The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-01-02
nens upon, Or intermeeddIins with, ano.her's re

insertion aud - cents for each continuance.
ment upon or intermeeddling with, anoshers re.
| served rights
/ Where Il was deemed expedent, particular
rights OF the States were expressly guaranteed bv
tne constitution; but In all things beside, these
rights were guarded By the limitation Of tho pow
ers granted, and by express reservation of an now
ers not granted in the compact of the union Tim.
tne great power Of taxstiop was limited TO purpo
ses Of common defence and general welfare. excIu.
ding objects appertaining to the local Legislation of
the several States; and thos. purpoees Of general
welfare and common defence were Afterwards Ia
fined by specific enumeration. being matters on
ly of correlation between them and foreign govern.
ments, which because of their common and general
each State
Ut the circumstances of local condition interest
ana rights, in which portion of the States con.
stliutlng one great section of the Union differed
;ro.a Ine rest and from another section the most
.nportant was the pecuiiarity Of larger relative
northern states '''AA IN .iie
population Of this class held in subjection. ex
r,,s...a an the States but was more nurne-
Ioas ana OF more serious concernment in the South
than IN the North, on account Of natural 5iffar
onces OF climate and production and Il v.s fora
seen that for the same reasons while thie r,onris
x;.. "o,u =; all,hisn, ana sooner later cease to
nAst' IN some States, 1t might increase In other
Inc peculiar character and masnitrda ot I,
quesuon Oh local rights not In material relat;or.
only, but still more in social ones caused !, =, o.
ton. " '''e eoustru'
Hence, while the general government. as ,ou
py the enumerated powers granted to IL. as hv
those not enumerated, and therefore Spfused r. 4;
was Iorpidden to touch this matter in the sense of
aItaek or onenee 1t was placed under the general
safeguard of the Union, in the sense of defare
against either invasion domestic violence Iika
an other local interests of the several S,afas
.aen s.aIe expressly stipulated well for itself
M haIt nf zsk
OF each State became solemnly bound bv h;s .ii.
glance 10 the constitution, that any person held to
service or labor in one State escaping into ana
thei, should not, in consequence of any law or
rssuia.ioh lnereof DC discharged from such SER
wee or labor, but should be delivered up on claim
OF the party to whom such service or labor mich,
be due by the laws of his State
Thus, and thus only, by the reciprocal guaran.
ol an 1ne rights OF every State against inter.
lerenee on the part of another was the presen,
form OF government established by our fathers
ana transmitted to US and by no other means Il II
possible for 1t TO exist II State ceases 10 rec
pect the rights Of another and obtrusively inter
mcddles With its local interests: If a port;or oe
the States assume to impose their institutionc oY,
the Others or refuse TO fulfil their obligations To
them,-we are no longer united friendly State
put distracted hostile ones with little capacity left
OF common advantage but abundant means of 70
ciprocal injury and mischief
Fractlcaiy. 1t Is immaterial whether aggressive
interference between the States or delibersta ra
fusal on the part of any one of them TO eomnlv
Win eohstltuiionai obligations. arise from errone.
pus conviction or blind prejudices, whether II be
perpetrated by direction or indirecton In either
case 1t is full of threat and of danger TO the durab
ity of the Union.
CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS OF SLAVERY.
Placed in the office of Chief Magistrate az the
executive agent of the whole country, bound TO
take care that the laws be faithfully executed
and specially enjoned by the constitution TO give
information to Congress the state of the Union
1t would be papable neglect of duty on my part 10
pass over subject like this, which, beyond ali
ual and public security.
1t has been matter of painful regret to see
States, conspicuous for their services in foundin0
this Republic, and equally sharing its advantages
disregard their constitutional obligations to IT.
Although conscious of their inability to heal admit,
ted and palpable social evils of their own ami
which are completely within their Jurisdiction.
they engage in the offensive and hopeless under.
taking OF reforming the domestic institutions OF
other States wholly beyond their control and an,
thority. In the vain pursuit of ends, by them en-.
tirely unattainahle, and which they NAV not le-
gslly attempt to compass. they peril the very ex.
istence OF the constitution, and all the countless
benefits which it has conferred.
While the people of the Southern States conf,ns
their attention to their affairs not piesumin0
officousy to intermeddle with the institutions OF
the Northern States, too many inhabitants Of the
latter are permanently organized in associations to
intiict injury the former, by wrongful acts.
which would be cause of war as between some for.
eign power and only fail to be such In our system
because perpetrated under the cover of the Union
1t Is impossible to present this subject AZ truth
and the occasion require, without noticing the re-
terated, but groundless allegations that tho South
has persistently asserted claims and obtained ad.
yantages 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 tolerate at.
tacks of the rights of persons and of property In
other Statesto disguise their own inustice,pretenc
or imagine, and constantly aver, that they whose
constitutional rights are thus systematically rs
sailed are themselves the aggressors. At the pre-
sent time, this imputed aggression, resting, 10
does, only in the vague, deeamatory charges OF
political agtators, resolves itself into misapprehen
sons, or misinterpretation, Of the principle and
facts of the political organization of the new Terri
tories of the United States.
What is the voice of historys When the ordi.
nance, which provided for the government Of the
territory northwest OF the river Ohio. and for its
eventual subdivision into new States, was adopted
in the Congress of the confederation 1t II 70 be
supposed that the question of future relative pow
er, as between the States which retained anu
those which did not retain, numerous negro pop
uation, escaped notice, or failed to be sdered
And yet the concession of that vast territory 70
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 Of the South
w
1t was an acquisition not less TO the North than to
the South; for while II was important to the
try at the mouth of the river Mississippi 10 become
the emporium of the country above 1t, 20 also IL
was even more important to the whole Union 10
have that emporium; and although the new prov
ince by reason of its imperfect settlement, wsa
mainly regarded the Gulf Of Mexico; yet In fact
it extended TO the opposite boundaries Of the I.
States, with far greater breadth above than be-
low, and was in territory, as in everything else.
equally at least accession 10 the Northern
States 1t is mere deusion aad prejudice. there
FORE to speak Of Louisiana a. acquisition in The
special interest of the South
The patriotic and just men, who participated IN
that act, we're influenced by motives above al see
tional iealorsies. IL was in truth the great event
which. by completing FOR ns the possession OF the
valley Of the Mississippi with commercial access
TO the Gulf Of Mexico, impaired unity and strength
10 the whole confederation, and attached together
bv indisso,uhe ties the East and the West, ~ well
as the North and the South.
AS to Florida that was but the transfer Dy SPAN
"a the United States Of Territory on the east sHe
Of the river Mississippi in exchange for large ter
ritory, which the United States transferred 70
spain on the west side of that rver n the entrc
diplomatic history Of the transaction serves 70 ae
| moustrste Moreover, II was an aeqaisision ue'
manded by the commercial interests aud the sech'
riiy Of the whole Union.
In the meantime the people ofihe United State ss