Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-12-08
Observation-Disclosures MEssa q

| 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:
"Since your last session, 1 have received, from
several of the States of this confederacy 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
attenton.-The whole scope and tenor of these re-
solutions with Southern interests and in
stntions 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 are to be denied to
the people of another. This assumption should be
met promptly. 10 such degradation should not
submit. The people Of Virginia have the same in
aenable 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 authority to pass laws allowing the right to
one State, and denying it to another.
The people of some of the States abolished slavery
within their limits declaring that soand policy
quired that it should be effected therein,
might be consistent with the rights of individuals
and the 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-
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-
per, that sound policy requires the continuance or
establishment of slavery within their limits, and have
not equal power declare whether it be consistent
with the rights of individuals that it should be
tnued or abshed. The government of the United
States have 10 such power delegated to it. 1t be-
longs alone to the people when they come to esta-
bish the fundamental law for their own government;
and Congress has no authority to prohibit any State
from coming into the Union because slavery exists
or does exist within its limits
1t is false philosophy which teaches that the in
situations which have proved good for one people,
are and will be good for all future CONFERENCE.-The.
1t is true that the institutions of Austria or Rus
ia or Turkey, which they think good, are best for
the United States. 1t is not true that the institutions
of Connecticut would be best for Virginia. and ii it
were true, it is less false to attempt crusade
against nations or States, to compel them to embrace
principles laws obnoxious to them, because they
are deemed good and wholesome by others. The
true and only sound principle is for each State or ma
ton to adapt its laws and constitution to the crcum
stances which surround it, and i'll accordance with
the wishes of majority of its people and to abstain
from interference with the of others. This
principle, if adhered to- will prevent the germina-
ton OF the seed of civil dissensiou and disunion,
which false and deS gning men continually sowing
broadcast over this land
Congress had right in 1920 to pass the Missouri
Compromise 1t had no right to prohibit the intro
duction of slavery above one lne and to permit 1T
or to entail upon the people below that line. The
south submitted then to a fragrant violation of its.
rights for the sake of peace for the sake of frater
nal affection, obtain quiet and repoSe from inceS
SAINT agitation and annoyance Instead OF repose, 1t
only opened the floods 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-
blishing the compromise has been repealed.
BY such repeal, slavery is neither recognized
couraged is it prohibited or abolished. All are
lett to their constitutional rights ought not, we
cannot, with honor, with scl-respect, without hum-
iation and debasement, permit this iniquity to be
again established over The constitutional guar
antees must be respected and executed. We ought
to take a firm stand, and let ultmatun be abSo
lutte and unconditional. If we do not the Union is
worthless, and will become engine of unmitgated
oppression.
As an evidence of what to expect, refer
you to the late act of the General Assembly of Mas
sachuSetts, and ask you to examine it carefully, and
calmly If you That act is extraordinary in
its character, that | invoke your attention to the
dangerous tendency of its leading provisions Un-
der the title of an act to protect the rights and ber
ties Of the people OF the Commonwealth OF MaSSa-
chusetts provided that the of that State fur
Their protect personal liberty, shall apply to the
of Congress of the 18th of SeptembeI $780, pro-
vding for the return Of slaves escaping from their
masters, and that the writ OF habeas corpus shall eX-
tend every person. imprisoned restrained of his
liberty, of right and of course; that may be is
sued by any court of record, any judge justice
OF the peace In the feturnaOle TO the supreme
Court, any judge thereof; and if it appear that
the party restrained was claimed a 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 state in writing
the facts which he relies, with precision and GER
tainty. An issue upon the plea of not guilty is d
rected to be Joined the facts stated. jury is
be impanneled thereon, who may return general
verdict and the finding of the verdict of guilty
is declared final and conclusive. And is provided
that no confession, admission or declaration of the
alleged fugitive against himself shall be given in evil
dence. Upon every question of fact involved in the
issue the burden of proof rests the claimant and
the facts alleged and necessary to be established
be proved by testimony of at least two credible
witnesses other legal evidence equivalent thereto
No parte deposition affidavit is allowed proof
in behalf of the claimant, and no presumption shall
arise in favor of the claimant from any proof that
the alleged fugitive any of his ancestors had been
actually held as slave, without proof that such
holding was legal
Thus it will be seen, that after taking fugitive by
habeas corpus out of the hands of the officer who
may have arrested him under the laws of Congress,
the by this act placed under conditions i'm
possible to be complied with, unless at expense
far greater than the value of his property. Again
the judge court, before whom the writ may be re-
turned, may admit the slave to bail in any from
cent to two thousand dollars, and discharge him
from custody, and in this way deprive the owner of
his slave 50
But the unriendly disposition of the legislature of
Massachusetts, towards the slaveholdng States is
clearly manifested in the character Of the PEN
alteS adopted to enforce thus most unjust act They