North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-06-14
MR.. sHEPAKD'S REPLY.

RALEIGH, June Sn0, 1901
r,,, Won will believe me that it is with |
49, 80 rrofound gratitude ard deep sense OF your
kindness towards me-a kindness, at once unexPect-
cd and unmerited-that your communication mas 'n.s
day been received to which now propose TO suomi
hands that our respectable representative In
0ress recognizes the right of State in its sovereign
capacitv to secede peaceably from the Union. lis
not less clear that an overwhelming majority, lhue
almost the entire voice of the popular party together
with portion of the opposition in this District en-.
terrain the same opinion; while the Intelligent ana
intiuen tal members of the Wing party regard such
RIGHT as Inconsistent with the spirit OF our nstltu-
tons and the very nature of the government ITSELF
and hold its exercise f it have any real exlstence)
as visionary and impractcable 1t may. therefore,
well be questioned as TO what extent anu "o" ""o
! opposition should arlse !
While everv one, gentlemen, at this juncturo of
public affairs, have socitude as to the future,
the Republican party have much cause to be proud
that they have had but little agency In producing the
present state of things; and that their principles,
triumphant now in most of the States, and derived,
as they are from the only trde reading OF the Con-
s,uton afford the safest rallying point for all the
friends of our system of government. These prn-
cples are still what they in the days OF yore
and they have become the Latcs IF the land In the
present Tariff and Independent Treasury: They are
generally acquesced n-at any rate, their opponents
do not deem it prudent attack them and this IS at
once tribute their intrinsic excellence as 1t Is
confession of their proprety, justice, and adaptation
to the true policy of the country. And, verify be-
lieve that if the Republican party had remained IN
powerand their hadprevaed in the federal coun
ellis, we should have had peace, concord, and good
will, this hour, the paramount question OF the
day. hold the institution of slavery Il mean do
mesiic slavery be moral and political blessing;
yea more, gentlemen, deem 1t to be absolutely es-
sentia-a sine qua non-fnot the exisence,at least
to the preservation and continuance OF political lib
erty-I recognize that the people, in case OF lntol-
erabe oppression either as It respects persons or
property, have right to throw oil their allegiance
and form a new government. 1t appears to me that
the federal Legislature has PoDer either to agltate
or to act upon this question, except In relation to u-
gtves from service in other words, the doctrine of
non-nterfeence, defeated in ls4s seems essential to
the preservation of the institution itself, OF the rights
of the States, and indispensable also to ;he pub
lie peace and a'mony. need not remind you that
other doctrines, under other auspices, have OF late
prevailed and the fruits Of these doctrines are
now compelled to taste and realize in all their bitter
ness. By departures from the Constitution, and by
aggressions upon the rights OF the States, as the re-
suit of the departures the Union has been brought
the verge of disruption, and peculiar institution
only crcumscribed, but menaced with ultimate ex-
tinction where it now exists. Under the guse of
'' compromise we have had aggression instead OF
receiving JUSTICE we have been compelled TO submit
to wrong and after having made concession upon
concession for the sake of the Union, still
far ever, fear, from the enjoyment of that repose
and that quiet for which these concessions were
made.
BY this compromise, to which have alluded, Cali
fornia brought into the UnIon-Texas was dis
m6n06reQ-l6TrltOTldIg governments were eSIdOIlSn-
ed for Utah and New Mexico-the slave trade
abolished in the District of Northumberland the fng-
tive slave law was adopted. Let me briefly examine
these measures.
California won from a common enemy by the
common blood and We did not ask Con-
gress establish slavery there, but to erect terrific
rial government without the Wilmot Provlso and
leave slavery 10 take oil itself. W hat was done
Congress and the Legislatures of the free States.
agitated against slavery in that region, and the slave
holder told by eminent statesmen both oftheN orth
and South, that the Mexican laws on the subject
would of themselves prevent his removal to that
country. In addition to this Congress refused to
tablish territorial government, while the Executive
secretly favored the erection of State in that pro-
VINCE 10 enable him TO escape a veto or an APP
prevail of the W not Proviso the people of the free
States rushed in, framed government applied for
admission a sovereign, were admitted by ma
jorty Of the votes of the free States and, at that
time, solely because they had prohibited slavery and
thus the Southern people were forever deprived of
the priv iege of grating with their property IL the
shores of the Pacific, and cut off by the act,
deliberately performed of their government from
all participation in the advantages and benefits of a
province which their swords and their treasure had
contributed to purchase.
Texas possessed some sixty millions of acres
which claimed by New Mexico. Texas was
sovereign-New Mexico was not. Texas had es-
tabshed her limits by the sword, and we received
her into the Union she offered herself, with her
| limits defned-New Mexico property and had
been bought Texas paying portion of the purchase
money. These sixty millions of acres were slave
, soil-New Mexico, it claimed, free soil un.
der the operation of the Mexican laws. What was
done The President threatened to make war or
Texas on behalf of the claim of New Mexico; and
Congress, in order to the UliOn suppose offer
ed Texas $lOO0O,OOO for these acres. The offer
purchase and the purchase implied her right to them
for how could she sell what did not belong to her
Ragged beggar as she was, the offer was accepted
she needy, and she took the brbe and thus wert
the slaveholding States compelled to contribute
their own money, by the action of common govern
ment, TO purchase sare sol! Which to establish, du
= time, free State!
J. Territorial governments established for Utal
1t and New Mexico. This simple act of justice
long delayed. Here the Proviso not applied be
cause, in the opinion of Messrs. Webster and Clay
it was not considered necessary; if it had been, yo
have their recorded declarations the effect that the
. would have sustained it.
If The slave trade was abolished in the District
Columbia North Carolina declared, by large major
10 tiles in her Legislature in 4S-'49 that the enact
t. ment of any law by Congress which shall abolis
slavery the sLaUe trade in the District of Columbia
re would . be act not only of gross injustice an
wrong, but the exercise of power contrary the
ID meaning and spirit of the Constitution, and neve
lie contemplated by the trainers thereof. The act ha
TX been passed-the gross injustice and wrong - hav
10 been perPetrated-and we now called upon az
prone that act Are those who think proper to PR
test against it, to be denounced agators and dist
- nionists Is disqualification necessary pgred
st en of modern patriotism? Is political inconsistent
III the best criterion of craftsmanship? If Congress
can constuonay abolish the slave trade in the Dis
r. trct of Columbia, that body abolish the institr
nd ton itself in that Distrct-for the power to do tn
It's former carries with 1t the power to do the latte
in Congress has no jurisdiction, anyUere, the inst