The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1851-08-07

whole Soul seemed ID Be engaged, and the
Nashyille Convention llieh vas then e sess
sion, demanded, as will be seer by its l4ta
resolution, that If that bill did pass, the ter
ritorv ceded by.it should remain subject TO
the same terms and conditions in the hands
Of the general government thatit was in the
hands Of Texas pre- glous TO being dismem-
Ibered. What was that conditions II was
slave territory, according to the resolutions
Was this demand Of the Nashville Con-
Yention obeyed 5y Congress- g was. How
Ia this way, when eW Mexico embracing
this ceeded territory afterwards formed q
free soil constitution and asked admission IN
to the Union as State; she was promptly
refused by Congress Why sol Because
Congress had respect for her original plighted
faith under the original resolutions of an
nexation AS an evidence it was not con-
verified into free-soil, every abolitionist and
free-soiler voted against the bill, while a ma
! iorfty of Southern members voted for it,
Wilcox regards this bill as master stroke
Of policy. Because il is slave territory, and
furnishes great public highway for the
passage and introduction of slaves and slave
holders into New Mexico and Utah.
Upon the bill abolishing the slave trade in
the District of Columbia, Featherston is
decidedly furious, contending that it is IN
constitutional and oppressive to the South,
preventing as it does Southern men from
carrying their slaves there for sale. In an
swer to which w says, in 1896 Maryland
passed and approved the following law:
"Beit enacted by the General Assembly Of
the State Of Maryland, That it shall not be
lawful from and after the passing of this act,
to import or bring into this State by land or
water, any negro, mulatto, or slave to reside
within this State; and any person brought In
to this State as a slave contrary to this act,
! if a slave before, shall thereupon immediate
Ily cease to be the property of the person so
importing or bringing such slave within the
State, and shall be free" Further, in 1901
he says the Congress of the U. S. passed an
act upon the District of Columbia, which
was approved by Thomas Jefferson, the first
section of which is as follows: "Be it enact
/ ed by the Senate and House. of Representa-
/ tives of the United States of America in Con-
gress assembled, That the laws of the State
Iof Virginia a tlev NV exist, shall be and
continue in f3Ie .a+ p4rf IF the District
of COLUMBIA, which wa coed Nv the said
+ State to the United States, aa8 81 tham ac-
| copied for the permanent sea- q Government;
and that the laws of the State Of Masylan1
as they now exist shall be aud continue IN
I force IN that part Of said District, which was
ceeded by that State to the United States,
and by them accepted as aforesaid. But
again, w refers to the 8th vol. Peters re
ports, p. "A, in the case of Lee VS.. Lee.
whereit was decided by bringing negroes in
to the District to reside, contrary to the act
Of 1876 as ratified by the act of Congress
of 1901 they were entitled to their freedom
Judge Thompson delivered the unanimous
opinion Of the Supreme Court, which is 'By
the law of Maryland of 1876, it is declared
lit shallnot be lawful to import or to bring in
to this State by land OF water, any negro,
mulattO, or other slave, for sale or to reside
within this State as slave, contrary to
this act; if a slave before, shall thereupon
cease to be the property of the person so i'm
porting, and shall be free. And by the act
of Congress of 9th Feb, 1901, it is provi-
ded that the laws of the State of Maryland
as they then existed, should be and continue
in force in that part of the District which
was ceeded by that State to the u. S. The
Maryland laws of 1896 is therefore in force,
and the petitioners if brought directly from
the State of Virginia into the county OF
Washington in the District would be emit
tied to their freedom" This argument Of
Wilcox's has had wonderful effect upon
j, the peoples this county to my certain knowl-
! edge, in removing the vast amount of preju-
dice which they had entertained against this
bill. But a few years ago the Virginia por-
ton of the District was retroeeeded. The cap
itol now stands upon the Maryland portion OF
it, thus it will be discovered says Wilcox, that
prior to the passage of the bill abolishing
the slave trade in the District of 1920, Ma
ryland was the only State that could import
negroes there for sale, thereby as it will be
perceived giving her the entire monopoly OF
the trade. Since the passage of the law Of
: 1850, she cannot sell her negroes there
! Hence it will be seen that all the Southern
States have been placed upon equality with
her, by this bill.
] Such is hurried account of the interest
ing canvass between these young and prom
: Using gentlemen, who if they deserve credit
| for nothing else, set an example of courtesy
S worthy of imitation.