The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1859-08-27
IMPORTANT STATE PAPER.

Among the many interesting State paper
which occasionally fall from the lips Of ouu
leading public men, the speech Of the Hon
William L. Yancey, delivered at Columbia, S
c., on The 18th ult., stands prominent.
The Hon. gentleman opened his address OF
the occasion by referring to the remark lately
propagate1 by an eminent gentleman in on
country, that our fathers did not understand
the question Of slavery. lie successfully re
butts this dogma and demonstrates their knowl
edge Of this question, by q simple reference te
the fact that they made slavery one Of the three
/ primary objects Of constitutional protection
No other species of property was so com.
pletely shielded by special protection, as thai
Of slave property. So cautious and watchfnl
were our fathers Of this interest, that they
made it the basis of popular representation in
our national councils and they also provided
that the parties to the National compact
holding property in slaves, SHOULD enjoy the
right OF foreign importation until The year
1903, nor should there be any amendment
suggested abridglug this right prior to 1908
After our fathers had inaugnrated the gov.
eminent by the adoption Of a national consti.
tuition, the adjustment Of our foreign relations
deranged by the war Of the revolution, the war
of 1872. and the conflicts between France and
England, were objects which claimed their
first attention. These question being settled,
Government next directed its attention to do
nestle affairs, prominent among which, was the
great revenue question.
The legislative action Of the government
upon this question, in the adoption Of a high
protective tariff, brought South Carolina to
the point of resistance, and inaugurated for the
first time in our history the doctrine of extreme
STATE rights-alias Qualification and secession.
The Hon. gentlemen incnlcates the opinion
That the discussions which sprung up in our
national councils, and among the statesmen Of
the South on this question have accomplished
more in educating the people Of the South in
the true principles Of the government, than
any other event in its history. 5-a5
The people not only Of South Carolina, but
OF almost the entire South, now accord to her
the credit, OF having. saved the Union in the
great truths declared and maintained in the
settlement Of this revenue question. But great
as Wa that achievement, it dwindles into in.
significance when compared with the greater
and more important question Of domestic
slavery. With the institution Of slavery pre.
served intact, and in its full integrity " we are
safe, either in the Union or out of the Union"
Notwithstanding our fathers had exercised a
spirit Of vigilance over slavery, not given to
any other interest in the early history of our
governments yet so soon as the special limit of
protection which they threw around it had ex-
PRED, we see Congress passing q law pro-
hibiting the importation of slaves
Had Congress the power to do so? We
think not. You cannot build up a grant Of
power upon . mere limitation of power. The
clause of the Constitution which denied to
Congress the power to prohibit for twenty
years, cannot, by any legal construction give
the power to prohibit after the year 1908.
The prohibi,ory clause of the Constitution was
. positive and determinate guarantee that the.
importation Of foreign slaves shonId be pro-
tected for twenty years, until 1908, and that
no amendment, under The provisions for amend
ments, should be suggested during that time,
altering or abridging the the right of foreign
Importation. Hence for Congress to have
passed a constitutional law prohibiting the
foreign Importation Of slaves after the year
1908, was it not absolutely necessary that an
amendment to the Constitution giving that
power shoHld have been adopted prior to the
act Of prohibition /?
NO snch amendment has ever been made,
and, therefore, no snch grant Of power has ever
been given to Congress. The act of Congress
in 1907 prohibiting the forign importation Of
saves y clearly unconstitutional ald should
Our Legislators at that dayer1sed by a
spirit Of political and religious fanatici-m
which shook to their very foundations the
great principles implanted in our Constitution,
tolerated for tie first time this crusade upon
domestic slavery. 1t was o direct an open at
tack made upon false notions and q false phi
losophy, these assaults have been tolerated too
long; they shoafd have been opposed at the
outset. They must be met now, and in justice
to the South ought to be repealed.
1t Is however contended that this prohibi-
tory law Of 1907 can be justified and sustained
oy the authority given to Congress to regulate
commerce with foreign States. If this be con.
coded, that Congress can interdict the slave
trade with Africa. it must also be conceded,
that, under the anne clause, it has the power
to interdici the slave trade between the several
States. Will any man in the exercise Of com.
mon reason for a moment entertain such an
absurd proposition as ,hiss This power to re-
galate. what is it? To regulate commerce, is
TO make rules to govern and guide commerce,
to destroy it. By what rule Of construc-
ton Is it that any man can gather the powe.
70 destroy from the power to regulate? Con-
gress had no power for the first twenty years
to regulate this commerce in African slaves,
10 interdict it. After the lapse Of twenty
years, under what amendment Of the Copsti,o.l
ton il this prOhihitorv nnwer axarc;eaa9 u,J,.I