Columbus Democrat., 1851-01-18

IS. What authority. then, viii the eonsti
hcn and law, # tho United Stares exercise over
the institution OF slavery ia the terri,ories' JHs
the same as that which IkSy exercise ever in
the Slatcs-.,o recognize il Nkere ii exists, and
10 protec, il where recugniEed--aH When the ne.
eess,ty Il keulecticn arises, The dsg to protect is
imperative.
Afer this reference to the laws oft the las, ses.
sion n Congress, creating territorial governments
lIr Utah and New Mexico, Il would seem ain Isl
useless to refer to the actor % Congress on hese
laws, when thew were before that body, a. bills
Cor their confederation. Hut as a matter OF his.
tory, il is well kuowA tha, repeated attempts were
nude. in hath honses o, Congress, BY members
who were known To represent there, the anti
slavery feeling and principles Of the North and
West, TO tI, in bodily f,rm thc Wima proviso,
in these hills. The propositions IN the Senate,
aud spreche, on this subject, BY Mr, Davis of
Massachusetts, Of Mr.. Gpham, Phelps, Baldwin
and Others, canno, be 6rghcn And what was
the result Alter fan and free debate, this often.
sive proviso, was emphatically rejected by large
malorities. llthere be any among us,so absurd
in their Arguments or so illoscal il their concl.
sons. as 10 believe i1r a n.oment, that the Wits
n,ot Prcyiso is, indirectly "virtualy" preserved
in these territorial laws. we do mol envy such,lhe
reputation, which, in future they are likely 10
build up, lE political sagaci,y--hr il is. in our
lidgnent,a total perycrsion oI language, ,oI thought
OF TACT and Of argument
Asaia, has the act of Constess, prrpoSins
term. 10 Texas, Cor the adjustment Of her ,oInda
~, with New Mexico, violated any right Of the
Shlth, Although Mississippi has moi, ue,hcr IN
her October Convention or in any acl ol her leg.
;slaturr, declared any opinion this SUBJECT yet
/ there are gentlemen ut station and prom
ncnrr within her limits, who have not hes lated
To dtclar, thai tbs ACT was in yinlMion o tle
! rights Of he South, aud ar act ol usurpaticn aud
! ACKNOWLEDGMENT, towards sister Statei
/ Hut admit that according 10 the language oI
these gentlemen, the right ot Texas 10 all the tor.
riJory included ia Nor claimed Iimls, Is clear aud
/ "unquesoua bio" who then will dare 90 question
the right Of reSas 10 dispose Of cell To The gov.
erumcot Of the United States, such puriun Of her
soil "a she may see ht 10 par, With J. this not,
e1laly Acr Gnque@ioncd right, and what sover.
eigu State shall say to her co sovereign "thus
\ fAr thou shall 20 and no iartherf" Aud yet We
| lin1 the Nashville Convention declaring thai,
l'any nrrangemrat II concerning her territories,
(which leaves shade OF doubt as 10 the right OF
biz people OF The South TO enter any portion o
hS Territory, which, according TO the terms oi
hinneGaun are now free TO lhcm, neither Icfas
knor the general government have any right "a
Enakel!" We had supposed, up to Ihe preson, pc.
Triud; that Texas having been admitted inlo tho
PUnion "upon al equal footing with the original
Safes possessed the absolute aud unqualified
power to transfer, as Virginia and Georgia bad
done before her, any portion of her territory 10
the general government, upon such terms as
nigh, be agreed on between tho parties--an /
lurther that she possessed the power and night,
To abolish the institution OF slavery entirely. With
IN her sovereign jurisdiction wilhou, consulting
tho Nashville Convent,on,,he federal government,
or any ol her sister States.
We believe tha, the Fugilye Slave law, in III,
South, is unanimously conceded 10 be c0nstitu
,ioall, ard therefore. no comment on this meas
ure is necessary Not 20, however with the law
abo.ishng the slave trade 10 The District Of Co
iumbil. On This subject, we contend that Mis-
sssipp has no position, either IN favor Of, or ad
verse To this measure. Neither the October
Convention nor the Legislature, We believe tooI
any notice Of it. One Of the resolutions Of the
Legislature declares that Congress has no powct
to abolish thc slave trade be'ucen the D.trc, o
\ Columbia aud the States but no where, nave
we been able to Gnd has The position been as
snmed that Congress cannot abolish the Save
trade ia the District Of Columbia,
The distinction is too obvious to require Illus,
trntion, and were there not very Intelligent men
who profess 10 view them as one and the SAME,
W 4houlI feel disposed to pass over the subject,
AAa3,hor lurther notice. The law aboIisbing the
I slave trade in the District, f0rbd', under penal
~, two acls--iirsl, the introduction OF slaves into
tho District for sale as merchandise, End second
ly, the bringing into the District Of slaves; and
and placing them in depo, TO be transferred to
some other slave market for sale. These are the
two acts which are forbidden by the law.
But the abolition Of the slave trade between the
Dlsirc, and the States. IN our opinion, is wholly
different affair In the latter case,slsves could
not be carried out Of the District and sold in any
ofthe slave States, nor could they be purchased
in The States and removed TO the District for The
use Of those, resident in the Disrict--or in Other
words, there could be no legal transfer Of slave,
either to or from the District, ercept by cm'grd
hon.
And now. GrlIow.cizens what is the presen
attitude Of our State ia relation " these laws
which We have endeavored 10 pass in brief re-
view before YOU laws, which in our opinion
and which we have endeavored TO prove, hav,
been passed in entire conformity to The requisi'
ton Of the principles of both the October Con
venion and the subsequent acts Of the legisa
ture. And yet our Chief Magistrate has be-
licved tho rights OF the South 10 be so aggrieved BY
these laws, as To call an extraordinary session 0
the legislature Tor the avowed purpose Of cal'inl
a State Convention. to devise plan Of redress
and to prescribe the means Of rendering that plar
efTcctual. And that extraordinary session oflh,
! legislature has actually occurred, and the view;
recommended to il by the Executive have been
adopted, convention called, and Of course the
people must now act, in obedience 10 tho man
date Of the Executive and Of the legislature -
L.. l.