The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1860-09-19

alarmed, lest the savage Africans, just intro.
duced, should unite with the savage Indians
Surrounding the settlements, and extermin-
ate the whites. In order to prevent calami,
ty so fearful, the colony Of Virginia passed
laws adverse to the further introduction of
slaves into that colony. The British mer.
chants then engaged in the African slave.
trade appealed to the King to annul the leg.
lislation Of these few adventures in the colo
ny of Virginia They set forth that they had
a right as British subjects to move from Eng
land, and carry with them their slaves as
well as all their other property, and hold
them in the colonies, without reference TO
the Legislation Of the Colonial Legislatures.
The King, in council. sustained that claim,
annulled the local Legislation Of Virginia, and
instructed its Governor not to allow any
more laws to be passed in the colony adverse
70 the slave trade; bat as late as l772,
only four years before the Declaration Of In.
dependence, The Legislature Of Virginia a.
dopted memorial 10 bis Majesty. telling
him that unless he granted t. the colony OF
Virginia the right to control this question
according to the interest of their own people,
he would lose his dominons in America
| Thus we find that the controversy on the
slavery question in the territories began
seventy years before the revolutionary war,
reached down 10 the beginning Of the war il.
self, and led into the very contest which pro
duced the final lseparation. Each Of the other
colonies passed laws also regulating the ques
ton of slavery. You did il in North Caro-
lima. Some of your laws protected it, some
encouraged it, and Others discouraged it. just
as you believed, or rather your ancestors,
that the interests of this colony required at
the time. Soft was with each of the New
England colonies. Some protected il, some
invited it, others excluded It altogether. and
others regulated il with tendency rather
against its encouragement; but the principle
involved in that whole contest was the ex-
elusive right Of the people Of each colony in
their Colonial Legislature TO regulate all
their domestic affairs to suit themselves,
without the interference Of the British gov
ernment. presume that no person present
will controyert the correctness Of this histo-
rical proposition.
have resisted the Wilmot proyiso from
The time ofits first introduction into Congress
down 10 this day. upon the ground that il
violated the principle upon which our fathers
fought the Revolutionary war. (Gheers.)
II British subjects in the colonies before the
Revolutionary war, were entitled TO the inhe.
rent right Of self government over their do
nestle affairs, cannot see why the same
right should not be guaranteed TO the people
oi our territories since the revolution. Cap
plause.) have never vet claimed for The
people of the American territories any other
right, or higher right, than our fathers main.
tained al the pDint OF the bayonet Tor the
colonies prior TO the revolution. (Applause.)
I u an American citizen Of North Carolina,
moving 10 territory Of the United States,
I is not entitled to as many rights of self gov
eminent there as a British subject before the
revelation, lei me ask what did you gain by
the sacrifices Of that revolution fNoiees,
I" good" and applause.) WIN are the people
Oi the territories. that they are not capable
Of self government : You DO nor doubt that
you citizens Of North Carolna are entirely
competent t6 make laws hr yopr own gov
eminent. You do not doubt but what the
right Of self government is an inherent right
i in North Carolina. II il he an inherent
right in this State, let me ask you, when you
emigrate to Kansas. at what puint Of time do
yon forfeit that rightf u, you lose all the
sense, oil the intelligence, all the virtue, yon
had upon The way.ide, while emigrating 10
territory Of the United States M man
doubts your capabiliiy while yo1 stay al
home 60 decide for yourselves what Kind ol
laws you will have in respect 10 negroes, as
we'll as to white men. Are you any less
capable after you nave gone TO a territory
l. there anything in the Character Of the men
who emigrate from their native valleys to the
plains and prarirs Of the North West. that
renders them less ft for self government
Than those WIN remain where they we're born
Those of Us WIN, in early lie, left The old
States, who penetrated iuto tie wilderness,
secured our own houses. made Our own farms.
erected scboul houses, aud churches. made
our own fences and split our own rails.
(laug hterl think that we know what kind ot
laws and institutions will suit our interests
quite as we'll as YOU who never saw that
country. Voices" Right aud applause.1
We have qaiie as much interest 10 The Laws
under which We are to live a. sou have. WHO
never expect TO 20 {, that country, and there.
fore have no concern about our laws. These
are the opniuns Of North.western man,
man who has spent his whole liIe upon the
frontier. You cannot convince Us that We
are not as goud as our brothers who remain
in the Old States. know there IS something
in the human mind that leads every one to
suppose that bis own birth place = the te-
~ centre Of civilization, and that there y
nothing good beyond the range d his infant
vision. When was a child. thought that
the mountains which surrounded the valley /
il which was born we're the confines oi eislii. +
zstinn nv vision vas limited by them, aud
faneied beyond their boundary there was
nothing bot border ruilian. aud outside bar.
bsrians. When, however, crossed them and
got into the nesi valley. found there were
Just as good people there as had left behind
me. and 20 With the next and every step
tooL. from Tie east towards the setting sun,