The Washington union., 1857-11-17
FnEE-SOILISM.

The primary object of all government in its orgi-
nal institution is the protection of person and prop
erty. Itis for this alone that men surrender por-
ton Of their natural rights.
In order that this object may be fully accomplish
cd. it is necessary that this protection should be
equally extended to all classes of free citizens with
out exception This, at least is fundamental prin-
ciple of the constitution of the United States which
is the original compact which all our institutions
based.
Slaves were recognised property in the British
colonies of North America by the government of
Great Britain by the colonial laws and by the consti
tuition OF the United States. Under these sanctions
vested rights have accrued to the amount OF
some sixteen hundred millions of dollars. 1t is,
therefore the duty of Congress and the State egis-
latures to protect that property.
The constitution declares that "the citizens Of each
State shall be entitled to all the privileges and mmu-
mites of citizens in the several States. Every ci
zen Of one State coming into oher State has, there
FORE right to protection OF his person. and that
property which is recognised as such by the const
tuition of the United States any law of State to the
contrary notwithstanding. So far from any State
having right to deprive him Of this property it is
its bounden duty to protect him in its possession
If these views are correct-and we believe it would
be difficult to inyalidate them-it follows that all
State laws, whether organic or otherwise, which
prohibit citizen Of one State from settling in an
other and bringing his slave property with him. and
most especially declaring it forfeited direct vio
lations Of the original intention of government
which as before stated, is the protection of person
e Al ,,,.e &c -, JJ,,t al
States which recognises property in slaves, and de-
clares that the citizens OF each State shall be- en
tied to all the privileges and mmunies of citizens
in the several States among the most essential of
which is the protection ofperson and property.
What is recognised as property by the constitu-
ton Of the United States, by provision which ap-
plies equally to all the States has nalienable right
to be protected in all the States. fits introduction
Is obnoxious or offensive to the prevailing sentiment
of the people of State, there is to pre-
sumo that citizen of any other State will ntrude it
in opposition to that sentiment, and thus subject
himself to all the notifications and i'll Offices which
inevitably fall to the lot of those who at variance
with their neighbors There is, then, no necessity
for laws prohibiting their introduction and the pro-
hibtion is gratuitous insult. The public sentiment
is sufficient guarantees If the field were ever so
open, there is not the least likelihood that south
ern planter would go aud settle with his slaves in
the northern section of the United States, where
they would be more than worthless as property, their
possession source Of eternal vexation and their
support an intolerable burden. There never has
been, to our knowledge and probably never will be,
an instance Of this kind
But the party calling themselves froesoilers have
attempted to establish distinction between States
already existing and those which may be hereafter
admitted into the Union. They maintain that the
constitutional recognition and guarantee of slave
property extcnds only to States which We're origi-
naly parties to that compact and not to those which
may be hereafter called into existence. Lctu brief
ly inquire If there is any legitimate ground for such
distinction.