The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-08-01

No, If Congress undertakes to legislate on
this subject, History Is not without instructive
warning as to the probable character of such
legislation. The Spanish Court once claimed
the same right to legislate on slavery in Cuba,
and the annals of the island inform us that
one of the protective laws permitted any negro
who was dissatisfied with his master to go be-
fore Notary, who should assess his value,
which price the master was bound to accept
from any person whom the slave chose as
new owner. Nor are we without admotfition
nearer home. Our own Congress has in four
memorable instances assumed Jurisdiction as
to the question of slavery In the first case
it swept slavery forever from the Northwest
Territory; in the second it made the slave
trade piracy: in the .hird il established the
Missouri Compromise line: in the fourth it
abolished the slave trade lin the District of
Columbia. And this Is the banquet to which
the Secessionists invite the South. q eaos
Lastly, if the principle were right, and ex-
pedient, and practicable, and useful in its ha-
ture, it is at this period unnecessary.
On this subject we shall content ourselves
with quoting the language of an able advocate
of sfntervention," an Ultra Southern man, and
one of the earliest minds in the South, Judge
Reagan, of Texas. In speech delivered in
Congress, few weeks before the meeting of
the Charleston Convention, he used the fol-
lowing language:-[ Daily Globe, Aarc1 1,
1860. ss -sav
GAS I have spoken of the power of Congress
to protect slavery in the Territories, L must
say a word more to avoid being misunderstood
have said Congress has the power, and that
circumstances may render the exercise of that
power necessary. But I am not discussing
the question now, and do not wish to be un-
derstood as saying there is any necessity for
its exercise at this time. Slavery is not ex-
pected to go into Washington or Nebraska or
Kansas Territories; and hence no laws are ne
cessary for its protection there. It now ex-
lists to limited extent in New Mexico and
Utah. In New Mexico the Territorial Legis-
lature has passed the necessary laws for its
protection; and in Utah there is no complaint
of a want of additional protection. This COW
ers all our Territories, and shows that no leg
fslation IS necessary on the subject. ,Eld
Fellow Democrats of Virginia, can such
barren abstraction as this justify the disrup-
ton of your party, much less the overthrow
of your country. To this latter consummation
we solemnly believe the secession movement
inevitably tends. Many of the supporters of
secession would shrink with horror from the
catastrophe, but that such is the object of its
leaders, their character and antecedents con-
clusively establish. We do these leaders the
justice to suppose that they are in earnest;
that they have resolved to secure this assumed
right, and they cannot be suspected of the
child's play of quietly acquiescing in defeat,
when the principle involved is of such trans
cendent consequence. Every one comedies
that they aoiU be then defeated before the peo-
pie, and achat then? Will they tamely submit
for four more years to this lawless oppression,
with no certainty of deliverance, even then
The idea is preposterous revolutions never go
backward. If any considerable portion of the
people support them, the bulletin, of their de-
feat will be the signal of revolt. The cotton
States, to use the language of the head of this
movement, ''will be precipitated into reTolu-
tion," and Virginia, with the other Southern
States, will be invited to initiate the digni6ed
example set at Baltimore, and follow the wake
of the more determined States, out of the
Union. Let us sell ourselves to no such fatal
and wicked scheme. No, fellow Democrats of
Virginia, let US rally under the ancient ban
ner of our party, loyal to the creed of our ia
theirs, faithful to the Union, that noblest mon
ument and guaranty of natural rights and po-
litical freedom. Let us redeem our pledge,
observe our compacts, keep our faith, happy
in the conviction that this patriotic course is
entirely consistent with that paramount allegi-
ance to State Rights which the Democracy of
Virginia have ever cherished with mere than
oriental devotion.
Already intimatioiis reach us 6n every hand,
that ''the sober second thought" of many who
at first lent their cotintehanee to this parricidal
blow at Democracy and Union, has led to the
retracing of their steps. Still, the cohorts of
sectionalism thunder at our gates, and now as
in every day of gloom, to the cold guard" of
Virginia, is committed the noble Office of
standing in the deadly breach, and summouing
the scattered legions to the walls. Accept
the danger aud the duty your glorious histo;
ry proelairns you capable of the sacrifice and
worthy of the post. Let us unite as we did
in the immortal canvass of 1856, and the
proud record may be ours, that twice in a sim
gle decade we have saved the Republic.
FRANCIS E. RIvEs,
THOMAS WALLACE, c,,,,,..e
THOMAS BRANCH,
A. NJ. KELLY, ass
Petersburg, July 3, 1860.