Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-01-02

,,.es of common defence und general welfare,
A u ding objectssppertaining to the local legisia-
~, of the several States: and those lnrposesof
p" welfare aud comtnon defence were after
q 'rds defined by specific enumeration, as being
.,.rs of correlation between the States them
'na.. or between them and foreign governments
, an. ecause of their common and general ma
oould not b. left to the separate control Of
a,h State.
NJ ~ the circumstances If local condition, inter
and rights. in which II portion of the States
,.tiiuting one great section OF the Union. diff
GU !" from the rest, and from another section. the
ere :, important was the peculiarly of u larger
u tive coiored population in the southern than
the northern States.
" F, nopnlation of this class, held in subsection.
I'D in nearly all the States, but was more
'narous and of more serious concernmcnt
,ha Sonth than in the North, on eccosnt of
",,nral differences of climate ahd production;and
rns foreseen, that, for the same reasons, while
.%. population would diminish, and sooner or
H nr cease to exist in some States. it might in
n" "so in others. The peculiar character and
"eo,itude of this question of local rights, not in
m'sr;al relations only, bat still more in social
"n"s caused it to enter into the special stipula.
,ions of the constitution.
I.nce. while the general government, as we'll
/, tho enumerated powers granted it. AS by those
~, enumerated. and therefore refused to it, was
srhidden 10 touch this matter in the sense of at
,.ck or offence, it was placed under the general
,srepuard of the Union, IN the sel'se ct defence
inst either invasion or domestic violence, like
otber local interests Of the several Siates.-
r,cb Safe expressly stipulated, as we'll for itself
=, f,r each aud all of its citizens. and every cit
tn,r If each State became solemnly bound by his
nIlsciance to the constitution. that any person,
Sold IN service or labor in one State, escaping
into another, should not, in consequence of any
law or regulation thereof, be discharged from
.nch service or Labor, but should be delivered up
IN claim of the party to whom such service or
,,h,r might BE- due by the laws of his State.
Thus, and thus only. by the reciprocal guaran
" of all the rights of every State agains: inter
f,rence on the part of another. was the present
torm of government estubli, he'd by our fa'hers
and transmitted to US; and by no other means is
II possible for it to exist. If one State ceases to
r..pect the rights of another, and obtrusively
Intermediates with its local interests,-if a por-
ton Of the States assume to impose their lnstl-
;afions on the others, or refuse to fulfil their
hlirations to them.-we are M longer united
friendly States, but distracted. hostile ones, with
little capacity left of common advantage, but
abundant means of reciprocal injury and mis-
chief.
Practically, it is immateria whether aggres-
sve interference between the States, or driibcr-
ate refus sal on the part IF any one Of them To
comply with constitutions obligations. arise
from erroneous conviction or blind prejudice,
whether it be perpetratel by direction or indl-
rection. In either case, u is full ofthreat and of
danger 10 the durability of the Union.
CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS or SLAVERY.
| Placed in the office of Chief Magistrate as The ex-
ccutiye agent OF the whole country, bound t" take
care that the laws be faithfully executed, and es-
pecially enjoined by the constitution to give IN
formation to Congress on the state of the Union,
would be palpabie neglect of duty on my part
h, pass over a >ubiect Ike this, which. beyond
all things at the present time, vitality concerns
Individual and public security.
1t has been matter of painful regret to see
States, Conspicuous for their services in fonnd-
ing this Republic, and equally sharing its ad
vantages, disregard their constitutional obllgt-
tons tn it. Although conscious of their inability
to heal admitted and p~alpable social evils of their
own, and which are completely within their ju-
~risdiction, they Engage in the offensive hopeless
Undertaking of reforming the domestic institu-
tons of other States wholly beyond their con
troll and authority. In the vain pursuit of ends,
by them entirely unattainabie, and which they
may not legally attempt to compass, they peril
the very existence of the constitution, and all the
countless benefits which il has conferred. While
the people of the northern States c%onfne their
attention to their own affairs, not presuming off
cously to intermeddle with the social institutions
Of the northern States, too many of the inhabi-
tants of the latter are permanently organized in
associations to inhict injury on the former, by
wrongful acts, which would be cause of war as
between foreign powers, and only fail to be such
in our system. because perpetrated under cover
of the Union.
1t is impossible to present this subject as truth
and the occasion require, without noticing the
referred, but groundless allegation, that the
South has per-istently asserted claims and OBJ
tltnrd advantages in the practical administration
of the general government to the prejudice of the
North, and in which the latter has acquiesced.-
That is, the States, which either promote or toll
crate attacks on the rights o persons and of pro-
perty in other States. to disguise their own iajus-
tee, pretend or imagine, and constantly aver.
that they, whose constitutional rights are thus
Systematically assailed. are themselves the
asgressors. At the present time, this imputed
aggression, resting. as it does, only m the vague
drelanatory charges of political agltators, re-
solves itself into misapprehension,o or misinterpre-
'ati"n. of the p~riciples and facts of the political
organization of the new Territories of the United
States.
What is the voice of history When the or
dinance, which provided for the government of
the territory northwest of the riyor Ohio, aud for
its eventual sub division into new States. was
adopted in the Congress of the confederation, 1t
lsnot# to be supposed that the question of future
relative power, as between the States which re-
tanned, aud those which did not retain. IL auinc-
Foas colored population. escaped notice. ar fail
cd to be considered. And vet the concession Of
that vast territory to the interests and opinions
OF the Northern States a 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 of the South.
When Louisiana was acquired by the United
states. it was an acquisition not less To the North
than to the South; for while it was important to
III" country at the mouth Of the river Mississippi,
10 h"come the emporium of the country above It,