Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-12-19

y q, ~ AS Cl4I61e tfla6lS
ira OF he s. ate eye ented deed
con eyine % Ing nite 4 Safes "a the
an 81 nei s. Virginia Ia the military
g. ITO
But the act of August S1sts 1852. con-
tanned a provision. that before issuing
scrip the secretary Of the interior should
be satisfied that the warrants surrendered
had been justly and fairly issued in puF-
ssuance of the laws Of Virginia, This re-
visional feature of the Law was designed
doubtless o4excIude from. scrip, cases
tainted wish fraud 81 shown by subsee
quent testimony 10 Be manifestlY errone5
Gus. But the laW5has been so constructed
as to require a .re-e examination of every.
claim allowed By the authorities of Yir>
ginia and under that construction, q
large number Of such claims have been
rejected by the department at Washing
ton, and are Of course unavailable to the
claimant in Virginia. though maturely
considered and duly adjudicated by her
appointed tribunals.
Tue dignity Of the commonwealth and
Justice TO the individual claimant as well
as good faith, seems to me to require that
the law Of congress on the subject should
| b. SO amended as to authorize the issue
Of scrip in all cases duly recognized By
this State, unless fraud be detected, or
manifest error be shown.
The subject being one Of interest to
very numerous citizens of the State, and
involving large amount, l deem it my
duty to bring it to the attention of the
| Legislature.
Since your last session, I have received
from several of the States of this confed-
eracy, resolutions upon various subjects,
with a request that they may be submit
ted to your consideration. In accordance
with this request. they are herewith com
municated. The resolutions from the
States Of Rhode Island, Maine, Massachu,
sets and Connecticut. upon the subject
Of the establishment of territorial govern,
ment for Nebraska and Kansas, and the
admission into the Union Of these terrific
ries as States, and relative to the fugitive
slave law will no doubt attract your at
lention. The whole scope and tenor o.
these resolutions are at war with southern
int: ests and institutions, and they are
based upon the idea that the States o.
this Union are not entitled to equal rights
and that the people OF one section are tc
be allowed privileges and capacities
which are to be denied to the people o
another, This assumption should DC me
promptly. To such degradation we should
not sub!air. The people Of Virginia have
the same inalinab!e right to carry any
-species OF property possessed by them in
to any territory Of the United States, tina
the people of any other State have to car
~ any species 81 their property, and Con
gTcss have no authority TO pass laws Al
loving the right TO one State, and deny,
ing it to another.
The people Of some of the states abol,
ished slavery within their own limits, de
ciaring that 'tsornd policy required tia
it should be effected therein, as soon G!
as it might be consistent with tn,
rights OF individuals and the public safs
ty and welfare.'' What right have they
to say whether other states shall no
equally judge whether sound policy re
quires it to be abolished within their OWL
Jurisdiction, and when it will be consist
cnt With the rights of individuals, and
the public safety and welfare VIVA
right lave they TO declare that other in
dependent soVereignties have not the
equal authority to maintain, if it seen
to them proper, that sound policy re-
quircs the continuance or establishment
Of slavery within their limits, and have
not equal power to declare whether i
be consistent with the rights Of individu
ais that it SHOULD be continued or abo
lshed. The government of the United
! of haIy al 3,
it. 1t belongs alone to the people, wheI
they come to establish the Fundamental
law for their own government; and con
gress has no authority to prohibit any
state from coming into the Union because
slavery exists or does not exist within it.
limits.
II is false philosophy which teaches
that institutions which have proved goot
for one people. are and will be good fo
all commoDwealths It is not true tina
the institutions Of Austria or Russia OF
Turkey, which they think good, are bes
Tor the United States. II is not true tina
the institutions of Connecticut would be
best for Virginia and if it were true, i
is no less false to attempt crusade
|, against nations or states, to compel then
to embrace principles or laws obnoxiou:
to them, because they are deemed good
and wholesome 10 others. The true
and only sound principle is for each state
or nation 10 adopt its laws and constitu
ton to the circumstances which surround
it, and in accordance with the wishes of a
majority OF its people, and to abstain from
interference with others. This principle,
il adhered to, will prevent the germiDa,
ton of civil dissention and disunion, which
false and designing men are continually
sowing broad cast over this land.
Congress had no right in / $50 to pass
the Missouri compromise: 1t had nc
right to prohibit the introduction Of sla.
very above one line, and TO permit it OF