Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-11-07
For the Standard.

Bending Der anOthers dead.
For the Standard
Mn, Error Permit me through your widely crcu-
lated paper to do something for my beloved coun-
try on the eve Of the Presidential election OF 1850,
which may BE- the last contest for President in these
United States Oh God! are we on the threshold
of q bloody civil war? If SO, may the God Of JUS
tice and equality preside over our destlnies
It appears to me- Mr.. Editor, that many of the
people Of the United States don't like the nature o.
our free institutions if they did there would be no
opposition to the election of John c. Breckenridge
Of Kentucky and Joseph Lane, Of Oregon, to the
Presidency and Vice Presidency. They are nom-
mated upon the principle of equality of the States
equal rights on the h;gh seas, equal rights at home
and equal rights in the Territories, the common
property of the United States according to the Con-
stitution of the United States.
The father of his country, Gen. Geo. Washington,
was elected President upon precisely these grounds
which will show by historical reference The first
thing that will give to prove my position is the
Ordinance of 1887, which reads as follows
"That when person held to labor in any of the
United States or either of the Territories the
northwest or south of Ohio under the laws thereof
shall escape into any other of the said States or
Territories, the person to whom shch labor is due
his agent or attorney is hereby empowered to seize
or arrest such fugitive from labor, and take him or
her before any Judge of the circuit district courts
Of the United States, residing or being within the
State, or before any magistrate of county, city
town corporate wherein such seizure or arrest shall
be made; ard upon proof to the satfaction of such
Judge or magistrate either by oral testimony aft
davit, taken before and certified by magistrate o.
any such State or Territory, that the person so
sliced and arrested DOTH under the the laws of the
State or Territory from which he or she fed, own
service to the person claiming him her, it shall
be the duty Of such judge or magistrate to give
certificate thereof to such claimant his agent or
attorney, which shall be sufficient warrant for re-
moving the said fugitive from labor to the State
Territory from which he or she fed"
Now, Mr. Editor, here is the expression in this
ordinance "from any of the United States or Terri
tories northwest or south of Ohio" This of course
would include all the slave States and Oregon
and the Territory of Utah as being northwest of the
then territory of Ohio This Ordinance was first
offered to the Congress of Confederation in 1884 by
Mr.. Thos. Jefferson, the author of the Declaration
Of Independence, which in first place declares that
all men Tor citizens) are born free and equal-he
bcing from q slave State Virginia) claiming equal
rights for the protection Of slave property in any Of
the free States Territories northwest or south of
Ohio. It was, however, rejected, and remained so
until the Convention met which framed the Consti-
over by Gen. Geo. Washington, from Virginia, the
owner Of over one hundred slaves. This Conven-
ton met in 1887 in the city Of Philadelphia in the
old Congress Hail. on the corner of 9Th and Chest
nut streets The Congress Of Confederation was at
that time sitting in New York. Negotiations were
freely carried on between the Congress and Conven-
ton when this ordinance in substance was couched
in the onstitution-without which no Constitution
could have been formed.
Here are the clauses in the Constitution of the
United States that contains the substance of the
Ordinance
Constitution United States, Article 10, section 3D.
clause 1st 1.-THE citizens Of each State shall be emit
tied to all privileges and mmunites of citizens in
the several States"
Here, Mr.. Editor, is plain case, and an assurance
in the fundamental law of the land that no kind of
property can be aenated in title by carrying it into
any Of the other States; for to make all citizens
equSl in privileges and immunities you must grant
them to retain title to their property though re-
moved to different State or Territory from the one
in which the claimant lives. l have no doubt the
bred Scott decision Of the Supreme Court of the
United States was partially founded on this clause
Let Us suppose case-suppose and B wish to
remove to certain Territory, wishes to carry his
horses with him, wishes to carry his cattle with
him. But the legislature of the Territory has for
hidden the bringing cattle into the Territory can
A and be equal, If such law passed oy Terri
torial legislature be constitutional? Which, We
squatter sovereigns Douglas democrats is the law
to be obeyed the fundamental law contained in the
Constitution or the law passed by the squatters of
the territory Now, who can deny that If wish
ed to.carry horses and B negroes the cases would
be exactly parallel But there is another clause Of
the Constitution Of the United States as it came
from the hands Of the fathers of our country that
puts the case forever to rest.
Article lst section 9th, clause g. Constitution
Of the United States: No bill of attender or er post
.taete law shall be passed"
An a. poet facto law the Hon. Stephen A. Doug
las and eve,ybo else knows is one that has bear
ing on former contracts-that is, you cannot legis.
late mans property from him or take it from him
without frst paying for it, neither compel him to
sell it. A good thing-a safe guarantee to the
Southern States if we had no Douglas-sovereign de-
mocrats or abolitonists to contend with But afte,
commenting on these clauses Of the Constitution
Of the United States who with reasonable sense
could doubt the protection Of slave property in the
Territories is constitutional But our patriotic fore
fathers have made it still palmer in another clause
in the Constitution Of the United States. This is
found in Article TO- section q clause g. and reads as
follows: "'| ~ "
..No person held to service or labor in one State
under the laws thereof escaping into another, shall
- u any u" OF Te8uidtIon tnerein oe
discharged from such service or labor, but shall b.
oehevered up on claim Of the party to whom such
service or labor is due" ,l.r ..,,.
1nls clause makes the case 50 plain that all per
seas OF common sense can see that the master doe.
NOT forfeit the claim to his property either in any
sne ree states or the Territories: but that it i
Ssany beyond any Legislative body either National
STATE or Territorial 70 legisate mems pronertv he'll
Snasr the Fundamental law OF the land out Of thei
- .fn
AZ ~ the time Of the adoption Of the constitut;o,
AHted States there was an ultra abolitio,
~ y. rhch the States right party, .ferwsrd
Sae democratic party, had 70 compromise
n