New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-29
THE VIRGINIA ULTsDATrn.

TEE VIRGINIA ULTsnATTn.
The Permanent Constitution Of the ConCed.
" crate States" which has already been placed
before our readers, was on Tuesday offered to
the Virginia Convention rs substitute for TIE
amendments to the Federal Constitution proposed
by their Committee on Federal Relations. TIE
Virginia Convention rejected the substitute at
once. not q man voting in favor Of it. Some
good people taking note Of this prompt action,
may be led to believe that the proposed Virginia
amendments TO our Constitution are much less
dissQreeable IN feature, and less hostle to Free
dom. than the Constitution Of the new CODfed.
eracy, so Indignantly voted down. II they think
So they will be most wofully deceived.
The Montgomery Constitution mnkes Slavery
perpetual in ts own States; so do the Virginia
Amendments make Slavery perpetual in all the
United States now existing, or hcresiter to be
acquired, except where by the ineIorabe laws
of Nature it is prohibited. All territory north
of certain line says the Virginia Amendment,
sba be forever free But voice more potent
than mans voice said as much from the begin
ming. All territory south of certain line shall
have Slavery, says the Virginia Amendment
Conlress shall have no power to prohibit Il, and
the curse is thus to be fastened on country Of
ALMOST lmi.less extent, of capacities not 10 be
measured, in defiance Of divine laws. human
agreements, and tho public opinion Of The civil
ized world.
The Montgomery Constitution allows the owner
of slaves to take them TO any State Of The Con
federacy; the Virginia Amendments allow IN"
same. Let these be adopted into our Federal
Constitution, and Slavery is really extended over
every foot Of this land as far as II can ever be
while Nature maintains Interchangeable her laws
A thousand Conventions and Congresses might
enact that slave labor should be permanently
usa6 in Vermont; yet, slave labor would neTcr,
in vermont take root. Therefore pcfns-ioE
to keep slaves there is good for rotbiugi out
permission to carry a slave there to use bIs
services in travelling there, aud to take him away
again 70 the rice field or tho fugar plantation, Is
of some value ~ the owners of human hoih.
This rieht has not heretofore been grnntedi but
the Virginia Amendments give it, aud b! these
Ncw.Yoik may be shipping port foe negroes,
AID we may have the refreshing spectacle OF
slave gangs traversiDg our city their owners
protected 10y the laws We have mede.
The Montgomery Constitution dUclsre. that
fugitive slaves, escaping from one Slave State
into another Slave STATE shall be given up. Tho
Virginia amendments propose that fugitive slaves,
escaping from n Slave State into Free, shall
be given up; or if the captOfs hS'c not the
courage to encounter the anger Of an outraged
people, that TIE Federal Government shall buy
the wandering negro, and take the unpsOductNe
property OIL tie owners hands.
The Montgomery Constitution leaves the qnes'
ton Of suffrage where the Federal Constitution
has left II. The Virginia Amendments forever
forbid a ccloTed man TO eHcfci.e the highest
right Of citizenship; by them no man Of African
blood can vote or hold any Office, no matter
what his character, no matter wlaI his qlalif.
cations.
Here, then, we have certain features Of the
Montgomery Constitution founded, as Mr.
Stephens distinctly said, on tie idea OF the inca
paety and inferi0rity OF the negro race. We
have, also, certain proposed amendments to the
Constitution of the United States-sD instrument
founded Oh the doctrine OF the Equality Of Man
white, black, or red. The Montgomery Consti-
tuition is consistently opposed to Freedom, as
the trainers intended 1t should b.. But the
Amendments of Virginia deal tenfold harder
blow to Liberty--a blow fatal, cowafdly, and
treacherous; blow which even the leaders Of
the Southern Rebellion have DOT thought il expe
dent to strike.
Let every man who is not blinded by passion
or prejudice examine the two Constitutious-tLat
of the Confederate States aud that Of the
United States as it would be after this Virginia
Ultimatum had become a part Of it-and then
cay which does the greater violence to Liberty.
If it should ever become necessary TO accept one
Of these instruments-as by TIC voice of the
People it never shal-a thousand times better
would il DO to knock huuby at the door Of the
Couiederacy which boldly announces itself the
Champion Of Slavery, aud there ask for admission,
rather than to subscribe our names to deed
which would forever riyet the chains where
Slavery now exists, extend 1t where We have
declared that it shall not Co. by which we should
stultify ourselves, and degrade the United States
below even tue contempt Of nations among
whom we now stand as equals.