Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-01-04

that any person held 20 service or labor in state
escaping into another. should nor, III c"Se1utn!e I"
any law or regulation thereof. he discharged from
such service labor, but should be delivered up on
claim at the purity 10 whom such service or labor
might be due By the laws Of the State.
Thus, aud thus only, by the reciprocal guaranty oil
all the rights Of every State against interference OH
the purt OF another, the present form Of sovrra
mrut established 10y our faters and transmitted to
,s: and by other means IL 1t possible for it 10 exist
If one State to respect the ri hts of another
nul oblru.vc!y Intermediates with it's heal INTEREST,"
If portion Of the States assume To impose their III
.tituriops on the Others refuse 10 fulfil their oblca.
rinns to tLeIn,-wc IRE no longer united friendly
states but distracted, hostile ones, with little capaci-
~ left OF common advantage, Out hoouahl ireas vi
reciprocal injury and mischief.
Prartlcally il is i,nmaerial whether aggressive III
reference between the States or deliberate rc'"s"
on the part of any one Of them to comply VII" con
ton or blind prejudice, whether il be pcrpetrated b!
direction or directon. In either case, II Is luil
tLren and of danger 20 the durability q" the Union
| CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS or SLAVERY.
Placed in the office of Chief Magistrate as the cx
ecutive agent of the whole country, bound to takt
care that the laws be faithfully executed, and special
" cninned by the constitution to give Information
| 10 Congress on the state Of the Union 1t would Dt
| palpate neglect of duty on my part To pass over
subject like tis which, beyond all things AT the pre-
ser time vi,uly concerns individual aud public st
| curly.
II las been mnttnr of painful regret to SEE States
their ScrS Ices
lie. and equally sharing its advantages, disregard
| their constitutional obligations 10 II. Although con
scous of their inability 10 heal admitted and palpa
| BILE social evils Of their own, ana which are com
petely within their jurisdiction, they engage nthc
offensive and hopeless undertaking Of reforming the
domestic institutions of other States wholly beyond
their control and authority. In the vain purs u ot
ends by them entirely unattalnabe, and which they
may not legally attempt to compass, they peril the
very existence of the constitution, and nj! the count.
| less benefits which it has conferred. While the men,
Die OF the Southern States contne their attention to
their affairs, not prcsumug uiiicou.l" Ia inter
NEEDLE with the social institutions Of the Northern
States, too many OF the inhabitants OF the infer sr,
permanently organized in associations Ia juHif min
! rs the former, by wrongful acts, which w0vI be-
cause of war rs between foreign powers, and .uiy
ftIl to be such III our ytr, brcarl.r Irrurrad I'M
der cover of the Union
II is impossible 10 present this subject as truth and
the requre without noticing the reiterated but
groundlcss, acgatOn that. the South has persistent
ly asserted claims and obtained advantages in the
practical administration OF the general government
la the pref alice u the North and in winch The latter
has acquIesced That j., thr States, which either
promote or tolerate attacks the rights Dt persons
and al property in oc. States to Disguise their own
Injustice, pretend or Imaginc, md constantly aver.
r,Ht they, whose constitutional rie thus system
n;."'!y assaulted, are Themselves the aurcS..rS At
the; pr.scI! limC this nputrd agsr.s,iun resting a.
il LUs only in the vague, drclanatnrv charges u. o-
htcnl agaturS Resolves itself into Misrepresentation,
neutrality-suspicious. ot the principles AMI facts OF
the political organization Of the new Territories oi
the United States.
VIVA, is the voice Of history! When the ordinance,
Which provided for the government of the territory
northwest Of the river Ohio, and Tor its eventual sub
division INTO nrw States, adopted III the Congress.
of the confederation it is not Ia br supposed that the
question of future rcintive power, between the
States which retained. and tus: which did not retain
numerous colored populations, escaped notice, ar
tailed TO be considered. Aud yet the concession of
thar vast territory TO the interest. md opGnns ot the
northern States, q territory how the sent Of five
among the largest memhrrI %! the tniop. wns III
great measure the act OF the State Of Virginia and Of
the South.
When Louisiana was acquired by the United States,
acqG.-Jn not less To the North than Ia the
South for while 1t WIS important 10 the country Il:
the mouth ui the river Mississippi 10 become the
pnruln Of the country above II, also il was even
more important 10 the whole Union TO have TINT en-
pnriuln and although the new province, By r-ason
Of lie imperfect settlement insinly regarded rs
the Cali of Mexico, yet III fact, extended 10 the
opposite boundaries OF the United States with far
greater breadth above than below, and was III terrific
rs a.. in everything else, equally at ei-t all accession
To- the northern States 1t il deasion md prciu
dice, therefore, spcak OF louisiana as acquisition
in the special interest oi the South
The patriotic ard just men, who participated III thar
act" Influenced by motive. far above all sect!"n-
al jaaiOsies. II in truth tie great event, which,
by completing for us the possession Of the wiley "i
the Mississippi with commercial access Ia the GnIf al
Mexico, impaired unity and strength 20 the "h":e
confederation, and attached together by InIssoiub:
ties the East and the West, well rs the North ana
the South.
As to Florida that but the transfer by Spain I"
the L. States o territory "n the east SIDE -! me RIVER
Mississippi, in exchange for large territory, which III"
United States transferred Ia Span on the wesi side
of that river, the entire diplomatic history oi the
to demonstrate. Moreover, il was
m acquisition demanded by the commercial Interests
AMI the security of the whole Union.
al. lnIf..I Stutn
had grown up To proper consciousness oi their
strength and III briri contest with France, and IN
second serious with Great Britain, they had sha-
ken of all which remained q. undue crGncc for
Europe and emerged from the atmosphere OF those
Influence. wch surrounded the infant
Republic, and had begun to turn their attention 10
the full aud systematic development Of the internal
resources al the Union.
Among the evAncScent controversies al that pc
riud the most conspicuous was the question OF regu-
lann by Congress ot the social condition of the ia
iure States to be- founded in the territory Of Lou-l-
ana.
The ordinance for the government of the territory
rortwos, Of the river OH" had contained provision,
which prohibited the oil srrvile labor therein, sub.
icri To the condition Of the extradon Of iugi;vcs
from service due in any other part of the United !
States. Subsequently 10 the adoption OF the cDnstiu
tiun this provision ceased To remain ~ law: tor it,
operation rs such WAS absolutely superseded by the
constitution. But The recollection of The inct excited |
the zeal OF social pr"pnsnndism in some section OF
the confederation: and, when second STATE, that u !
Missouri, to be formed III the territory OF Lou
isana proposition waS made to extend 10 the litter
territory the restriction originally applied 10 the
country situated between the rivers Ohio and Mis- !
ssSippl.
Most objectionable this proposition in all lis |
constitutional relations, nevertheless il received the
sanction Of Congress, with slight modification |
Of line I" the existing rights Of the intended new
State 1t was reluctantly acquicsced in by southern
States sacrifice 10 the cause Of peace and of th"
Union. only of the rights stipulated by the treaty
u. Louisiana, but nj the principle Of equality among
the States guaranteed by the constitution. Ii
ccivcd by the northern States with angry AMI resent !
iul condemnation and complaint, BECAUSE il did not
conce,le all which they had exceedingly demanded
Having passed through the forms III Legislation, il |
took it, place in the statute book, standing open to
repeal like any other act of doubtful coStItOnality,
subject To tie pronounced null and void by the courts
ut law, and possessing no possible efficacy To control
the rights ui the States, which ght thereafter br
organized out Of any part OF the original territory Of
Louisiana.
In ali thiS il any aggression there were, any in
mOvann upon pre-existng rights 10 which portion
o.! the Union nre they justly eIIargeabIe
This controversy passed away with the OCCASION,
nothing surviving il the dormant letter OF the
statute.
But. long afterwards when by the proposed nrces
sion III the Republic OF Texas the United States were
t" take their next step IN territorial greatness, SIM
lar contingency Occurred, and hccam" the orca-on
fnr :; si"naiZcd attempt. to intervene in the dones
tie G!ihs OF one section OF the Union in defiance o!
their rights NJ States and OF the stpulntions nl III"
constitutions These attempts assumed practical d.
reciloi IN the shape Of perscvcrug cndcav"rs. by som"
{" the representatives.. III both houses of Congress. ~
deprive the southern States If the suppose. benefit oi
the PROVISIONS nt the act authorizing the organization
OF the State of Missouri.
But the good sense OF the people aud the vital |
t"rce OF the constitution, trunphrd over reril';hl
prejudice, and the political errors of the Gny, and The
State of Texas returned 10 the Union she Wa, with
social institutions which her people had chosen for
themselves, and with express agreement. by the ~
annexng act that she should be susceptible U; aub
vision into plurality of States.
Whatever advantage the interests OF the soufh"rn
States, such, gninrd by this, We're lar inferior III