powers were
delegated to the Federal Government, but were