The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-04
RELATIONS Or SLAVERY To THE UNION AND
THE STATES.

To The Editor Of the National Era.
viii the Era be so kind as to tell its read
ID Whether Slavery is constitutional in those
States admitted into the Union since the or
ganization of the Federal Government
p If Slavery is to be protected under the
plea Of State Rights, what is the difference be-
tween State Rights and State Wrongs4
3 How old is the cry of No more Slave
Territory 1t seems to have been agitated
as early m 1887.
" If the Era has published something specific
on these questions already, please forward at
my expense. Respectfully &c
The Federal Government Is dcrimtive, not
originals Government of grants-oi grants
Of power made by the States Powers not
granted by the States are reserved to them or
to the People thereof I'm the language of the
Constitution and would be reserved to them.
were there no constitutional declaration of the
kind
Under the Constitution the States new and
old, hold the same relations to the Federal
class than over the other,
The power to lcgslate for the creation, sup
port, or abolition of Slavery in the States, is
not among the delegated powers of the Fede-
raj Government. The attempt by this Gov
eminent ut such legislation in any State,
would be a usurpation.
Much depends upon careful definition OF
words " Is Slavery constitutional in those
Al . L.
alton Of the Federal Goycrnmcnt!' What is
meant by constitutional !" II by it our cor
respondent mean, IN rrtuc Of by the force Of
,rh the formal sanction n. the Constitution,
we answer that in such II sense, Slavery is mol
constitutional either in the old or new States
because the Constitution has not created, sus-
tanned or formally sanctioned it in any OF
them.
But, if by constitutional he mean, rHhom
prohiL,t,on Ly he Constitution, We answer, Sa-
very then is constitutional in both old and new
States But we submit that this last definition
is liable to great misconception and abuse,
Slavery IL State institution, not Fcderdi
one it is sectional not hdtiOndi-it exists alone
by virtue of State authority; it cannot exist or
be maintained by United States authority In
other words it is not constitutional in any of
the States, in the sense of being created, sup
ported, or formally sanctioned by the Federal
Constitution.
The second question of our correspondent
seems to imply discomfort with the distribu-
ton of powers between the States and the
Federal Government, because State Rights are
used to protect Slavery. DO we find fault with
our treaties of commerce and amty with Eng
land and Spain, because they do not make pro
vision for the abolition of Cuban Slavery aud
British Aristocracy! These treaties respect
National Rights but are National Rights Ma
tional Wrongs because they exclude US from
interference with the local concerns of Eng
land and Spain, and these nations from inter
ference with our local concerns
How old is the cry of No more Slave Ter
ritory - As old a. the Congress of the Con-
federation, when it was the policy of all the
States except South Carolina and Georgia to
make all territory belonging to the Coniedera-
ton. free and when public sentiment regarded
Slavery M temporary