Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-01-05

CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS OF SLAVERY.
Placed in the Office Of chief magistrate as the
executive agent Of the whole country, bound to
take care that the laws be faithfully executed,
and specially onjoined by the constitution To give
information to Congress on the state ofthe Union
ii would be palpable neglect Of duty on my part
to pass over a subject like this, which, beyond
all things at the present time, vitality concerns
individual and public security
II has been a matter Of painful regret to see
states, conspicuous for their services in founding
the republic, and equally sharing lis advanta-
ges, disregard their constitutional obligations to
it. Although conscious Of their inability to
heal admitted and palpable social evils Of their
avn, and which arc completely within their jur-
isdcton, they engage in the offensive and hope
less undertaking Of reforming the domestic in
sliniions Of other states wholly beyond their
control and authority. 10 the vain pursusIi Of
ends, by them entirely unauainable, 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 southern states couGne
their attention to thoir own affairs, not presum-
ing ofliciousy TO uierncdde with tho social in
situations Of the northern states, TOO many Of the
inhabitants Of the latter are permanently organ
lied IN associations 10 innici injury on the for
mer, by wrongful acts, which would ba cause Of
war as between foreign powers, and only failto
be such in our system, because prepetraicd uu-
der cover Of the Union.
1t is impossible to present this subject as truth
and the occasion require, without noticing the
reiterated, but gIoundess allegation, that the
South has persisicntly asserted claims and OBJ
iained advantages in the practical administration
Of Tho general government, to the prejudice Of
the North, aud in which The latter has acquies-
ced That is, the states, which either promote
OF tolerate attacks on the rights Of persons and
Of property in other states, TO disguise their own
/ Injustice, pretended OF imaginary, and constantly
aver, that they, whose constitutional rights are
thus systematically assaied, arc themselves the
aggressors. At the present time, this imputed
aggression, resting as it docs, only ia the vague
declratory charges ofpolitieal agiiators resolves
/ itself into misappSeheusion or misinierpIelaiion
Of the principles and facts Of the political or
7 ganiza,ion Of The new territories Of the United
States.
I What is the voice OF hisioryl When the
ordinance which provided for the government Of
the territory northwest Of the river Ohio, aud
7 for its eventual subdivision in,o aaw ss4,es, was
adopted 10 the Congress Of the confederation, il
is not 10 be supposed that the question future
I relative poWer. as between the states which re-
tanned aud those which did not retain, namer-
Gus eolored population, escaped notice, or failed
10 be considered. And yet 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, 10 great measure, the &c, Of the stale Of
Virginia aud 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 i'm
/ pouant 10 the cuuuiryihai the mouth Of the Miss
issipp become the emporium OF the country
above il, so also was il even more important to
the whole Union 10 have that emporium; and
although the new province, by reason Of lis i'm
I 'he Gulf Of Mexico, yet, in fact, il extended TO
/ the opposite boundaries of the United Suites,
with Gar greater breadth above than below, and
was in territory, as IN everything else, equally
at last, an accession 10 the northern states. II
is mere delusion and prejudice, therefore, tn
/ speak Of Louisiana an acquisition in the spec
/ al interest Of the South.
The patriotic and just men who participated
ia that act were Influenced by motives far above
I all sectional jealousies. Ii was, 10 truth, the
/ great event which, by completing for US the
possession Of the valley Of the Mississippi, with
commercial 10 tho Gulf of Mexico i'm
parted unity and strength to the whole conied-
Grafton, and attached together by Undesirable
ties the East and the West, as well as the North
and the South
IA to Florida, that was but the transfer by
I Spain TO the United States of territory on the
east side of the river Mississippi, in exchange
for large territory which the United States
transferred 10 SPAN on the ives, side Of that
river, as the entire diplomatic history Of the
transaction serves to demonstrate. Moreover,
il was an acquisition demanded By the CONNER
cial interests and the security of the whole I'm
ion.
In the meantime, the people Of the United
States had grown up to proper consciousness
of their strength, and in brief contest with
France, and in the second serious war with
Great Britain, they had shaken off all which re-
NAMED OF undue reverence for Europe. and en-
erged from the atmosphere Of those iransailan-
tic influences which surrounded the infant re-
public, and had begun 10 turn their attention to
the full and systematic development ofthe inter
nal resources Of the Union.
! Among the cvanescent controversies of that
period the most conspicuous was the question of
regulation by Congress Of the social condition Of
the future states to be founded in the territory of
Louisiana.
The ordinance for the government Of the ter
riiory northwest of the river Ohio had contain
ed provision, which prohibited the use Of SER
vile labor therein, subject TO the condition oflhe
extradilion of fueitiyes from service due in any
other part of the United States. Subsequently
to the adoption ofine constitution, this provision
ceased to remain asa law for its operation as
such was absolutely superseded by the cons,i-
tuition. But the recollection Of the fact excited
the zeal of social propagandism in some sections
OF the confederation, and when Second state,
/ that OF Missouri came TO be formed in Tho tor