The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-21


protest entered and known; all this has been don
by the Federal Government without any warran
OF ne Constitution, and against the sprit of equit
and justice.
Your committee are Of opinion, that under pre-
tence OF adjusting the boundary Of Texas in or
New Mexico, aud in aboishing the slave trade II
the District Of Columbia, the Federal Governmen
has manifested spirit Of aggression upon South
ern rights against which it is believed this Stat
should enter her solemn protest.
The extraordinary claim of power recently as
serted at Washington, that the Federal Govern
ment had power to make war upon the State o.
| Texas has been under the consideration OF your
COMMITTEES, and they are of opinion that the Fed
eral Government is the creature Of the States and
| has been entrusted with the command OF armies
and nave,. to defend the States, and not for the
purpose Of making war on them. II 10 believed
that the Federal Government was not expected to
maintain the Union by force Of arms; for IT 1t
were and should be guilty Of ralpabe violations
Of the Constitution and should have power to COM
pei obedience To it's unconstitutional DEGREES, then
would the "discretion of the Federal Government,
ard not the Constitution, be The measure OF It's
action"
Your committee have also noticed closely the
action of the Federal Government on the subject
OF slavery; it cannot be disguised that there is .
strong disposition in many Of the Northern States
to usurp through the Congress of the United
States, Jurisdiction over this question. Your COM
mittee are in possession OF resolutions passed by
the State Of Vermont, on the 18th November,
1849, industrously transmitted TO the governor
Of this State which expressly assume the doctrine
that the Federal Government has ample power to
abolish slavery in all the States Of this Union,
save the original slaveholding States of the thr-
teen, who formed the Federal compact. Thus it
appears that this doctrine has obtained, NOT only
with Individuals but aIso with States and legisla-
lures; and at no very distant day will be put for
ward in the councils Of the United States for 1t is
pow fast becoming settled principle that Con-
gress, by joint resolution, approved by the Presi,
dent, can do whatever they chod1e TO do. And
when we consider that the last slave-holding State
is now admitted into the Union, and that in TWEEN
ty years, twenty freesoil States will be admitted,
we may well reflect upon this assertion Of power
on the part of Vermont. for the Federal Govern
ment, and see that the day is fast coming when
ton Of the institution Of slavery, and by formal
DEGREES, abolish it throughout the South. This
idea is strengthened by the fact that Congress has
recently abolished the slave trade in the District
Of Columbia. 4
Congress has power to legislate for that Dis
trict, and in her legislation is to be controlled
alone by the Constitution, the primary and or
ganic law of the land. II will be recoectel the
United States acquired this country of Virginia
and Maryland by treaty, good faith in the OBJ
servance of which would require that they should
not abolish either the slave trnde or slavery in the
District MS long as Virginia and Maryland retain
the ga r. especially az that District is in their
midst, y d was expected to retain it's peculiar in
stitutons as long as they existed in the States
witt. whom the treaty was formed, by virtue of
which the Federal Government acquired jurisdic-
ton over the d strict; yet by unceasing effort,
the ree-snilers- has succeeded in abolshing the
slave trade in the District Of Columbia, and there
by violated that good faith pighted in the treaty
Of cession--a thing which would never have been
done If oalhs could lind the conscience Of fanai-
cism, or treaties and Constitutions stay the hand
Of aggression.
Though the decree entered in this case affects
but small territory, yet it fixes principle of
vital Importance to the South. Ii is the entering
wedge, and next follows the abolition OF slavery,
not only in the District, but in all the navy
Yards, dock yards, forts and arsenals throughout
the slaveholding States, for their power is an
unreasonable and absolute in one case as In the
other.
Should the South quietly bear all these, then
next in the train of this dark robed series Of mi
uuItous measures, comes from Vermont, tina,
magic production Of derium: that the Fedora
Government has power to abolish slavery in all
the States save the thirteen original States which
framed The Federal Constitution. Thus the orgI
nal thirteen S ates, together 18th all the new
| Free-soil States, would be combined against q
poor and helpless minority Of aveholding States
these being crushed, then comes the rapid multi.
plicaton Of Free. soil States even if this unprin
cped usurpation of power never takes place, still
il we believe what is daily avowed by those who
are warning against our righ's and property the
hour is not far in the future, when by the adms-
sion ofnew States organized upon Free-soi prin-
ciples, the requisite majority will be obtained and
ample power will, by amendment to the Consttu-
ton, be given to Congress to abolish slavery
throughout the States
BY the admission OF California into the Union,
the equilibrium SO long maintained in the Senate
Of the United States, was destroyed, never to be
restored. and now both branches Of the Congress
and the Executive Of the Federal Government are
all in the power Of those who are enemies of the
institution of domestic slavery
And experience demonstrates, that thew are
much inclined to engage in the work dictated by
their fanatical constituencies; it is necessary,
therefore, that this State should look closely 10
its interest in connection with this subject, and
guard it's rights with jealous care; dark clouds
lower over our fortunes, and the future is yelled
in impeneirable mystery, yet your committee in
dulge the hope, that returning sense Of Justice,
aided by Divine Providence, will enable the repub-
lie to regain its pristine purity.
/. Res"ired, That the several States composing
the United States Of America are not united on
the principle Of unlimited submission to the Gen
era Government; but that by compact under the
style and title of constitution for the United
States, and Of amendments thereto, they consti-
tuted a General Government for special purposes:
delegated to that Government certain definite
powers, reserving each State to itsefthe resduary
mass Of right to their own government, and that
whatsoever the General Government assumes un-
delegated powers, Its acts unauthoritative, void
and of no force. Thatio this compact each State
acceded as a State, and is an integral party. That
this Government created by this compact, was
not made the exclusive or final Judge Of the ex-
tent Of powers delegated TO itself; since that would
have made its discretion, and not the Constitution
the measure Of its powers; but that as in all other
cases Of compact among parties having no COM
mon Judge, each party has an eqna right to Judge
FOR itself, as well Of infractions, az of the mode
and measure Of redress.
9. That by virtue Of the treaty Of Guodaioupe
Hidalgo, the slavehoIding States acquired such nm
interest in the territory coded the United States
by Mexico. entitled their citizens to emigrate
TO snd territory with their property ofevery kind.
g. That the United States being a cluster Of in
dependent soversignties, lengued together for spe-
cial purposes, this State has right to expecr