The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-16
VOL. V.

OF the United States wss- to decide, in the last
resort, every question which should arise undor
the Federal Constitution. She can have No
right to pass law denying to the citizens or
other States all the privileges and immun;,i0o,
of the citizens of Missouri but she has . r;,,h.
to have her laws expounded by tho tr;h,,oat
provided by the Constitution. She has signed
the article prepared by yourselves which nro.
vides that, if she pass an unconstitutional Law
it shall be annulled by your courts" Nor has
South Carolina right to pass law denvino
to the citizens of other States all the immuni.
ties and privileges" of citizens of that St,te
but she has done 50, and now haughtily refuses
to permit the Federal courts to pass upon the
constitutionality of her act. OF what use. then
is the remedy indicated by Mr.. Lowndes
And yet these people occupying the position
of deliberate Volators of one of the most vital
provisions of the Federal Constitution, proyis.
ion taken from the old Articles of Confedera.
ton, and necessary to the Union of the States
in all the plentitude of profound reverence
for this Constitution, rigidly exact to the ninth
part of hair the fulflment of the slightest
stipulation which may be construed or pervert-
ed to the support of Negro Slavery!
Not content with the provision of the Consti-
tuition which simply restraints the States from
passing laws to discharge from service or labor
fugitives from Slavery within their borders-a
provision which, though against humanity and
an exception to State sovereignty, has been
uniformly complied with-they demand from
them active cooperation in arresting the fug-
tives This is the requirement of Mr., Calhoun,
although he knows that he can produce no
clause in the Constitution TO sustain it. And
there is now a bill before the Senate proposing
to make every postmaster every collector in the
Union an instrument in the work of slave
catching
Let this bill become a law, and instead of
men qualified to discharge the duties of the post
Office and custom-house, we shall have them fill
ed with the creatures of the Slave Power, eager
to swell their perquisites by the profits of negro
hunting
WIN the non-slaveholders of. the country bend
their backs to such burden VIII the people
Q, me soath =, * tssss..esssftlaa aayeSssz c.seA
itself who have not run mad on the subject of
slavery, lend their eOuntenance to such pol
icyl Do they not see that such exactions will
inevitably provoke countervailing legislation!
Multiply such exaetions, and you multiply
reasons for more vigorous anti-slavery action.
Just in proportion to your demands upon the
cooperation of non-slaveholding citizens in the
work of supporting slavery, will their hatred of
the system deepen.
The facts we have presented will show the
propriety of the resolution introduced a few
days since in the Senate, instructing the Com
mittee on the Judiciary to inquire whether any
legislation be necessary to secure the colored
citizens of some of the States the rights and inn
munites guaranteed by the Federal Constitu-
ton. Mr.. Calhoun has begun to demand adj
ditional legislation in favor of slavery, Mr. Hale
does wisely in requiring further Legislation in
behalf of liberty.