Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-03-15
sTAUNT0N VIRGINIA. FRIDAY, MARCH l5 1861

legislate may as effectually impair the rights
recognized, as positive hostile Legislation.
But, in point of fact, there is no necessity
for such Legislation in New Moxico 1t ex-
lists already in very ample measure, as
learn from undoutted authority. The sta
tAs OF such persons, as it now exists, is rec
ognized as status of slavery, and Of slavery
only; the rights of the master are already
fully protected by law, and to repeal those
laws would be clear violation of the spirit
and very words of this section. as it would
certainly impair, most probably destroy,
those rights Upon every sound principle
of Interpretation, think that the rights of
the master to his slaves, as property, are
protected by this section
The second section introduces new land
as think, valuable principle So far as
the acquisition of future territory is concern
ed, it creates dual Senate, by an equal
partition Of power between the two sections
of the Senate. This is practical guaran-
tee of equal power to the weaker section,
by which the South can exclude any future
territory. if the conditions of an admis-
sion are advantageous to her But
the Northern section may equally check
mate her, in her attempts to acquire future
territory. True, but the only territory
South o. Sc deg 80 min. which can be here
after acquired, is Cuba and the Northern
part of Mexico Cuba is slayeholding is
land already, and its great resources can
only be developed by slave labor. The
North is more eager to possess it thnn the
South. If any portion Of Mexico is hereaf-
ter acquired, it will be on the principle of
a fair and equitable partition of the terrific
ry between the sections. This section was
approved by four Of the Commissioners from
Virginia.
The third section embodes, substantially,
think, the provisions Of the second, third
and fourth sectiohs Of the Crttenden plan
1t prohibits Congress from interfering with
slavery within any State Territory or in
the District Of Columbia, without the con
sent Of Maryland and of the owners, or
making the owners just compensation or
with representatives brothers bringing slaves
fer personal service with them and taking
them away or in places within the exclu
slve jurisdiction Of the United States within
those States and Territories where slavery
exists or the removal or trans portation of
slaves from one State or Territory to any
other where slavery exists or the right du-
ring transportation, by sea or river, of touch
ing at ports, shores and landings, and of
lan,ling in case of distress. The right of
transit through States where slavery does
not exist is not confirmed. The provision
that no higher rate Of taxation shall be i'm
posed ON slaves than on land, is Of some
value to the South.
! The action prohibiting the foreign slave
trade by Constitutional amendments ohjec-
tionable, simply because it was wholly IN.
necessary. Even the confedarated States Of
the South now constituting an independent
Government Of slave States, de facto, il net
de jure, have prohibited this traffic The
advocates for the re opening of il 10 any one
of the border slave States are very few, and
there was no sort OF nee, ssity for interpola-
ting this provision, which had no oonnec~
ton with the pending controversy, into this
scheme Of adjustment.
The seventh and last section Of the Con-
ference scheme is very much less satisfacto-
ry than the corresponding one in llr. Crit
tenden's plan. Each provides Cor the pay
fnent of the full value of fugitive slaves by
the United States in all cases where the Of
fcers, charged with the duty Of making the
arrest, is prevented from so doing by VIC
| senca or intimidation, or when after arrest,
the slaves are rescued But the forr1er is
defective in not providing for re imburse
ment to the United States by clothing it
with power to impose and collect tag on
the county or city where the outrage was
committed, equal to the principal, interest
and cost, as is provided in the Crlttenden
resolutions. There is double advantage
in this feature. Ia the first place it is more
just and equitable to cast the burthen on
those who committed the wrong than upon
the public treasury. Tke South is thus made,
by its omission in the Conference scheme,
to pay its full proportion Of a charge result
ing from wrong committed against her
self But by far the most important con-
sideratioh is, that such requirement would
tend powerfully to restrain such wicked oat-
RACES by making it the interest of the offend
ing locality to suppress all neobs and riot
GUS assemblages, to rob and plumber the oiti-
zens of the South for no other cause than
asserting an undoubted constitutional right
I have thus endeavored to run parallel
between the two plans Of adjustment On
the whole, it is clear that the Crittenden
plsn is far preferable to that of the late Peace
Conference. 1t is necessary to say how ear
nestly, yet Intellectually, we struggled to
come UP to the very letter Of our commits
sion by obtaining an adjustment on the has
sis OF the former plan, and in every variety
Of form. We were uniformly voted down
by that memorable majority At length,
all rival schemes being rejected, the naked
question came up of the adoption or rejec-
tlon Of the present Conference scheme. The
vote was by sections, and Virginia voted a.
galnst the most important section, paFticu-
larly the first and seventh Of the series: and
they were all adopted seriatim. 1t was sup
posed that, as matter of course, the vote
would be taken upon the scheme as an en-
tirely, and then announced to one of you
that after the most anxious elaboration,
had come to the conclusion that, distasteful
as the scheme was to me, felt it to be nv
duty to cast representative vote, and sus-
tain the measure as whole was con-
WINGED that Wastern Virginia, which | in
part represented, would have so voted by
an immense majority, if her voice could be