North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-04-26

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for dinner A. J. Dargan, Esq. announced to our cit
zens his intention of running candidate in this
onoressional District. for election to the next Con-
gress, the representative OF said District. ;
w a had not the pleasure OF hearing Mr.. Bargains
sneech but understand he took the ground that he
is Whig-that he is not satisfied with the compro.
mise measures of 1s50-nor with the course pursued
nv the General Government towards the South
that for the sake of peace he is willing to abide by
said COMPROMISE if it be faithfully carried out-that
he believes in the abstract right any State any
time to secede from the Union but he not in favor
of secession the present time. &c. This, we be-
lieve, is substantially Mr.. Bargains position but as
we did not hear his speech We ready and willing
at any time to stand corrected, if we have in the
slightest degree mi5represented that gentleman.
After Mr.. Dargan sat down, Thomas S. Ashe,
ESQ.,, offered Daniel Webster's sentiment, to wit :
IS Liberty and Union. now and forever, and in.
seperable," which was heartily responded to, and
strongly applauded.
To this sentiment, rather to the time Of its in
PRODUCTION, w alter F. Leak, Esq, of Richmond OBJ
ected. We believe he took the ground that though
the sentiment well enough in itself, yet its intro
duciion at that time seeme. TO aim at throwing
damper over the sentiments uttered by Mr.. Dargan
and Mr. Leak expressed himself astonished that
southern man would give such sentiment at such
time, &c. Mr.. Leak did at all like the compro-
mise measures Of 1850 but for the sake of peace he
willing to abide thereby, provided the fugitive
carried out right He believed in the right
of State secede, and to choose its own time for
secession but did not think that secession expe-
dent at present. and he was not in favor of the
ure. This speech, well as Mr. Bargains, we had
not the pleasure of hearing; and if We have been
msinformed are willing to be set right.
Mr.. Ashe then got up and sustained and defended
the sentiment he had offered. He said he had never
conceived the idea that citizen of Arson county,
any one else in the Court House, would for mo-
object to the sentiment. and he was astonshed
to hear a speech made against it, Mr.. Ashe denied
the right of a State to seeede. There was no pow
er in the federal Constitution, in the construction
of any part thereof, under which State could pos
! VHSl- -
all laws made in accordance Herewith, were the SUI
preme laws of the land, and that every State as well
as every individual, bound to obey them such
That State could do any act at variance with, or
contrary the federal Constitution; and that as Sc
cession would be contrary to the intent and meaning
of that instrument, State had Constitutional right
whatever TO secede.
| Mr. Ashe thought the Supreme Court Of the Uni
ted States the proper tribunal for determining the
constitutionality Of law.
| Mr.. Leak asked Mr.. Ashe if he believed the
Chief Executive of the nation had the power-or
ought to exercise it if he had-o call out the troops
of the United States to oppose State in its sover-
eign capacity State. Mr.. Leak wanted MIR.
Ashe give positive and decided answer to this.
| Mr. Ashe said that it was net only the privilege,
but the duty, of the President TO that all laws
made by Congress under the Constitution were duly
executed. He sworn TO do so; and that when
he did not, he peured, and therefore acted wrong.
That when State in its sovereign any oher capac-
ny, acted against the constitution, any laws made
hereunder, it became the duty of the Executive to
all the power of the General Government 10 force
such State into subsection, even though the State
might be crushed thereby. He wished it distinctly
understood that the Executive had only the right,
but it his bounden duty to do so.
| Mr.. Leak asked Mr.. Ashe what course a State
North Carolina, for insiance-ought to pursue, if
Congress were to go outside the Constitution and
abolish slavery in the States.
! MIR. Ashe said that if ever Congress did such an
act, North Carolina would rise and resist
such usurpation to the death. Mr.. Ashe believed
that every State had this natural and nalienabe right
but that IL natural right, and not derived from
the United States Constitution; and that it
Ohufion reuOh and not secession.
| Mr.. Leak then minated to Mr.. Ashe that as the
! federal government was much stronger than any
the States or number of such States, there was
likelihood that such State States might be crushed
! in the struggle. and asked what then!
! Mr.. Ashe said that was very true; but that the
agrieved Stale States must trust the Justice Of
their and TO their God, did their fathers in
the revolutionary struggle, when fighting power so
! immensely superior to themselves as Great Britain
then
| Mr.. Ashe also stated that he merely gave the
timent, and made the few remarks which he did. as
a citizen of Arson county, as he had no intention
them or al any future time, of being candidate for
any office in the gift of the people.
! After Mr.. Ashe sat down Mr.. Leak again got up
and spoke for length of time. He admitted that
the General Government had the right to in
diriduah, but not Sntes; that it asonished him that
gentleman Of Mr. Ashes standing, abilities, birth
J
&c. He said that Mr.. Ashe well as himself could
trace with pleasure their blood back the heroes of
the revolution. Mr.. L. again stated that though he
was willing to abide by the compromise measures.
yet he could where the South gained thereby.
| He thought said compromise insult to the
South, and if he had been member of Congress at
the time of their passage, he would most assuredly
have voted against them. Mr.. Leak seemed to think
that under the fugitive act slave owner could not
recover his property, if he could it would cost
more than it would come to. He thought the Brit
ish Government the bottom of the slave agi-
ta,on, because they could not, with free labor, grow
therefore wanted slavery aboshe d. that they
might be all the footing. For this reason
| George Thompson was now in the country agitatng
the question, &c.
| Mr.. Ashe defended the views expressed by him.
I!e thought he could give good reasons for every
thing said by him. He thought the South had gain
ed by the COMPROMISE measures. Slaves could be
and had been brought back under the law. In fact
there was only place where the law had been
tally frustrated. That in Boston. That city
had, however, lately retrieved her character. Slaves
could be brought back from there proof of
ownership, &c., and he thought there every pros
pect of the laws working well. Mr.. Ashe thought
the South gained on the territorial question: Accord
iEg to the joint resolutions under which Texas
admitted into the Union territory belonging to that
State North of certain degree of latitude could not
have slavery thereon but that under the Compromise,
| the whole of such territory, we'll as Utah and
New Mexico, was thrown open to cit liens of the
slave States, and that Southern men had right
TO carry slaves to territory from which they be-
fore excluded. Mr.. Ashe loved the Union and " sh-
ed its perpetuity. That was the reason he offered
the sentiment which originated this discussion, and