Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-08-31


"JOSEPlI c. ANDERSON,
go. IL. BROWNE,
"F. j. MARSHALL.
9Th" substitute was read twice and r,,nsi,I,reI ns
en~russ,.d
GEN. CASn On KNOW -NOTIIlyGIsu AND
TIE POWER Of CONGRESS OVER TIE
TERRITORIES.
Below will be found letter from Gen. Cu.s. dctin.
ing fully anl ccnr'y his views upon Know. \ ,,biur
isn ami the power of Congress over h. T.rri,orj,.s
DETROIT, Aug. -, 1865.
+" he EdIoy of Nc D.1,'OH Fee Press:
SIn:--Tic public Journals contain letter dated
july 9th, written by Gen. Houston, which has lust
met my eye, Intl i'll which h" says hc perceivcs by
the papers at the day that Seen. CHss has approved
''thc platform ut the American Order proclaimed
ito the world by the Convention M Philadelphia"
h; observed tho statements Ia which Gen. Houston
aludc>, nnd had let them pass unnolccd, Tor II would
b. hopeless task tu endcavor to all the mis-
apprchensinns aud misrepresentation 10 which il is
my lot well rs that nt all other public men, 10 be
exposed in these days vi purity strife And, indeed,
could not suppose TINT such assertions would deceive
any ono who had heard W had rcHd my Remarks in the
Senate q" the United States on the fifth of February
last, ulun The Presentation of the resolutions of the
Legislature III Michigan, n,tructln5 the Senators Oi
that State IN vote fnr net III Congress prohibiting
The Introduction ui slavery into the Territories nj the
United States. Upon tlat OCCASION while declining
t" comply with those Instructions took the oppor-
tunIy In expires, my sentiments III relation I" the
new political movement, whIri sought tu acquire and
cNrrclS: power by secret combinations. bound To-
Scthrr by III" snrc,ins ul oath, which, il Is said,
made II the duty nj lis members I" surrender their in
divinuaI convictions o the expressed will at najorI-
y "l ihrIr nsSuciatrs. tlIrn observed
"StraEgr doctrines arc abroad, mud strange nrrRni-
lni"ms nr" employed {" proinu'gn.e and enforce
theIn Oar political history cnniaus no such chap
ter III the progress at oar country, TINT which is
opening. The qurs,nr- "G cuistitutlnnnllty and
policy, which have h.4.n long the bnttl-crv uf pHr
ties, cnmtcInI Nnusv rIrcted. uui Intolerance,
ironS and pntral. finds Jealous, md it may be
they will prove SIirCrsta, advocates III This middle nf
The Etl.-rrutI century hrastng with much sclt-cpn-
placrnrv "f H. intelligence al in this free country,
founded upon immigration, and grown prosperous
aud powerful by tnrra!ioI-. We want III new
parties, 10 nuw platforms, M new organizations, and
Ia" sooner these dangerous efforts abandoned, the
better will il be for Us and t"r those who are tn fol-
low II in this heritage of freedom
mi ght well -uppns" after the expression nt these
views upon the fiour nt the Senate, and under crcum-
stances ri peculiar responsibility, that any further
action my part would he unnecessary To prove my
consistency. disciple of The school of Washing
ton aud Jefferson. nGI MADISON. and Jackson III the
rejection OF dangerous innovation, inconsistent with
a the priuc pr- iuSc pHtriois taught, al which, IN
effect. nms Ia transfer the great political duty "i IN
American citizen from the hight "i day, where II
should b" exercised in this land Of freedom. to secret
comcuvrs, unlricndy Ia CnE investigation, IL 10
wise aad parinric decisnn. Hat the extract from the
letter nf Gen. Houston has shown that thc.r rG-
port. have received more credit than had believed,
and this consideration has induced me thus publicly
t. notice nn,, contradict .hcm. My opinions, indeed,
npnu any ,Ghirrt but "t little consequence, ex-
cent - lnv>.li, but, il they worth referring To-.
tht Are worth the truub!c of making the reference n
true nur.
l.nvc no sympathy with this plan oi political or
ganZutina whatever; neither with the means
il employs, nor the objects II SEEKS 10 attain ls Sc
crrcy, ils abound obligations, lis control Vt the
bu!ln-box, III .ystcu q" prescriptions striking bot" a
poIticnI rights and RELIGION. duties, and lis mcvtn6ir
tendency Ia array one portion ot the community
against another, and TO carry deadly icuds into every
corner of the Iau Of which we have just had terri
blc proof, written IN characters o blood, and are
dunmrd Ia have mdmy more, !! iliIa movement goes
on for this is but the first !:>talmcnt II death, and
how many others tu aiirw, and io what extent,
rul when the last i is b paid and after what alncn-
able vcl-si,udes is hn"w.l only I" Him wh" tur,sccs
events uld c.;. control ihcn,tlcsc Characteristics
mark il ~ tie most dangerous scheme which has ever
beet! .rnuced into our c"unryio rcSula" lis pubic
action nritS social c"ndItI"n IL IL the o""-E" ot
a ErnIh!ic scarcely better in principle than lis mo-
na,chical pro,0type-ot a Republic whose freedom
and equality Justify rs little they invite tho INTRO
duciion "fn machinery hos" operation Is Concealed
from public observation, but whose consequences are
as clear rs they are Alarming.
Gem Houston gives credencc To the report that
approve "tEc plninrm oi the American order, us pro
claimed tn the world by the Convention ut Philadel-
phia." am aware that changes have been made,
both in the name aud in some uf the principles OF this
new organization. Bat these changes do not remove
my objections il. lis spirit nf exclusion aud tole-
rnncr remains, aud, with it, its evils and 1t. dangers
Ii is book To which caumut be rcconcilGd, whntcv-
edition, whether the new one or the olu one IS "'
.rcd I" me. There L. indeed principle aId down
in that convention which meets my concurrence, ana
that s the declaration that "COngre>s ought not Ia
egslutc upon tho subject ni slavery within the terri
tory nt the United States regret, however t!int
the body w!:rh thus pronounced against ;he exercise
ut the .wer did not also prnn"incc against lis exist
encc hut carefully pr.fsrmUcd-o USE its own words
the EXPRESSION u: any opinion upon that pnut-
Still. approve il action upon the SUBJECT =" ihr as u
cues. II Is step III the right dircctiril nld shouid
rejoice tn sec il followed by every political party III
onr country Eisa.,cp toniowars the security Of pu-
ltcll rightsts UppOS ton "a hr legislation VI t"n-
grs> the internal affairs {" the people ol the lcrr
rc md among othcrs,'vcr tho rril'i"h o 'nhs'cr una
servant Gr that ui husband nnd wic, or parent anu
chilri. fnr these matters nt domestic p"llcy ARE sup
;ec,s which should be lett 10 the Territorial conmunI.
lies and IL vcst ;hcm -! the power 10 regulate teln
j. an act of unmsa,Cd lcspotIani. Inc neShiioh I"
all power uf interference by Congress III the internal
governments. Of the Territories. Is the true c"hsHu'
tonal nctrirc and the only sate and practicable one
aud am r.oiccd that after years Of oppnsItIon-oi
phlnquy inGccd; is fast establishing itself upon i'm
prrguabe grounds
The iuIsippItlnilsiDl wlI!cH nus VTcNditd HPoH
mi, crave subject j. a,no. the most extraordinary
uoliiica events ni any time. Dne would naturally
suppose, tha. in this country, the dogma o internal
government; by III irresponsible Legislature over
distant community unrrprcscntcd III the ruling BODY
would find but lttlc favor, and TINT the power to cs-
tablisll and pat III operation government mTht well
be defended while the power to control all the con-
Germs uf human lif: would be left without an Hdv"-
cate. The difference is broad aud practical, aud
shnuld be the drarer 10 IIs il was the very con
p., ut her. III hon
,nntes; with the mother country, which began by ar
gumrnt but ended by arms. Ii wn+ asserted aa cary
rs l71I when the Continental Congress declared thar
the English cOloni-tS nr" entitled 10 free ai EN'Lt
sIvE power of Legislation III their srvernl prnfhcia
Legislatures where their rights "i representation
rnr nlnnc he preserved in MI r'cs oi tnXatinh ana
Internal pnly," *. In that great struggle. tlle
patriots who conducted it conc"d"d to the British
Parliament the authority I" organize colonial govern
m,u;s bu, denied their RIGHT 10 touch the tWcrAm
n,Jyy ot tl,r people. And Tor the support Gt that
.,r,nt princpl" denied and ;crdrd rs il is now, they
went Ia war.
| observe TINT highly respectable and intelligent
orp,lpmnn Governor HINT vi New York, III LETTER
ju-t pmhshal. speaks nf the NehrnsEh 1911 n bnsc
on the absurd theory Ot territorial sovereignty.
never heard nun support that rnciIsiire or approve
for such n ti"v. Hunt has mistaken 'he
sue,rs of its enemies for the views OF lis irehnS'-
The Nebraska Till rests upon nn such trory-ul'on
-, theory at nll but upon the stable toundntl0n "l
th federal constitutions and Of the natural rights ol
man. H.,
know of no one who claims sovereignty Tor me
Territories All concer their dependence upon Inc
United STATES But within this relation, there are
muunl rights and duties: and the qTesiiI"sm"ma' q ma,
mower ,nny Congress lawfully exercise and are The
n.onIc nr the Territories divr.ted ut all rights must
be determined not by p"iiticn-nc:aphy.lra consde'
r,t,nus nrisinr out Of tho attribute Of sovereignty,
but lv the constitution of the United States. To the
law and to the testimony. By thnt cnnsttu'lon thr
ren.ral Government l. government. not only OF
rrantc 6u, of limited powers and Congress eau ex-
rcise M authority which is not given by the great
charter ,hut brought it int" eSistence. Let any man
put his finger upon The clnlse OF that Instrument %hem
rnnt.r. mi, power uf internal interference, and viii
abandon the pr;nrIc, long n il has been cherished
by me, And tim: IS many yeRrs. NJ will appear Dy
reference 10 the fobr ol March 3ls SS which com
ipus an artri. written hy me, and entitled. "A re-
view nf the opinion Of ''the Supreme Court III Tue
Cherokee case. ,h,.