Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-01

such an issue could be bedrterhilnctl between
the government ard a Sovereign Hsaia uf
this Union. Tam aware that the ehatet
is sometimes made that this bill seiIsd 6n
the SLAVE tetritors uf Texas. and dpbro-
priatcd it to fite soil. Nothing could be
further from ,ht truth. The 5iiiy direct
effect resulting from this measure upon thu
slavery question wac TO rcrfioec thB bFblh:
bition upon slavery III that portion 81 tho
coded territory brins above 30 deE, 30
min, which was put upot il Ia The articles
OF anntxationi when Texas SSus admitted
into the Union. This bin removes that pro.
hlbition, and submits to the decision OF tho
people OF the territory, when they come to
organize their State government, the qrcs-
tion whether Or not slavery shall consti-
tutc part of their socinl system This
bill, like the others which have consider.
ed, received the warm aud cordial support
of a majority Of sotithern REPRESENTATIVES,;
and encountered its bitlcrest opposition
from the frce-soil Representatives Of tho
North
The only remaining bill affecting oiF
territorial acquisition was the one for tho
admission ofCallfornia as State into thd
Union. This measure wus objectionable
to Southern men. though it finally received
the support ofnearly one-third Of tho re-
prescniaiives of the Souih IT, commoh
with majority of the South, entertained
objections to this bill preferred that d
territorial government should have becn
provided for California, as wds doie for
Utah and New Mexico, Ii would have
been more regular and appropriate modd
of fdisposing Of that portion Of the territory,
but the failure to do sol do not regard as
a violation Of Tho constitution or the rights
Of the South. In the admission Of CALI
iornia, Congress exercised n powdrcxprcsss
~ conferred upon It by the constitution,
"to admit new States into tho union;'' and
though our judgments do not wholly ap-
prove Of the exercise Of that discretionary
power in this nstantc Il constitutes no such
cause Of complaint against this gusertiticnt
as would justify the resistance which has
been Indicated by the enemies Of the Com
promise and the advocates of disunion.
The principle upon which California
was admitted Into The Union, with her con-
stitulion prohibiting slavery. has ever re-
ccircd the sanction of southern statesificn.
The principle denies to Congress tho right
to look into the constitution of State ask
ing for admission into tho Union. further
than to see that it is republican in its form
ofgo'crnment. Whether slavery $! all exist
there is question not for the consideration
of Congress. but 10 be determined by thu
people when they tipmc thclr State tonstl
tuition.
This doctrine was CLEARLY expressed III
the following resolution Introduced by Mr.
Calhoun into the Senate ofthe United States
IN 1917. IL was the annunciation Of a sound
constitutional principle. and am prepared
10 maintain its correctness:
"Rcs0ircd, That, as fundamental prini
riplcin urroiIical freed, a people in form
ing constitution, huvr tlic Unconditional
right 10 form and adopt The government
which they may think brst calculated to
secure liberty, prosperity, and happincssj
and that, u-contormity ,hcrciu, no other
condition is imposed by tho federal tbnsti.
tuition bn il State, inoriltr u hur utiiiission
into this Union. except that its constitution
be republicans; and that the imposition df
any other by Congress would not only bd
in violation Of The constitution, but III direct
{ tonillct with thcprinclplo Un which our pos
litical systcii rests"
The Bill for the suppression Of the slavg
Etradc in the District bf Columbia was OBJ
jectcd to by southern mcn principally on
the ground Of the penalty which Il provides.
The feature is taken from the laws Of Ma
+ ryland and it will be remembered that all
that now remains of the District was origi.
nally part of the State Of Maryland. In
1916 the Suite of aeorgn prohibited the
introduction OF slaves within this Stats fof
sale, under u penalty of Il fine of five hun
dred dollars, and imprisonment in the pcr-
itenliory for four yeurs, for each slave
brought into the stnte for sale. This law
was repealed in 1912 and rc-cnactcd in
ls43, and again repealed at the session df
lS49. The penalty for tho violation Of tho
District law is the liberation Of the slave.
which is. as have said, tic sanit penalty
provided by the Maryland law for viola.
ton Of their net upon the same subject
There was, as far as could learn, but ono
voice among the people Of the District on
this subject. They all desired it.
The fugitive-slave bill is the only rcfiain1
ing measure Of the Compromise to be con-
sidcrcd. ! wish it was practicablc, with
out extending this communication 10 tuo
great length, to incorporate into It tho lea
ding provisions the bill. II must suffice,
however, to state that II was prepared by
one ofthc mostcxtrcmc advocates Of SOUTH
crn rights in Congress. 1t contains every
provision that was demanded by tho S0uthy
and have yet to meet With the first man
who claims more at the hands of Congress
on this subject than this bill grants. Con-
grcss, in the adoption Of this bill, has, in
my judgement, exlibitcda Willingness and
determination fully to discharge the obi
gntiun which the constitution imposes for
the delivery ofour fugitive slaves.
have now rapidly referred to each Of
the compromise measures, and you will
sec that whilst, in the language Of the
Georgia convention, do not wholly up-
prove of all these measures, yet see in
them no violation Of our constitutional
rights, nor is therci in my opinion, anything
which iorl,ids on the part Of our people an
honorable acguicscencc in these measures
Such was the decision Of the people Of tho
State last fall, asrecordcd by their delegates
in the convention Of last November. Ill
did not regard the settlement ts fair and
honorable, | would not be found among
the advocates Of the Georgia platform. II
is not simply because Georgia has decided
the question that maintain her decision,
but because she has made wise, just. and
patriotic dccsion III thought that Gcor-
gia had made decision which subjected
her citizens TO terms Of inequality and de-
gradation, would, as a loyal citizen, sub
init to her wilt, until could induce hut IL
in my power, to abandon so humiating d