The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-10-19

clause confer upon any citizen the privilege Of holding
slaves property Long before and when the eonstitu
ton formed the privilege right Of owning negroes
property existed and universally recognised in every
colony The title slave property was as firmly liked ana as
freely conceded the title any other species Of prop
erty real personal mixed The trainers OF the constr
tuition therefore, conferred privileges saye-ownes
that they did not enjoy beore what they did was TO re-
cogne the rights and privileges already existing by eas
ing the whole subject of the title to property 10 the deter
mination and management of the State governments
In regard TO slavery, il became necessary, on account
of the peculiar of this species of property, and
account Of the changes which the laws OF Nature and the
dictates of interest would probably make in finally restrict
ing it to southern locality to secure the perpetual enjoy
ment of it by providing expressly that State should pass
any law adopt any regulation within its limits which
should discharge from service labor slave which
might escape into 1t from another State but that such
slave should continue to be property and be delivered up
on the claim of the What privilege here con-
ferred on the slave-owner? There is recognition of
privilege which existed before the constitution made,
and specific prohibition against any future interference
with the continued existence and enjoyment of that pryi
ege Our fathers foresaw that the necessary operation of
governed by climate and SOIL would at distant day
cause the abandonment and abolition in many States
of the privilege then enjoyed by all nearly all,
OF holding negroes property They foresaw that this
change in the local laws and habits of the States might
subject the continued enjoyment of the privilege OF own
ing slaves to great annoyance and hazard unless express
provision was made against such consequences The pro-
vision made does confer any right privilege
lint Dryilepe
nen and protects against just such aggressons as abo-
ton been long prosecuting against it. No other spe
cies Of property thus singled out and thus specially
guarded by the constitution from future aggression This
was not the result of preference for slavery Of pur
pose to establish privileged class So far from it the
object prevent the citizens in those States which
might abolish slavery from seeking to interfere with the
rights of their neghbo who might choose to abandon
the privilege of holding slaves. The peculiar nature of
slave property called for such guarantee in Fundamental
law and not that it the design Of the constitution to
hold it in higher estimate than other property was the
purpose to guaranty the enjoyment of existing rights and
privileges for all time come and not that of comforting
new privileges
When the constitution formed slavery was legal
institution throughout the colonies, it was when the
Declaration Of Independence agreed upon and pro-
Of property announced in the latter document made
in reference to the relation which the whites and blacks
bore to each other at the time and therefore, decla
ration of the equality existing amongst the white race and
not qualification Of the very authors of that Declaration
who were the owners of black men as property The
trainers of the constitution acted upon exactly the same
principle; they made constitution in view of the exist
ing relations between the whites and the bncks they
recognised the legality of that relation and in providing
for the enjoyment of equality whether by States ndvd
uas they had reference to the equality amongst white
They did not undertake to disturb those
relations which they found subsisng between the white
the superior and the black the inferior
They left this subject just where they found tin the
elusive hands Of the State governments.
There is no citizen of the whole Union who may have
perfect privilege slaves and, when they escape
pursue and rccapure them in free State If the north
ern States choose confer this privilege their citizens
they have the authority to do If the citizens OF the
free States wish enjoy this privilege they have the full
right to move into slave State and enjoy all the rights
and privileges of the southern citizens If it be priv-
lege to own slaves, it is which the northern peo-
pie enjoyed fully and proftaby for years the
southern people do presents if the former chose to
surrender the privilege it little becomes them TO
seek to make southern odious privileged class
merely because their interests do not induce them
sell their slaves and then aboonsts But need
pursue the subject further Mr. Stewards whole object
is to keep alive those sectional preudces and animose
on which be seeks to rise to political power TIE effect this
ambitious purpose he does not hesitate to assai the noble
work Of his fathers and to labor to render it odous in the
eyes of the northern people II we have not mistaken the
devotion which Ellis the hearts Of the people of the North
towards the constitution they will repel with indignation
this last attack of abotonsm upon the integrity of the
Union.
A GOOD RADIANCE.