Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-03-22

I senator DUTLER tHiIQ PioPosh'o", VIC
the incompetency of Congress to establish
the Missouri Compromise line or any such
| line-is sustained with elaboration and we
would be glad to place this portion of his
speech in full before our readers. They
must be contented with the following e1.
| tracts:
regard the Missouri compromise as a
| fatal error on the part of our ancestors. L
grant that it was an error committed in hon
orable faith, under the expection that all It's
requirements would be observed and fulfilled.
They have not been. If there were no other
ground, the Southern portion of the conied-
eracy, from this fact alone, would be absol-
we'd from all claims to be called upon to OBJ
serve it. Itwants all the elements Of COM
petent compact it wants proper Partles-lt
wants the constitutional consent OF the States,
properly expressed, according to the laws
Of the bond of union: aud that bond recog-
nses no such parties as North and South.
| North and South never made a bond OF com.
pact. Thirteen Commonwealths, sovereign
REPUBLICS, made a confederacy of equal
States, to he governed by the terms of a
! written constitution, with definite and limi-
ted powers to those who were to administer
the government under its provisions. In the
effort to make the compromise, the agent
usurped a power that belonged exclusively
to the constituting principle. To some ex'
tent the principle may have affirmed the com.
promise, but with no such acquiescence as
could bind either party where the provisions
of the compromise have either been changed
by another compromise, or disregarded by
either party.
But | 90 further, and say that know of
no shadow Of authority in the federal govern.
ment to adopt such a provision as that which
is contained in what is called the Missouri
J compromise, to wit !: that the line Of So 30
should be the dividing line between the ter
ritories where slavery should be prohibited,
and where it might be allowed. The very
fact that such line could be established
would give to Congress unlimited dscre-
ton over this subject. If you admit the
power of Congress to fix the line of 36o 30',
where is the limit Of t7 Ifyou can fix that
line, you can go where you chose. Where
does Congress derive such powers! Is it
found in the constitution presume no
one will contend that there is an express
grant of such authority. But, sir, if there
lis any one thing trler than another, 1t is
that these States entered into this coniede-
racy as equals, each one claiming to he the
peer Of the other; and it never could, in such
a compact, have been at all inferable that,
under any state Of affairs, and in amy pro.
gress of events, because slaves were eman.
cipaed in those portous of the Union, those
States should acquire the power to emanci.
pate them in other States Of the Union or con-
troll the institution Of slavery, either directly
or indirectly. So far as regards the com.
mon rights of the South, could it be possible
that, because Massachusetts and New. York
thought proper to emancipate their slaves,
they should acquire any power. by their sep.
arate or by their juiht State action, which
did not belong to. them before; to acquire an
ascepdancy over the weaker party9 If so,
the weaker must necessarily be subject to
what is the most arbitrary Of all powers, leg
islative discretion. AZ Lord Camden says,
discretion is tyranl." THERE'S no limit
to it, 1t must 60 on and yon cannot con-
troll it, il the unlimited right of compromise
be allowed The Southern portion Of this
Union has no rights that it can preserve, if
it surrender to the power of compromise.
In such position it will be the sheep drink.
ing in stream beneath the wolf. The
South should never take refuge in compro-
misses and, with a united voice against them
she may stand firm and scl(.delending for
ever.
\
Mr.. Pinkney we'll said, during the discus.
sion Of the Missouri compromise remem'
his expression we'll; "Ye Senators may
assume to yourself the power, because you
are in the majority, of imposing this restric.
ton upon Missouri; but tell you it is a
wilderness Of power" Yes, sir. it is a "wil.
derness of power" so far that no one can
trace or control it. The temptation of inter.
est, the sentiment of the day, the influence
of faction, may give the direction of the
surveyor, instead OF the compass, that indi.
Gates the line to be observed want the
compass of true faith TO traverse and main.
tain tue map of the Constitution. Whore
can majority of Congress derive the power
to run an arbitrary liIie through the common
territories of the Union, DISTINGUISHING one
part and throwing into the shade Of the con.
trast the Southern members of the conIeder.
acy because they have different kind of
property from property owned by gentlemen
in the North.
The States originally entered into the con-
federacy as equals, impellcd by the highest
motives to form and perpetuate Union
which should advance the great cause of re.
publican liberty. Does such a restriction as
the Missouri compromise retain that feature
of equality! Suppose equality was prom.
ised by it: what Terminus could preside over
and preserve the line? Will his counsel
lors be justice and truth, or will they be in.
terest and corruptions Suppose Il gallant
crew, trusting in each others honesty and
good faith, were to embark in a vessel al
sea, under definite articles of equal copart
nershp, and that one portion should assume
in violation of the fundamental principles
not terms only-of equality, to construe the
terms Of the copartnership so rs to give ant
distribute the fruits of the voyage to one
recognised class in preference to another
what would be thought of such procce
ding? Would il not, before the bar of jus
tice, before the tribunal of a common judy
ment, be a cause of just complaint? Woulc
il not Justify the weaker Darty i'm consulting