The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-01-12

deemed expedient. particular rights q
the States wre guaranteed by the 1imita
ito OF the poewers not granted in III
compact Of Union.
Thus the great power of taxation wa
limited to to the purposes of common de
fence and general welfare, excluding OBJ
jects appertaining to the local Legislation
of the separate States, and those purpos
es Of general welfare and coinihon de-
fence were afterwards defined by specific
enumeration as being matters only OF CO;
relation between the States themselves
or between them and foreign govern
ments, which because of their common
and general nature could not be left to the
separate control of each State. Among
the circumstances of local condition, in.
terests and rights, in which portion Of
the Union differed from the rest and from
another section, the most i'm portant was
the popularity of a large relative colored
population in the Southern than in the
Northern States.
A population of this class held in subjec-
ton, existed in nearly all the states, but was
more numerous and of more serious concern
ment in the South than in the North; on &C
count of natural differences in climate and
productions, and it was found that for the
same reasons why their population would
diminish, and sooner or later cease to exis
in some States, it might increase in others.
The peculiar character and magnitude of this
question of local rights, not in material rela-
tions only, but still more so in social ones,
caused it to enter into the special stipulations
of the Constitution. Hence, while the gen.
eral government, as we'll by the enumerated
powers granted to it, as by those not enume-
rated and therefore refused to it, was forbid
den to touch this matter, in the sense of at
tack, or defence, it was placed under the
general safeguard of the Union, in the sense
of defense against either incursion or
domestic violence, like all other local inter
ests of the several States.
Each State expressly stipulated, as we'll for
itself, as for each and all of its citizens, and
every citizen Of each State became solemnly
bound by his allegiance to the Constitution,
that any person held to service or labor in one
State and escaping into another, should not in
consequence OF any law or regulation thereof.
be discharged from such service or labor, but
should be delivered up upon claim of the party
to whom such service or labor might be due,
by the laws of his State. Thus and thus only,
by the reciprocal guarantee of all the rights
of every State against Interference on the part
of another, was the present form of govern
ment established by our fathers and transmit
ted to us, and by no other means is it possible
for it to exist. If one State ceased to respect
the rights of another and Obstrusively inter
medddle with its local interests; if a portion
of the States assume to impose their institu.
tiOns on he others, refuse to fulfil their OBJ
- sk1I
friendly States, but distracted hostile ones,
with little capacity left of common advantage,
but abundant means of reciprocal injury and
mischief.
Practically it is immaterial whether aggres-
sive interference between the States, or DELHI
crate refusal on the part of any one of them to
comply with the Constitutional obligatsons,
arise from erroneous conviction or blind preju-
dice Whether it be perpetuated by direction
or indrection, in either case it is full of danger
to the durability of the of the Union. Placed
in the office of Chief Magistrate, as the Execu-
tive Agent Of the whole country, bound to take
care that the laws be faithfully executed, es-
becially enjoined by the Constitution to give
informotion to Congress of the state of the I'm
ion, it would be palpable neglect of duty, on
my part, to pass over q subject like this, which
fleyOnd all things ct the present time vital y
coma rms individual and public security. 1t
States, conspicuous for their services in found
lag the Republic, and equally sharing its ad-
vantagcs, disregard their constitutional obli-
g,tions to it, Although conscious of their in
ability to heal admitted and popular social
evils of their own, aod which are completely
within their jurisdiction, they engage in the
offensive and hopeless undertaking of reform
ing the domestic institutions of other States,
wholly beyond thesr control and authority. in
the vain result of ends by them entirely uhat-
tanable, and which the may no legally attempt
to compass. they peril the the very existance
of the Constitution and all the countless bene-
fits which it has conferred, while the Southern
States conine their attention to their own Of
fairs.
Not presuming offciously to intermeddle with
the Social institutions of the Northern States
too many of the inhabitants of the latter are
permanently organized in associations to afaict
on the former wrongful acts, which would be
the cause of war as between ign powers,
and only fail to be such in our system because
perpetrated under the bonds of the Union. 1t
is impossible to present this subject without
noticing the reiterated but groundless allega-
tions that the South has persistently asserted
claims and obtained advantages in the practi-
cal working of the general government to the
prejudice of the North, and in which the lat
ter has acquiesced. Those in the Northern
States who either promote or tolerate attacks
on the rights of persons or property in other
States, to disguise their own injustice, pretend
or imagine, and constantly aver, that they
whose constitutional rights are thus untimely
assailed, are themselves the aggressors
At the present time, the imputed aggres-
sion, varying as it does only in the vague de-
clamatory charges of political agitators, re-
solves itself into a Misrepresentation of the
principles and acts of the politicel organiza-
ton of the new Territories of the U. S.
When the ordinance provided for the gov
eminent of the territory northwest of Ohio
river, and for it's evantful subdivision into
new States, was adopted in the Congress of
the confederation, it is not to be supposed
that the question of future relative power as
between the States which retain and those
which did not retain a numerous colored pop
,lation. escaped notice or failed to be consid-
cred; and yet the concession OF that vast ter
ritory to the interests and opinions of the
Northern States; Territory now the seat Of
five among the largest members OF the
Union. was, in great measure, the act of the
State of Virginia and the South: Wher
Louisiana was acquired by the U. B, 1t was
an aauisition not less to the north than the
South. For, while it was important
to the country at the mouth OF the
Mississippi river to become the emporl-
um Of the country above, so, also was
it even more important to the whole
Union to have that emporium, and al.
though tho new province, by reason OF