Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-05-22

bic as those vi the North, and hence, III my
own delegation, was IN favor Of demanding
that the Federal Government, in all its depart
mcnts, should he pledged to maintain the rights
of property in slaves IN the territories IN tho
same way and to the same extent rs 1t would
the rights of property i'll horses or other sub
iects recognized rs property. preferred the
use of the word slave" in the platform be-
cause the AbolitioniStS have rendered an issue
which we are bound 10 accept, viz: That
there can he no such thing rs property in hui
man beings | was in favor OF something tan.
cible. wanted to say TO the South and to
the AbolitionistS, | will not
.'palter with you in L double ,euse.
And keep the word Of promise 10 the ear,
but break 1t TO the hope
There were others, like myself, III cir dele
CATION, but ! believe there Was II majority ol
the delegation in favor Of taking the Cincinnati
platform without any concentrations or Iitera-
tons.
As one Of the editors OF the Enquirer WAS
Secretary of the Virginia Delegation, | must
beg the favor Of him 10 publish, i'll CONNECTION
with tho letter, the proceedings ot the delega'
ton, us they will bc published III pamphlet
form, rs l,avc n4ncnpy OF the sarle, when
Will lulll eAl'fu"' NY -"
subject.
Being oYcrrulrd in my uwn delegation, and
| also by the committee OH tho platform, as 10
the USE OF the word save when Speaking OF
property, i'll the spirit Of Cancellation and cuNl-
promise, | WIS wiling to accept the resolution
upon this subject, proposed by the committee,
or L majority consisting OF seventeen States,
including every Southern State and California
and oregon, in these words: ".SccOnd-Ihat II
is the duty Of the Federal Government, i'll all
its departments, To protect, when necessary,
| the rights OF pcrSops ano property III the Ter
! ~riloricS, and wherever else It's constitutional
authority extends" But his resolution was
defeated by the votes Of the non.DeuiOcratlc
States; anu upon what preteA! do YOU suppose:
Why, ~fbrSooli, that their personal honor would
be impugncd hy its adoption, forgetting, as 1t
would seem, that the slave States liot only had
their hlunur involved in the maintenance OF
the principle embodied III the resolution, but
also their rights Ul property IN slaves.
How their honor was involved in the Iues-
ton, unless they wished to paltcr in l. double
sense" with the :AboliuuniStS, | WAS unable to
discover. Ii the Northwest will take the
ground which Charles U'Conor and SOME
| OIntT HODlt lIGtllO(lSAS VI HS = h'
taken, that slavery. is right in itself, patriar'
clal III its foundation, not condemned by the
Saviour of the world, but recognized by his
disciples, and, therefore, nat q mordt cci, they
| will lake tron li:e pulpit lis arguments, and
may successfully iuect the .Abulltlonists. But
| so long as they admit that II is wrong, they
will hc obliged, if they keep up their cunnec'
ton with the Democracy OF the South, to de-
| ceiyc either the Shareholder or the -Abolitionist,
or both.
am no politician, and have az little TO dc
| with politics as | may; and, therefore, perhaps,
WAS unable to appreciate either The position oil
the Democrats from the Northwest or the prln.
ciplc they maintained. AZ all events, ! was
| unwilling 10 recognize the mtcriority OF my
| section i'll tic ConlcdcIacy 1T ChaI lesion, and
hence CONNECTED myself with the CONSTITUTIONS
Convention, the members Of which seeded
from the National Convention when il refused
| te recognize the equal rights OF the Shareholder
| with those Of the nUr-Slay cilulder, composed oil
the delegations from the States Of Georgia, Al
ALBANIA, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana,
Texas. Arkansas and Florida, and L part OF tue
delegation from delaware.
Non, of the members Of the constitutional,
any more than any Of the tne,nbers Of the late
National Convention, desired that Congress
rb,ll intervene to Introduce or 10 inhiblt sla'
very in the Territories, but they do maintalH
Tint it is the duty Of every department OF the
Federal Government, within its sphere, To In
tervenc whenever II Territorial Legislature
| shall adopt "unfricndly Legislation" 10 destroy
or impair the rights of property, whether Ill
horses, slaves, wooden nutlucgs or asses. Can
| the distinction not be drawn between crea'
| tina uyopcrty IN Il subject, and lcgisiating tOi
its protection after it is recognized us property:
r.; can. as il obviously may DC, then the posi-
t;on If the cotton States may he appreciated
hoc,rse the Constitution and every department
~ tho Federal Government has recognised pro
ncrtv in slaves. Suppose the Territorial lie
r;s]nture Of Utah were to pass 4 law abolish
M nronertv in horned cattle or mules, or any
ora. cnhirct, can it he doubted that Congress
would intervene TO cuuntcract any such "un
fr;nnoIv legislation" If it were, would thai
be establishing property in horned cattle Of
mnlrs. Certainly not. 1t would only be at
r,rd;no protection IN II subject already rccog
n;7od in every State Of the Union as property
CONGRESS- is intervening at its present session
to put down polygauny in Utah, and am IT
favor OF intervening 20 project the right o
nronsrtv in slaves III the Territories wherever
+ NAV be necessary. If it shall be the recog
nized dnty Of every department Of the Fcdera
Government 10 do this, the STAKEHOLDER may
migrate with his property TO the Territories
with confidence that it will not be contiScated
| Otherwise they will DC filled up Ivy non.slavr
holders As soon as the Territories shall be or
ranized. and dedicated to ircesolllSu1.
might well have retired from the late Ma
| tional Convention after the cotton States secc'
| ded upon the same Principe us ayowcd by MIR.
Bavard, orDelawarc, viz: that | was appointed Q
delepate to 4 Democratic Convention composed
of delegates from thirty-tnrcc sovereign States
and hat had ceased to he such. regretted
that my brother delegates from this State dit
not take the same view that did OF what i
was the duty Of Virginia TO do.
believe our destiny is indiSsolubly connect
ed with the cotton States. They asked nothing
that I did not believe they were entitled to ano
I was prepared to demand. They can be chaied
ms easily us the North West, and whilst the
feelings Of neither should be wantonly wound
ed, the rights Of each should be Scrupulously
maintained.
IF Virginia had seeded, have good reusor
to know that Kentucky and Tennessee wonlc
have done likewiSc-so would the remaining
delegates from Delaware good portion of thu
Pennsylvpia delegation, and the delegations
from California and Oregon, RS | was informed
These latter States were in favor OF and voted
for the majority platform which secured the
rights Of the STAKEHOLDER.
There was Il contingency, upon the happen
ing Of which, [ believe, Il majority OF our dele
CATION would have retired, and so would, in my
%opinion, the delegations above mentioned, but
| the construction of the two.thirds rule which
they demanded should be placed upon it, was
accorded and they remained. Thore was
| another ultimatam, but it was never con.
| sidered by the Convention. allude to the
resolution which Mr.. Howard, of Tennessee,
! announced his State. kentucky and Virginia
had agreed on, which was presented to them
by the delegation from New York, as follows:
Resolved, That the citizens Of the United
States have an equal right to settle with their
I property in the. Territories Of the United