Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-04-27

section in which the clause concerning fugitive slaves is
found, stands the following clause:
The citizens each State shall be entitled all the
privileges and mmuntes OF citizens in the several States
Now every body admits that I" the cit of each State
those whom the States seveay, choose make SUCH
Virginia may establish her standard of cizenskp-and she
does and also may Michigan Massachusetts,; and
accordingly Masachu etis has given to the coored the
rights Of citizenship She imposes upon him the taxes
aud other obligations and gives him the rights with
other cit zens; and this brings him within the protection Of
the above clause in the constitution He 60 from
ports, armed with the rights of American citizen around
the wodto France, England Russia China, wherever
else sail carry him-and protection goes with him.
Every where the flag Of nation herads him and guards
him. But his voyage brings him into the habo Of the
publican slave States of this Union what becomes of his
boosted rights of citizenship that right guaranteed him by
this clause of the constitution He is instantly sezed
charge Of being guliy Of skin not coored like our
and thrown into prison. there remain long the
ship may remain port To show exactly how this thing
have taken pains find the law Of South Carolina upon
the subject and quote from the OF December 1922 the
| second section Of which is as follows:
Sec g any vessel shall any port harbor
this State from any other State foreign port having
beard free negroes of color cooks Stewards
mariners other employment beard of said vessel
such free negroes persons shall be liable be seized
and confined Jail until said vessel shall clear and depart
from State and that when said vessel is adv TO sail the
captain OF said vessel shall be bound carry away the said
free free OF color and pay the expenses
his detention and IN OF his neglect refusal do
be fined not less than 00O and imprisoned less than
months and such free negroes OF color shall be
deemed and taken absolute slaves and sold in conformity
the provisions of the passed December Goth, $780,
have time to upon the extraordinary charac
ter Of the particular provisions Of this section do desire
to excite unpleasant feeling by denunca,ion the enomy
of the latter part Of it. My object to hold up view its
plain and papabe unconsituonaly, and to demand Of
gentlemen of the South acknowledgment that
plant Just, and the removal of the grounds Of it. They
have heretofore only refused this but
attempt to bring the question before the legal tribunals Of the
country for trial Our have been into prison
and when Massachusetts, South Carolina Of the
respectable and eminent of citizens the legality
Of their imprisonment by appeal the Supreme Court Of
the United States he driven by mob violence from Charles
ton, under circumstances Of the grosest ndgnity South
Carolina then declared that she would submit the udg
OF the court upon this question and to this day. though
appealed to, dsdains TO answer but wrapped in her
notions OF State supremacy, maintains the silence depom
Sir this is wrong all wrong, and infinitely than any
thing which has been charged upon the North and
entitled to the most prominent place in the chapter Of
gressions and if at any time to sit down and have
general settlement Of sgtatng questonsan omnibus pa
cfcaonI must insist upon including this among the
rest At all events, long such laws remain upon the
statute books of the slave States, they cannot with much pro
prlely or grace, anagn US for want Of fidelity TO the
| constitution.
have contrased the principal grounds of complaint
on both Sides far the action of the General and State
Governments concerned There other lesser
OF disturbance OF good feeling such the periodical utter
ance Of needless harsh legislative resolves back and forth
the elimination OF Southern for the sin OF sayehodpg
and the ecrmnave abuse the character Of the aborng
free population OF the North. But these words-mere
broadsides Of words which regularly discharged inter-
vals They like The clouds Of Lilputian arrows well
calculated rate, but likely prove dangerous and
not worthy of place in the discussion grave Of
State policy. There at both ends of the Union
whose whole vocation to be the stirring up Of unkndy
and hostile feeling but the good of the great will
be sufficient corrective for that vice.
Thus much for what has been done and brought
to the consideration Of the which proposed be
adopted and which the of excite
en namely The question of the admission of California
State and of legislation for much of our acquired terri
tory as is not included within its limits.
have already announced my determination favor the
admission Of California, and shall strenuous oppose any
tempt to embarrass compcate that question: by uniting
any other with it. bill for the purpose is regularly
before this committee Let proceed discuss it, and al
other matters that members choose talk about for any
sonabe length Of time, and then settle it quiet and bust
ness like manner Of the result can have doubt if vi
t thus keep it free from improper membranes
And tEen sir to the Territories. have already traces
tie history Of events which have led the whole North to unit
in firm resolve to oppose the extension OF slavery into them
That resolve will stand and be enforced by votes when
ever votes necessary to cary it out This is what
called adopting the Wmot provso which is b.
no entitled, but which modern circumstances hav
given old and long sanctioned principle The principle
ITSELF and the words in which is embodied, older thar
the constitution It had its origin in the celebrated ordinance
Of 1887 and has been recognised and acted upon under al
| that day to this.
am about to 60 into discussion of the abstract
question whether the constitution contains any grant
Of power prohibit slavery from going into the Territories
know has been disputed, and still disputed by large
portion of the South, and by many of their able intellectual
and upright And know, also, tina, Of them
fully and freely concede it. while the North there hardly
be said be difference Of opinion about it. The application
of this proviso first attempted in connexon with the
Mexican territory, when Mr. WILMor moved amend
to the three million treaty bill voted for it then, be-
knew it would stop the in six weeks 1t would
have killed the appetite for acquisi outright and with it
the war fever would have disappeared It failed, however,
and have got the Territories and the question is,
shall slavery into them 1t abolished there by the
Mexican laws before acquired the Territories, has been
most satisfactorily demonstrated by Colonel BEsroS and it
cannot go there if fit to restrain it, We
called upon act in relation under the circumstances
they present themselves and freely admit that they
much changed within the past year. There for
cheering hope that the people of those regions themselves
only do not desire to have slavery among them, but that they
will resist any attempt to force it there.
The example Of California has been benefcenf and
gives great for the residue year ago there
general belief that slavery would fnd welcome in
California, and prepared resist its extension hher
with the determination that sppes New Mexico
But the people Of California have, by voe de-
clared that shall exist within their limits and
saved from the struggle which settlement Of that
ton upon this floor would certainly have brought upon u.s.
And we could have the satisfactory evidence in
relation to New Mexico, the necessity Of contest upon that
point also would be avered. All that want and all that
insist upon, is that slavery be extended there
L