Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-02-08

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petes with slave labor, but slave labor is chiefly d.
rected to the culture of cotton rice, tobacco, and
sugar; products about the cultivation of which he
but little or if he does, he learns that COM
petition with slave labor here is than with
white slave labor elsewhere he is taxed to support
no poor rates,-no work houses. He lives quiet |
y, and, ifhe be industrious, comfortably he loves
the religion and faith of his fathers, and when he
lies down to die, he is yet stranger to those tu
muts, strifes, troubles and sufferings which in
most other countries make it almost doubtful whe
ther life is blessing.
-
The injustice and unconstitutonality, and the de-
sign and effect of the abolition of the District slave
trade is powerfully portrayed in the following con-
densed language of one of Virginia's Representa-
tives in Congress in 1850:
''But, sir, (sad he it is contended that, if Con-
gress has power to abolish slavery in the Dis
trct, it has the power to suppress what is taunt-
ngly called the 'slave trade ;" and that, upon this
ground, abolition petitions containing this prayer
should be received. This, sir is more daring,
more unblushing proposition to violate the rights
of private property, if possible, than the other The
rights of sale and purchase necessary incidents
to the rights of property; and, so long as slaves
are regarded as property, they must necessarily be
subjects of sale and purchase and Congress has
just as much authority to prohibit the buying and
selling of horses, cattle, cotton, tobacco and any
other species of property, the buying and selling
of slaves. 1t is social right to acquire and to alien
property that stands protected by the Constitution.
Such an interference would be well worthy the ig
norance and despotism of the dark ages. | do not
doubt that in the exercise of this right, so far
the sale of slaves is concerned, there have been
abuses-many acts of cruelty and severity, revolt
ing to the best feelings of humanity. But, sir,
IL Al 6,
ter and slave; they have been sometimes perpe-
trated in the more endearing relations of husband
and wife, parent and child, master and apprentice
and | do not doubt that, in the factories of the
North, many such have been perpetrated Z
But, however much we may lament human depra-
witty, and mourn over these exhibitions of cruelty
and suffering cannot control them by destroy
ing great constitutional rights. We cannot say to
a citizen of Maryland You shall not buy property
in Virginia to the citizen of Virginia you shall
not purchase,i in Maryland. Such prohibition would
be tyrannical and oppressive despotism could
make it +; and if you could prohibit the buying and
selling of slaves by the exercise of the same pow
er, you could prohibit all intercourse between the
States by prohibiting the buying and selling of THEN
stock, agricultural productions and manufactures
Has the Federal Government such formidable and
dangerous power as this If it has, then, sir, we
are more the sub lects of an iron despotsm than
could have imagined. But, sir, Congress has nc
right to abolish the (so-caed) "slace trade in the
District of Columbia
Such are the nature and design of the Abolition
of the Slave trade in the District of Columbia and
such was the light in which it was viewed by the
entire South at the time of the utterance of this Ian
guage, and for years subsequent. 1t was cOns
dered unconstitutional and an initiative attack upon
the Slave institutions of the South and palpablt
and outrageous discrimination against the proper
ty of the Southern people. If Congress has the
right to prohibit a citizen of Virginia from selling
his Slave in the District, it has an equal right t.
say that Boston Manufacturer shall not sell balC
of goods therein. Has Congress such a power
If it has, then indeed is this movement despo
) tism. But it has made no such prohibition agains
the Boston Merchant and will make none such
What follows then? Why that Congress, the guar
dian of all the States alike, discriminates 0ganS
Southern propeny!! 1t has said in effect, tina
the Boston merchant may introduce his goods o
property of any kind description into the Dis
trct, may have his Depot of deposit, and may sci
at his leisure but you Virginian; you Southern
man, shall not introduce your property into thu
District for sale, egen pass wM 1t through M
District, under the penalty of Its being forthwith
| EMANCIPATED will the Southern people submit
to this outrage and insult VIII they suffer them
selves to be thus assigned an inferior position in h
government to the northern section oft?
But told by the submissionists that it is
mere police regn,a ion-the abatement of nu
sance-which Congress, the legislature of the
District, has right to adopt-and that the negro
trade is offensive to Northern men, who come t.
Washington. If it be snuisance'' for A, to sci
his slave then the Constitution selfs nuisance
for it recognizes the right. And if Congress has
the right to decide that any particular species o
property is nuisance it has the right to decide
that any other species is nuisance, and thu:
would the right of property depend upon the arbi
trary acW of Congress and not upon the inaliena
| BILE rights of the citizen Upon the same princi
pie, Congress would have the right to decide tina
horses and hogs ''nuisances'' and could enadn
cipate them if driven within the District as merchan
die
Again: If Congress can abolish the Slave trade
in the District, to pander to the delicate sensib
ties of northern Yankees and Foreign abolitionsts
because that trade is offensive to them, then upor
the same principle and for the same purposes i
has the UNREASONABLE right to abolish Slavery IT.
SELF because Slavery is more offensive to the NORTH
than the Slave trade
We hold it to be conclusive and indisputable then
that the abolition of the Slave trade in the Disric
of Columbia, is gross and palpable infraction o
the Constitution, crying outrage and unmitiga
ting insult to the South, and above all, conces
sion to Congress ofthe power to abolish Slavery It.
self IN that District. We call upon Southern PEG
pie, without distinction of party, to solemnly pom
der these startling facts. They may depend that
a storm is brewing, which will ere long burst with
destructive effects upon their heads Let them
wake up and prepare to meet the crisis" The frs
step IS taken.''
''But this unjust discrimination between the citi
zens of the North and of the South, within juris