Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-03-20

| Of which alone depends all possibility OF pre'""
ting the overshadowng enlargement of free soil
aa,..;.;niea, and preserving the relative power OF
the slave holding states. in the management and
| direction of the common government. The iaila'
| cy of Northwestern Democracy. winked ai aud
| excused, If not assenled TO by their Southern
bret,ren consists in The false idea that slavery
is Iosoia and can only exist by local iegisiaiioa-
The truth the exact reverse of this Slavery hn"
no where in this country been established by eS-
press legislation, 1t is one of the hereditary IN
situations Of our faihers-one of the original con.
dtions of colonial society. The settlers of the
country brought slaves with them. and imported
others, of right pre-esisi'ng, Inherited, aPper
tanning by nature aud not derived from or Deepen
dent on law. To hold slaves was the common
right Of all, and could not Ice, aud was not, sur
rendered. except by the consent of those interest
cd II was The absence and not the existence of
this right that depended on legislation. Free soil,
therefore. was ooal.and dependent on legislation,
while slavery was the normal condition of GU"
society.
When the present federal compact was en-
cept one. II was then contemplated that we
should have other STATES formed out Of the Ter.
ritories belonging to, RIO be acquired by, tho
Union. Does any one suppose that it was de
signed that these Territories shbuld be open only
TO settlement by the people of that one free
State, with their institutions, while the people of
the ftceire slave States. with their institutions,
were to be excluded, until laws might be enact
ed permitting them To come in The PROPOSE
ton is absurd And, yet, upon this absurdity
is based that hcresy Of Northwestern Demo
raey. which asserts that slavery is local-tho
creature of law-and not to be permitted
cept where il is established by law. The very
talk we hear about the extension Of slavery"
is misuse of language. Slavery crisis, actually
or in theory, wherever in the States or Ter
ritores Of this Union it has not been abolish
ed by the decree of some competent authority.
II is free soil that does mol exist and cannot ex.
isl, except by legislation. Aud this is doc
trne which the Democracy, if they were true to
the South would assist Us in aiming, in
stead of compromising and oonspiring with
those who hold contrary belief.
This is no mere nbstra cton, for the refined
cavil of metaphy sioians=-out u practical and in
comparably important right. to be claimed and
established. lpon it, depends whether the
slave States are to increase in numbers and pow.
er in ratio proporionn,c to the increase of the
country or are 10 be crowded around aud crushed
TO death by free states. Let it be understood
that the right to hold slaves is the common law
of the land, oxccpt when nbrogated by local stat
utes, and the people Of the South will not hest
tate to 60 with their property into any ofthe Ter
ritores, knowing that they and it will be under
the protection Of the federal government, and
their property cannot be taken from them OK
cept by their own consent, and after full CON.
ponsation. But let the theory of the Northern
Democracy obtain, to which their Southern party
friends seem disposed silently to assent, and
the Stakeholder will not be silly enough to risk
his property by oarrviugit where it will be with
out protection of law.
Under this view ,f the subject is it not most
extraordinary and note worthy that journal of
the position and influence of tho Richmond En-
quirer, asslming peculiar tenacity to the rights
of the South, should print 'an unusual number"
of its paper, to extend the circulation of docu-
ment that eombats the position of Mr.. Fuller that
a"rerrtorial Legislature has no right to lcgslate
on the subject, of slavery, except SO far as may
be necessary to protect tie citizens of the Ter
ritory in the enjoyment of their property" and
asserts the contrary doctrine that "they may
either establish or prohibit slavery, just as they
think proper''l We leave the matter for the re-
Election of the people of tho South