Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1855-12-12
!. : I,l1 Observation-Disclosures Z MESSAGE.


The Enquirer Of Tuesday contains the message
ofGos: johnson to the General Assembly of Vir
sfnia, which assembled on Monday last. The mes
sage, which is long and able document, is mainly
devoted to State affairs. The Governor closes his
message with the following just and patriotic views
on the slavery question: .af-} 's5
Since your last session, have received from
several OF the States of this conederacy resolutions
upon various subjects with request that they may
be submitted to your consideration In accordance
with this request they are herewith communicated
The resolutions from the States of Rhode Island,
Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, upon the
subject of the establishment of territorial governments
for Nebraska and Kansas and the admission into
the Union of these territories States and relative
to the fugitive slave law, will doubt attract your
attention.-The whole scope and tenor of these rc.
solutions at war with Southern interests and in
sttntions and they based upon the idea that the
States Of this Union not entitled to equal rights
and that the people of one section to be allowed
privileges and capacities which to be denied to
the people of another. This assumption should be
'7net promptly. Te such degradation we should not
submit The people of Virginia have the same in
alenable right to carry any species of property pos
sessed by them into any territory of the United
States, that the people Of any other State have to
carry any species of their property, and Congress
have no authority to pass laws allowing the right to
one State, and denying it to another.
within their limits declaring that sound policy
quired that it should be effected therein
might be consistent with the rights of individuals
and tie public safety and welfare" What right have
they to say that other States shall not equally judge
whether sound policy requires it to be abolished
within their jurisdiction, and when it will be con-
ststent with the rights of individuals and the public
safety and welfare! What right have they to de-
clare that other independent soveregnties have not
equal authority to maintain, if it seem to them pro-
establishment of slavery within their limits and have
not equal power to declare whether it be consistent
with the rights of individuals that it should be
tinued or ablishcd. The government of the United
States have no such power delegated to it. 1t be-
longs alone to the people, when they come to esta-
blish the fundamental law for their governments
and Congress has authority to prohibit any State
from coming into the Union because slavery exists
or does not exist within its limits.
1t is false philosophy which teaches that the in.
stitutions which have proved good for people,
are and will be good for all future CONFERENCE.-The.
1t is not true that the institutions of Austria Rus
ia or Turkey, which they think good, best for
the United States. 1t is true that the institutions
of Connecticut would be best for Virginia, and if it
were true it is no less false to attempt a crusade
against nations or States to compel them to embrace
principles laws obnoxious to them, because they
deemed good and wholesome by others. The
true and only sound principle is for each State
ton to adapt its laws and constitution to the crcum-
the wishes of majority Of its people and to abstain
from interference with the concerns of others. This
principle if adhered to, will prevent the gcrmina-
ton Of the seed of civil dsSension and disunion,
which false and designing men are continually sowing
broadcast this land.
Congress had no right in 1920 to pass the Missouri
Compromise. 1t had no right to prohibit the intro
ducton of slavery above one line, and to permit it
or to entail it upon the people below that line The
south submitted then to fragrant violation of its.
H. g 81, SC
nal affection, to obtain quiet and repose from nces-
SAINT agitation and annoyance. Instead of reposc it
only opened the hoodgates of incessant interference
and let loose host of fanatics to attempt other and
fragrant violations of our rights, and to destroy
both social and national happiness. The act esta-
blish;ng the compromise has now been repealed.
BY such repeal slavery is neither recognized
couraged, is it prohibited abolished. All are
left to their constitutional rights We ought not, we
cannot, with honor, with sel.respect without hunil-
iatiOn and debasement, permit this iniquity to be
| again established over The constitutional guar
| antees must be respected and executed. We ought
| to take firm stand and let our ultmatun be abso
| lutte and unconditional. If we do not the Union is
worthless and will become engine of unmitigated
| oppression.
As an evidence of what we are to expect refer
you to the late of the General Assembly of Mas
sachusetts, and ask you to examine it carefully, and
calmly If you That act is SO extraordinary in
its character, that invoke your attention to the
der the title of act to protect the rights and ber
ties of the people of the Commonwealth of Massa-
chusetts it is provided that the act of that State fur
ther to protect personal liberty, shall apply to the
acts of Congress Of the 18th of September, 1850 pro-
viding for the return of slaves escaping from their
masters and that the writ of habeas corpus shall ex
tend to every person, imprisoned restrained of his
liberty of right and Of course; that it may be is
sued by any court of record any judge or justice
of the peace in the State returnabe the Supreme
Court, or any judge thereof; and if it appear that
the party restrained was claimed as fugitive from
service or labor in another State, he may be admit
ted to bail in any sum not exceeding two thousand
dollars. The claimant is required to state in writing
the facts on which he relies with precision and
tainty. An issue upon the plea of not guilty is di
rected to be joined on the facts stated jury is te
| be impanneled thereon, who may return genera
verdict and the finding of the verdict of not guilty
is declared final and conclusive. And it is provided
that no confession, admission or declaration of th'
alleged fugitive against himself shall be given in evi
dence. Upon every question of fact involved in tht
issue the burden OF proof rests on the claimant ane
the facts alleged and necessary to be established
must be proved by testimony of at least two credible
witnesses other legal evidence equivalent thereto
No ex parte deposition affidavit is allowed proc
in behalf of the claimant and no presumption shat
arise in favor of the claimant from any proof tina
the alleged fugitive or any of his ancestors had beer
actually held as slave, without proof that sucl
holding was legal.
Thus it will be seen, that after taking fugitive b,
habeas corpus out of the hands of the officer wht
may have arrested him under the laws of Congress
the owner by this act is placed under conditions i'm
possible to be complied with, unless at an expens
far greater than the value of his property. Again
the judge or court before whom the writ may be re
turned, may admit the slave to bail in any sum from
opa cont to- Thames dollars and discharpe hin