Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-07-19
Nashville Observation-Disclosures Adopted at
its Meeting in June 1850.


this Union as their common property that the ctl-
zens of the several States have equal rights to mi
CRATE with their property to the Territories and
are equally entitled to the protection of the FEEDER
al Government in the enjoyment of that property
SO long as the Territories remain under the charge
of that Government.
g. ResoEped, That Congress has no power to ex-
clude from the Territory of the United States any
property lawfully held in the States of the Union,
and any act which may be passed by Congress to
effect this result is plain violation of the Consti
tuition of the United States.
3. RESOLVED, That it is the duty of Congress to
provide proper governments for the Territories
since the spirit of American institutions forbids
the maintenance of military governments in time
of peace, and as all laws, heretofore existing In
Territories once belonging to foreign powers which
interfere with the full enjoyment of religion, the
freedom of the press; the trial by jury and all 9TH
rights of persons or property as secured or re-
cognised in the constitution of the United States
necessarily void so soon as such territories be-
come American Territories, it is the duty of the
Federal Government to make such provision for
the enactment of those laws which may be expedi-
ent and necessary to secure to the inhabitants OF,
and emigrants to such Territories the full benefits
of the Constitutional rights that we assert.
4. Resolved, That to protect property existing
in the several States of the Union the people of
these State invested the Federal Government with
the powers of war, and negotiation, and of sus
tanning armies and navies and prohibited to State
authorities the exercise of the same powers
They made discrimination in the protection to be
afforded or the description of the property to be
defended nor was it allowed by the Federal Govern
ment to determine what should be held as property
Whatever the States deal with as property, the
Federal Government is bound to recognise and de-
fend such. Therefore, it is the sense of this
Convention, that all the acts of the Federal Gov
eminent, which tend to denationalize property of
any description recognised in the Constitution and
laws of the States or that discriminate in the de-
gree and efficiency of the protection to be afforded
to it, or which weaken and destroy the title of any
citizen upon the American territories, are plain
and papable violations of the fundamental law I'M
der which it exists.
5. Resolved, That the Slaveholding States can
not and will not submit to the enactment bv Con-
gress of any law imposing onerous conditions or
restraints upon the rights of masters, to remove
with their property into the territories of the Uni
ted States, to any law making determinations in
favor of the propretors of other property against
! them.
g. Resolved, That it is the duty of the Federal
Government plainly to recognise and firmly to
maintain the equal rights of the citizens of the
several States in the territories of the United States
and to repudidate Ike power to make discrimina-
ton between the proprietors of different species OF
property in Federal legislation. The fulfment
of this duty by the Federal Government, would
greatly tend to restore the peace of the country
and to allay the evaporation and excitement which
now exist between the different sections ofthe I'm
ion. For it is the deliberate opinion of this Con-
vention that the tolerance Congress has given the
notion that Federal authority might be employed
incidentally and Indirectly to subvert or weaken
the institutions existing in the States confessedly
| Edo
cause of the discord which menaces the existence
of the Union, and which has well nigh DESTROYED
the efficient action of the Federal Government it
self
7. RESOLVED, That the performance of this duty
is required by the fundamental law of the Union.
The quality of the people of the several States
composing the Union cannot be disturbed without
disturbing the frame of the American institutions
This principle is violated in the denial of the citi
zens of the slave holding States of power to enter
into the territories with the property lawfully ac-
quifed in the States. The warfare against this
right, is war upon the Constitution. The de-
tenders of this right, are defenders of the Consti-
tuition. Those who deny or impair its exercise,
unfaithful to the Constitution, and if disunion
follows the destruction of the right, they are the
| dlsunIoniStS.
8. Resolved, That the performance of its duties
upon the principles we declare, would enable Con-
gress to remove the embarrassments in which the
country is now involved. The vacant territories,
of the United States no longer regarded as prizes
for sectional rapacity and ambition, would be grad
ually occupied by Inhabitants drawn to them by
their interests and feelings. The institutions fitted
to them would be naturally applied by govern
ments formed on American ideas and approved by
the deliberate choice of their constituents The
community would be educated and disciplined I'M
der republican administration in habits of self
government, and fitted for an association as State
and to the enjoyment of place in the confedera-
cy A community so formed and organized might
well claim admission to the Union and none would
dispute the validity of the claim.
g. ResolUed, That recognition of this princi-
pie, would deprive the questions between Texas
and the United States of their sectional character
and would leave for adjustment without disturb
ance from sectional passions, upon considerations
of magnanimity and justice.
| TO- ReS0lUed, That recognition of this prin-
ciple would infuse spirit of Cancellation in the
discussion and adjustment of all the subjects of
sectional dispute, which would afford guarantee
of an early and satisfactory determination.
IL. RESOLVED, That in the event dominant
majority shall refuse to recognise the great consti
tutional rights we assert, aud shall continue to de-
nv the obligations of the Federal Government to
maintain them, it is the of this convention
that the territories should be treated as property
and divided between the sections of the Union, so
that the rights of both sections be adequately Sc
cured in their respective shares. That we a.
ware this course IS open to grave objections, but
we are ready to acquiesce in the adoption of the
line of SO deg. 80 min North latitude, extending
on considerations of what is due to the stability of
oI1ri inst lint