The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-30
DANIEL R. eooDLoE, OF NORTH CAROLINA.
CONTINUED.
III TnT"C nEp ATRG VnT IT

Governor Randolph | am informed, and
believe rightly, because derive my informa
ton from those whose knowledge is most re
spectacle, that Virginia is in a very unhapp,
position with respect to the access Of foes b,
sea though happily situated for commerce
This being her situation by sea, let us look O
land She has frontiers adjoining the State
of Pennsylvania Maryland, and North Caro-
lima. Two of those States have declared them
selves members of the Union VIII she be in
accessible to the inhabitants of those States
Cast your eyes to the Western country, that
inhsbited by cruel saVages, your natural enc
mics Besides their natural propensity 10 bar
barty, they may be excited by the gold Of for
sgu enemies to commit the most hOrrid rava
yes on your people. Our great and increasin
population IL one remedy to this evil bu
being scattered thinly over so extensive q coun
try how difficult is it to collect their strength
or defend the country. This is one point O
weakness wish, for the honor of my country
men, that it was the only one There is another
circumstance which renders us more yulnera
BILE. Are we not weakened by the population o.
those whom we hold in slavery! The day may
come when they may make impression upon
us. Gentlemen who have been long accus
toned t. the contemplation of the subject
think there is cause of alarm in this case
The number Of those people, compared to that
OF the whites, IS IN an immense proportion
their number amounts to 236, 600 that Of the
whites only to $50 000.-PdgeS 80, 81
Mr. Mason. We are told, in strong Ian
guage, of dangers to which we will be exposed,
unless we adopt this Constitution. Among the
rest domestic safety is said to be in danger.
This Government does not attend to our do
mestic safety 1t authorizes the importation
Of slaves for twenty odd years, and thus con.
tinues upon US that nefarious trade. Instead
Of securing and protecting us, the continue.
ton of this detestable trade adds daily to our
weakness. Though this evil is increasing there
is no clause in the Constitution that will pre-.
vent the Northern and Eastern States from
meddling with our whole property of that
kind. There is clause 10 prohibit the import
alton of slaves after twenty years; but there
is no provision made for securing to the South
ern States those they now possess 1t is far
from being a desirable property But it will
involve us in great difficulties and nfelicity to
be now deprived of them. There ought to be
a clause in the Constitution, to secure us that
property which we have acquired under our
former laws and the loss of which would bring
rum on great many people
Mr. Lee, Of WestmOreland. The honorable
gentleman abomnatcs it. because it does not
prohibit the importation Of slaves, and because
it does not secure the continuance of the exist
ing slavery! Is it not obviously inconsistent
to criminate it for two contradictory reasons ?
submit it to the consideration of the gentle
man, whether, if it be reprehensiblc in the one
ease it can be censurable in the other! Mr.
4 81 L.
ing to the committee to proceed regularly
Page 90
MIR PendIeton am unfortunate enough to
differ from the worthy member in another
He processes himself an advo-
cate for middlng and lower classes of men
profess to be friend to the equal liberty of all
the palace to the cottage without
any other distinction than between good and
bad men. appeal to my public life and private
behaviour, to decide whether departed from
this rule Since distinctions have been brought
forth and communicated to the audience, and
will be therefore disseminated | beg gentle
men to take with them this observation, that
distinctions have been produced by the opposi-
ton. From the friends of the new Govern.
ment they have heard none. None such are
to DO found in the organization of the paper
before you.
Why bring into the debate the whims of wr
ters-introducing the distinction of well-borr
from others ! consider every man well-borr
who comes into the world with an intelligent
mind, and with all his parts perfect am al
advocate for fixing our Government on true
republican principles giving to the poor mar
free liberty IN his person and property-Pag'
2l2.
Mr. Henry. 1t is exceedingly painful to mt
TO be Directing but must make few obser
gatiOns. | shall not again review the cata
kOgue of dangers which the honorable gentle
man entertained us with They appear to mt
absolutely imaginary They have, in my con
ception, been proved to be such. But sure
am, that the dangers of this system are real
when those who have no similar interests will
she people Of this country are to legislate iol
us-Wheu our dearest interests are left in the
power OF those whose advantage it may be tC
infringe them. How will the quotas of troops
he furnished Hated NJ acquisitions are, youl
federal officers cannot collect troops like dol
lars, and carry them in their pockets You
must make those abomnable acquisitions fol
them, and the.scale will be in proportion to tn,
number Of your blacks, az well as your whites
unless they violate the constitutional rule o
appOrtionment This is not calculated to rou>
the fears of the people 1t is founded in truth
How oppressive and dangerous must this be t.
the Southern States, who alone have slaves
Chis will render their proportion intinitel
greater than that OF the Northern States.
has been openly avowed that this shall DO tn
rule. will appeal to the judgments of tn
committee whether there be danger --Pdge
240, 2il.
Mr.. Henry lie told gentlemen that thes
clauses were sufficient to shake all their impli
cation For, says he, if Congress had m
power bat what was given 10 them, why rcstric
them by negative words! Is not the clear i'm
plication this---thQt if these restrictions wer
not inserted they could have performed wha
they prohibit The worthy member had sai
that Congress ought to have power 20 protec
all, and had given this system the highest an
comium but still insisted that the power owe
the militia was concurrent. To obvlate tn
futility Of this doctrine, Mr.. Henry alleged tina
il was not reducible to practice. Examine II
says he, reduce it TO practice Suppose IN IN
surrecton in Virginia and suppose there b
danger apprehended Of an instruction in an
other State from the exercise of the Govern
ment; or, suppose national war, and Their
OS "'""hH WIZ PN'P'o W ~''''
that produces or threatens an instruction
suppose Congress, in either case, demands
number OF militia, will they not be obliged T.
go? Where are your reserved rights, whel
your militia 20 TO a neighboring Statet Which
call is to DO obeyod, the Congressional call, o
the call of the State Legislature! The call Q
Congress must be obeycd, /! need not remin
this committee, that the sweeping clause vii
- = Il. - t,1 10 ~.
clause enables them TO make oil laws whcl
shall be necessary and proper to carry int
execution all the powers vested by this Const
tuition IN the Government of the United state,
or IN any department or officer thereof" M
Chairman, will turn TO another clause, which
relates u the same subject and tends to shov
the iallacy ct their argument The tenth sec
ton OF the first article, to which reference wa
made by the worthy member, initiates agains
himself 10 says, that "no State shall engag,
ia war, unless actually invaded If YOU giy,