The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-31
The Rights OF the Slave States.

At the first Congress, under the Constitution,
the ordinance Of 1887 was put in operation, in
the North west Territory. The whole Of the
powers of the Federal Government TO suppress
the slave trade were employed in 1894, and, on
the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory il was
suppressed there. No other legislative inter.
ference was made. Parties were organized in
the first ten years of the Constitution, and, in
the organization, sectional ideas and preferences
ar clearly dstinguishable 10 some Of the policy
of the country, jealousy Of Western growth
is visible. We hnd however, no distinct ex-
preston Of these jeaousies, as growing out of
the interests of slavery, until the acquisition OF
Louisiana. A portion of the public men of the
North approved Of the treaty OF cession, although
opposed to Mr.. Jefferson.
Their approval was based, among other
grounds upon the strength the Northern States
would receive thereby. Gonverneur Morris,
after enumerating the surprising advantages of
Louisiana, for soil, situation and productions,
over the remaining Southern States, asks
What of all this This will show that Loui.
siana must cripple the commerce and culture of
the Southern States, which circumstance will
produce spirit Of jealous enmity between the
States and their Western rivals. This will show
itself in the two Houses of Congress soon after
the new country shall be represented We, on
the contrary, 80 far from being in competition
with the planters of Louisiana, are their useful
and, may say, necessary, commercial agents
Good management, therefore, on our part, cannat
fail 10 concilidte them. So that, unless we ar.
wanting to ourselves this Southern domain, in
stead Of reducing the Northern and Eastern
States to be mere cyphers, may render them ar
biters, IN other cords, rulers of the Union. In all
this, it is supposed that our Constitution should
endure, notwithstanding the attacks Of ignorant
zeal, the great addition to a country full large
enough before, the wealth pouring in, on full
tides of commerce, the corruption Of manners
and those incidents of time and chance which
give vigor and effect to the spirit Of innovation
Whenever the period shall arrive which sProv-
dei,ce may have designated for the change of
our organization, may be presumed that force
not argument, will decide on the form to b
adopted by those who NAV then be in political
connection. But in the probable situations, pre-.
vious and subsequent to that event. the nerve
and industry of the North must prevail over the
industry of the South"
We see, in this, antipathy. Under cores
ponding feeling, opposition was made to the nc
QUESTION of Louisiana. The apprehension that
the power Of the slaveholdng States would be
unduly increased, was the only foundation for
this feeling.
The admission OF LOUISIANA was declared BY
Mr.. Quincy, of Boston, on the floor of Congress,
to be 80 fragrant violation Of the Constitution
as to authorize dissolution Of the Government
forcibly, if necessary, peaceably, If possible
The Hartford convention, for the first time dur
ing the existence of the Government, introduced
the curtaiiment Of slave power into political dis
cusslons. One Of the demands of that conven-
ton was, that no more slave Stntes should be
admitted into the Union, and that the compro-
nise. in regard to slave representation. should
DO removed from the Constitution.
saDuring this period Of our national history. tho
cuntroversies which divided the country were
essentially the work of politicians, and were di.
rected against politicians and parties Demo.
cratic ideas had not taken so firm hold Of the
popular mind; and men regarded at that tmc,
the public authorities and representatives as
responsible for obnoxious policy One commu-
rity did not look upon the representatives of
another as agents or machines but ar rulers,
giving mould and form TO the policy of the
State. Probably. the fact was, they did so, as j,
is nov the reverse
We proceed with our history, and refer now
10 tho debates on the restriction sought TO be
imposed on Missouri, when she presented her
self Ger admission 10 tho Union
Mr. fules, in the able speech, the title Of