The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-07-05

the holding of slaves at all in the District of.
Columbia as.s't3 ~ sskt
For all these sacrifices to the interests and
prejudices of the people of the North the
South is rendered the last measure of the COM
promise-the fugitive slave bill as they pro-
pose to amend it To understand the.eytent
Of the concession the South receives on this
point, we must look to the rights the consiitu-
ton confers.
The trainers of the Constitution We're per-
feetly aware that the general Government
could have but little power to secure to them
their fugitive slaves in the non-sayeholdlDg
States. The whole internal police Of the State
must be under the control of the State, and by
this chiefly could slaves be re-captured. The
Constitution, therefore, not relying on the leg-l
islation of Congress alone, requires that fu-
gitive slave, escaping into non-slaveholding
State, shall be delivered upon claim of the
party" to whom he belongs. Fugitive slaves
are put on the footing Of fugitive criminals8
and are to be delivered up by State authorities.
! lfthese authorities do not enforce the require
ments of the Constitutios, and aid in the re-
capture and recovery of fugitive slaves, Con-
grees can do but little to enforce them. The
| bill providing for the cooperation Of the few
officers of the United States Government in a
State, is practically quite insufficient to accom-
plish its aim. What can they do in such a
State as Pennsylvania, 10 recover fugitive
slaves! Yet if Congress does all that it can
do, by legislation, to enforce the Constitution,
it only does its duty to the South, in giving her
only what she has right to have under the
| Constituton-unless indeed, the Constitution
! for her has no existence. The bill then, is, in,
the first place, quite inadequate to restore to
us our fugitive slaves, and in the second place,
| gives the South nothing but what she is enti-
( tied to. Ii this was all, there would be moth
| ing in the bill for which we should coneede any
| thing to the North. But it is not all. Under
| the pretext of bestowing on us benefit it per-
| petrates usurpation on the reserved rights of
| the States.
| It provides that slave may arraign his
master, by the authority of laws made by Con-
gress, before the courts of the States and of
the United States, to try his right to his free1
DOM If Congress can legislate at all between
the master and slave in State, where can its
power be stayed! Il can abolish slavery in
the States Thus power is assumed in the
bill, which virtually extends the jurisdiction of
! Congress over slavery in the States. And this
| is benefit to the South! Under guise of
benefit, the bill is useless as a remedy-and
/ HOISC blldit uSClcSo III lbo uout
are the various measures which constitute this
! compromise.
We do not believe that many of those in
the South who, at an early day, expressed a
willingness to support it, had well considered
its import, or ever contemplated supporting it
without material amendments. We fully ap-
preciate and duly honor the motives of those
who would restore tranquility to the country,
nor shall we impugn in any form those who
have Welded support to the measures. Why
the non-slayehoding States do not support
these measures we are unable to understand,
unless it be, that naughty fanaticsm, inflated
with success, disdains accomplishing its objects
by indirection. If these measures, however,
were really a compromise in which the South
had equal gains with the North, it would be of
doubtful expediency for the South to propose
it, Three times in Congress, during this con-
troversy, the South has proposed the Missouri
compromise, which has been three times re-
jected by the North. Twice she has proposed
compromise by which she consented to leave
it to the courts Of the United States to deter
mine her rights. Instead Of requiring sternly
their recognition by Congress, fifteen soyer-
eign States have consented to be carried into
the courts of the country, there to submit
their rights in the territory belonging to them,
to their final arbitrament Their humiliation
did not win the respect or confidence of the
North, and the proposition was twice rejected.
The South in our opinion, might accept one
other compromise, not because it is co-exten-
sive with our rights, but because it has been
twice sanctioned by those who have gone be-
fore us. If the North offers the Missouri Com
promise, to extend to the Pacific Ocean, the
South cannot reject it, provided distinct re-
cognition of our right to enter the territory
South of 36 deg. 80 min. north latitude, is ex-
pressed in the compromise. We should take
this line as a partition line between the two
sections of the Union; and beside this, nothing
but what the Constitution bestows. Although
the Northern States would acquire BY this
compromise three-f -fourths of our vacant terri
tory, they will have renouneed the insuiferable
pretcnsion of restricting and preventing the
extension of the South, whilst they SHOULD ex-
tend indefinitely. sFa m
Having thus, fellow-citizens, laid before you
statement Of your condtion-your rights
and the remedy which, under present circun-
!, stances, you should accept, we leave you for
brief space of time. 1t is proper to state to-
you, that while We are unanimous IN APPROX
J ing the resolutions accompanying this address,
the Delegates to this Convention are not en-
tlrely unanimous IN approving all lne afgu-
mens contained in it, particularly such as re-
late to the compromise bill, pending in the U.
S. Senate, though none are in favor of that bill,
unless it be amended in conformity with our
resolutions, or in such manner as shall sub
stantially secure to the South the right assert
ed in them. Until Congress adjourns, we cam
not know what it will do, or will fail to do.
! We must therefore meet again after its adj
iournment to consider the final condition in
which it will leave you We recommend to
you, and exhort you to send delegates from
every county and district in the Southern
States to meet US when we again assemble. 1t
J is no ordinary occasion which has assembled
us together The Constitution, and the Union
it created, so long dear to your hearts, are to-
be preserved, and your liberties and your ms
f stitutions maintained.
: Resolued That it is the duty of Congress to.
! provide effectual means of executing the End
section of the 4th article of the Constitution,
+ relating to the restoratiod Of fugtiyes from
service or labor, 40# 3as1 sae
3 Resolved, That when this Convention ad.
iourn to meet at Nashville, in the State of
: Tennessee, the 9th Monday after the adjourn
i ment of the present session of Congress, and
: that the Southern States be recommended to