The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-03-25

never passed any such law Mr.. Stewart
went on to state, that the runawayn negro Shad.
| rach Williams had been demanded from the
British authorities in Canada, and had been
recovered and brought back, and was now on
his masters farm, or plantation, in Virginia.
FTERNoON
Col. T. Jones Stewart said that, upon the
great and vital question which was now be-
fore the country, he entirely discarded party
lines. lie knew no whig or democrat in re-
gard TO it. II was a Northern and Southern
question, aud he went in for the Just and equal
rights OF the South, under all circumstances.
and to the last extremity, if it ever became
necessary; that the constitution guaranteed TO
all Justice and equality that equality OF rights
was the greatest boast Of an American free
man that the south was amply secured in all
hers rights, if the constitution was fairly and
Justly carried into effect and that she never
claimed or desired more than that its proyis-
ions be executed in good faith. He, therefore,
should rely for proof of the grounds he was
about to take, on the present occasion, upon
the constitution. II was his text, to which he
could safely refer, at all times, for ample proof
of our rights. Col. Stewart then proceeded
briefly to state the relative position of the
States as to the General Government. He
plainly demonstrated TO every one present,
that the Federal Government was the mere
agent or creature of the States, each acting
in its separate sovereign capacity in forming
it; that Congress could exercise no power ex-
cept that which was expressly granted to it by
the constitution, or was absolutely necessary
to carry into effect the powers so granted; that
the Union resulted alone from the constitution:
that the constitution was the bond of our
Union, and that so long as the constitution was
faithfully adhered TO, no one need have any
fears for the safety of the Union that the pres
eut was a struggle, upon the part of the south,
TO maintain the constitution in its original in
tegrity. Col. Stewart then referred TO the Sc
rieS of measures called the Compromise. and
Showed that most of them were enacted not
only in bad faith, and inflicted the grossest in
justice upon the south, but were in violation of
the true meaning and spirit OF the constitution
That the manner of electing the convention
IN California that formed its constitution
and her admission as a State into the Union
by Congress, under the circumstances, by
excluding the South, who had furnished
double the number OF men and two-thirds OF
the expenses in conquering her, was an act
of injustice, so palpable and gross, that
he thought il must arouse the Indignation of
ever true heated southerner That the
manner in which California elected two
Senators to Congress and who were permit.
ted by the Senate to take their seats in that
body, was as he conceived, q clear violation
OF the constitutlon-that prohibiting the
] sJaye~ trade n the District of Coiutn6Ia nv
Congress, was a violation of the true mean.
ing and spirit Of the constitution, for he
had always contonded, and still insists
that Congress had no right, or power civen
II by the constitution, TO exercise iurlsdic.
ton over the question of slavery, that the
right OF property in slaves, existed before
the constitution, and the constitution was
established TO protect the right to property
not TO destroy or abolish it-That there
We're but two or three places in the consti.
luton which refer TO slavery, and they
/, were IN reference TO the recovery of ~fuoitiy,
slaves, that foreign slaves should not he i'm
ported into the United States after ls0s an,
; the clause allowing the slave States a rem
reseniaton III Congress, for three.iths q
their slaves. Col. Stewart showed that tn
? purchase by Congress, from Texas for $40,
100000 OF a portion of her Stale was nc
only a violation OF the Constitution, but wa
no doubt, urged on by the North, to be her,
after brought into the Union as another fire.
State. Col. Stewart replied, and plainl
showed the absurdity of the statement
Col. X. A. Stewart, asserting that the pu
/ chase OF Louisiana or of the republic Of re,
Q as, Doth foreign governments were exactl
similar to a purchase by Congress, of a DO
q ton of one of the States composing our ow
Union.
Col. Stewart then referred to the fugitiy
: slave law, and said it was all the South &c
by the so,called Compromise, which had III
$ semblance Of justice to the South that
was a law plainly emo ned and enforced b
the constitution; that Congress were boun
Q by every principle of good faith and lustic
r TO pass 1t that the South did not mereI
ask for 1t, but they had a right to deman
, 1t as a plain injunction of the constitution
but now thatit was passed, what good cam
! of it. 1t was abused, trampled under foo
: and defed by the North nine-tenths
the Northern people were opposed to it, an
: that 1t was rendered utterly Intellectual
i thatit was at the imminent risk Of the live
! OF those who attempted to recover the f
0 gltive slave under it, and violence had bee
committed in attempting to enforce ii this
! the people of the North We're ~clamorous fc
. us repeal, and a great number of petition
from variou free States, uumerously signet