Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-01-03
"THE BORDER STATES-THEIR POWER
AND DUTY IN THE PRESENT DIS
ORDERED CONDITION OF THE


pamphlet Of forty pages, which has been laid
before The members Of Congress, saom Che pen,
falle,v-<is timer,
Hon. John 2. Kennedy. Called to consider the
power and duty Of the Border Slaveholding
States in the present disordered condition of the
country, he seeks by variety of considerations
to establish the proposition that they have their
own peculiar welfare to protect, and their own
peculiar injuries to redress. Speaking for the
people of these States, according to the best in
dications Of public sentiment among them, the
writer expresses the opinion that with great
unanimity they believe both of these ends can
be best accomplished in the Union as it is, which
they will never abandon until experience shall
convince them that it is no longer capable to
resist its perversion by faction or to protect the
rights of every State and citizen. Acknowledge
ing, however, that the resolution of the Union
into fragments may be the possible result of the
present agitations, the writer says that the first
and greatest desire of these States is to avert
that contingency, and, failing in this, to concert
measures for their own separate preservation,
apart from the entangements of an alliance with
Northern encroachment.
Such being the authors theory of the position
and duty of the Border Slaveholding States he
recommends the expedency, as a preliminary
measure, of holding an informal conference, to
be conducted by one OF more distinguished citi-
zens from each Of these States, and from such
of the other Southern States as may be opposed
to secession in the present aspect of affairs
these Commissioners to be selected by the Ex-
ecutive of each State-for the purpose of deter
mining on course of joint action to be proposed
for adoption by the whole number. To such a
conference he submits the following propositions
as the basis and objects of its deliberations
l. The propriety of making an earnest APP
peal to the seeding States to retrace their steps
and await the result of the measures proposed
for the establishment of general harmony, with
declaration that if this appeal be unsuccessful,
they, the Border States, will be compelled to
decline entering into Southern Confederacy,
as now proposed by South Carolina and her
allies in secession.
2. That if the secession of South Carolina be
followed by that of Alabama or any other State,
and a serious breach of the Union be thus es-
tablished, it will then be incumbent on the
Border States, ane the other Southern States
concurrng with them, to take measures for their
o"u oSCuilIy ny NOtIautiuS, lIOIu Tile lIee CLdCcS
revival of all topics of complaint between them
and the slave States, and the adoption of such
stpulatons on both sides as shall be satisfactory
to each for the determination and protection
of Southern rights and for the restoration of
harmony.
These stpulations would, of course, become
the subject of negotiation with the free States
negotiation which should be conducted in a
frank and conciliatory spirit, through such agen-
cies as the parties may arrange.
l think it would be just to both parties, and
would be likely to meet the general approval of
the country, to direct these stipulations to the
following points:
The establishment of the Missouri line, and
its extension to the Pacific, as an easy, practi-
cal mode of settling the Territorial question on
a basis with which the people are familiar.
The adjustment of the question of the rendi-
ton of fugitive slaves, by such notifications of
the provisions Of the act Of Congress on that
subject as shall remove every reasonable objec-
ton to it compatible with its efficient adapta-
ton to its purpose and by an agreement on the
part Of the free States to execute it in good faith
and to repeal all laws heretofore passed with a
view to It's obstruction. This. coupled with an
engagement 10 case any State should find itself
unable by reason of the repugnance Of the peo-
pie to the execution of the law TO deliver up the