Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-02
VOLUME LVII.-NUMBER o5.

IS authority for these distinctions. The State i,
, sometimes designated as the territory. TIL
=, State Is sometimes designated Us q mas.
nf inhabitants. The State is sometmts
referred to as synonymous with her rnerc
municipal government but the State proper
the State in her highest sovereign capacity,
IS the State OF an organized people, and an
organized people is the State When the gen.
tlelnan from Eauquicr (Alr Sco1T reads that
clause Of the ratification of the Constitution TO
ne and says that The Constitution was ratified
by the people, and asks if it was ratified BY the
State, answer him YES" because the word
people, in that clause, is synonymous with
State, and the word State is synonymous with
the word people,
but 1t is not worth while to put ves over
our faces when We are looking at The facts ard
principles we are discussing. There is marty
IN this country that hold to the doctrine that
these things were all done b. the people en-
mdSSe, consu!idaled--and gentlemen that he.
long to party that never did look to the pco.
pie, but to power concentrated and Consolidated.
When the word State means people. when the
word P<opfe, in their highest sovereign capacity
means State, it is useless 10 employ both
why not say State" meaning The people in
their highest sovereign capacity and not 'poo.
pie Of the siate!' II the people do it they do in
their highest sovereign capacity. Why do gen.
tlemen persist in dorg thlsY Why is it. exc,pt
TO Keep up this idea thut tt,e separate State SOW.
erelgnties nave been fused into one sole and
consolidated sovereignty, placed in the
hands OF one consolidated people! Why
then, say, do you want to use both phrases,
when the word State" itself, would DC com.
prehensre term which would embrace both
Why hold on 10 this word people, but 10 con.
tlnTe this idea Of consolidation :
The CHAIkNAS.-The Chair wishes to ccr-
rect an order issued yesterday under n,isap.
prehension. When q division Of the question
was called for, and the Chair decided that i;
was not in order for the gentleman 10 call for
such division, the Chair was under the impress
sion that he was acting in accordance with
parliamentary rule and was governed BY the
Manual. Since then, the attention Of the Chair
has been drawn to Il rule Of the house, which.
says, ANY member may call for division uf
q question"
The vote was then taken on the molten 10
strike out tho first resolution OF the Committee
on Federal Relations, and insert the substitute
Of the gentleman from MGdescx tSlr. Mcy.
TAGCE)
The motion was lost-ayes IA, rocs 1ls as
follows:
YE's-Sfee;.s. Biakt-, BoI,seau, Conn., r. IT, Cox, F.
er Graham. Gregory, John Goose Isbt Kent Montague
Morris, Wise, Wo0ds-i4.
S.r'Ias;srs J.n"ey (p,e.ider,J tmbl.r Armstrong.
Jr BoRgess. Dorst, boyd, branch, Brent, Erusp'
Bruce, Iurdett. Burey, Byrne. abrl, Campbell. C%
per.oa, Garlic, c"r!sr chambiss Chapman, O.
Cri'cher, Cu..i'. D.okns, Dor.nsn. uu;.ny, tsrir,
EeholS, fiourn"y. fresch Fugaie. Garl4ud G.e>; .,
,irs"n Gravey' Gray. Gogsn, 7. F. 6 ole. sphrr' Il.
ii'i, h"mm"nd. Raymond, n"g-, lloll.dsy, Hublsu',
ilnghe. Hull uaton, Jackson Marms duke johnson rr
Ter Josn''on k'!by, Lassor Lewis McComas McG,sw,
Mcneil chss f. Mallory j. Il. Mallory. ,iars.sl Mnrr,
Na'ye, sr, Masln, Masters, Miller Mostt
Nshiet;, orick. oshurr rk-, Patrick Porter rrrt,on
Pics" puYh Kives, Rob,, E scott VIM C. Scott sesvsii,
lock, staples, A. II Stuart Chapman s,unr stIanrc
sunmsrs Su,hen. Tarr Tasloe, ThaTa,or Tr,dSas, Il.
H. Tuner T. D. IuTuer, Waller, Whitfield, Wiley, wi.
son, %yoor-l'&
The question then required on the adop' on
Of the first rcslulon of the committee, wl ich
| was then adopted as follows:
I'll. BE it resolved and declared by the people
of the State of Virginia in Convention assc1n.
bled, That tho States which composed the
United States Of America, when the Federal
Constitution was formed, were independent so.
vereign,ies and in adopting that instrument,
the people Of each State agreed to associate
with the people of the other States, upon
footing OF exact equality. II is the duty there.
fore, OF the common Government to respect tho
rights Of the States and the equality of the
people thereof and, within the just limits Of ,he
Constitution, 10 protect, witll equal care, Inc
great interests that spring lrom the inslitu.
tions Of EACH"
The Clerk then proceeded to read the second
resolution, as follows:
W African slavery is vital part of the 90.
cial system Of the States wherein it exists, and
rs that form Of Servitude existed when the
Union was formed, and the jurisdiction Of the
several States over it within their respective
lirnis,w was recognized By the Constitution. any
interference to lis prejudice by the federal au-
thority, or by the authorities of the other States,
or by the people thereof is in derogation from
plain right, contrary to the Constitution, otfsn-
siYe and dangerous"
Mr.. WIsE.-Mr. Chairman-I move as an
amendment that after the word "exiSts" in the
second line, to insert "and of the pol ticll srs.
tenn OF the United States" so that the PROPOSE.
ton will then read "Airican slavery is part
Of the social system Of the States wherein it
exists, and Of the political system of the
United States" do not propose to strike
out anything but simply TO insert these words
'''"1 w SAS PohttSoi sy Sleu VI tHe Iuitlu
States"
The Chairman stated the question.
Mr. WlsE-My object in Offering the amend.
ment is this: presume it will not ln,e,fele
With the sense oil the Committee in other re-.
| spects. In fact, since the report was nude,
this amendment was suggested 10 my mind
with view of meeting one Of the positions cf
Abolitionsm or Black Repubcanlsm. They
assert that the Federal Constitution no where,
| in no respect recognizes the institution Of al.
rican slavery. They insist that the Consttu.
ton OF the United States no where, in no re.
spect, recognizes property in slaves or The
right to have that property recognized in the
common territory, or places ceded, or the Dis
trlct Of Columbia, out Of the States where it
exists. Now, undoubtedly, there can be no
difference OF opinion as to the fact that it i!
made part of the political system OF tic
United States. 1t is made so in no less than
| four distinct clauses Of the Constitution of the
United States First in the clause that re-
cognizes the political relation Of slavery to tho
Federal government in the appUrtionment Of re-
presentation and direct taxation. There they
are recognized az ''other persons" Secondly,
they are recognized in that clause which pro-
vdes that caplration and other direc, taxation
according to the census; that census exclud-
ing two iifths Of certain persons because they
are persons held to service or labor" These
two clauses recognize them in the sense Of per-
Gons more than III the sense Of property But
the next clause, the third clause to which am
referring, expressly recognizes the property in
persons held to service or labor" For, it is snid,
that "a person held to service or labor in one
State, fleeing into another State, shall be deliver.
ed up according to the forms Of law" Itis
founded on the fact that they are property or, in
other words, "heid 10 service or labor" Thus, as
persons, 10 be enumerated as persons, to be
counted tJr representation as person s. to bo
cuunted according to the Constitution for direct
taxes they ara recognized; and as property to
10 Delivered up because they are held TO ser.
vice or labor: And they are also recognized
in the Constitution of the United States, ard