Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-30

Y bHSlutT CGaSc-J i ittilSilipSA s"S
Virginia prevented the introduction Of slaves
within her borders by statute from other States,
and I also remember that similar prohibitions
Soon afterwards followed from most if not all
of tho Southern States, rs retaliatory on us.
Such a policy would be again resortcd to by
This Southern confederacy, when it shall come
to be recognized, in case this provision was
enforced; and the result would be 10 Pu'
= ston to the profitable drain oil MS
snoc;es of nropertv. Ut was a desire TO avert
ri. result and not the rcmotest wish to re-
mon tho African slave trade, that i!t;iaced us
to vote against this S~cction.) So far aS the re-
openins Of the African slave trade is concerned,
| protest against it. believe there is no mai
now inYirginla who is in favor Of the restoration
Of that trade. | protest against it with all my
heart, with all my strength. would not suiicF
it to be re opened by any State, either III ttiis
Union, or or the American hemisphere, II X
depended upon my voice to prevent II. 1
should deny nv own paternity if failed 10 90
90. Nv yencrated father made the contina'
ance of that trade to 1905 one Of his leading OBJ
~iec,ions to the adoption of the present Consu-
tuition of the United States in the Convention
which gave to that instrument the ratification
of Virginia. / adopt his views alid shall endorse
them so long as life shall lust.
The 9Th section is merely Il re. ~consirmatlonJ
if | may be allowed such an expression, (of Ger
tain sections of the Constitution as it's
And now | come totthe last OF 9TH section,
which l shall dispose Of in very few wofdS:
congress shall provide by law That inc
United States shall pay to the owner the luit
value of his fugitive from labor, IN all cases
where the marshal or other Officer, whose antF
it was to arrest such fugitive, was prevented
from so doing by violence Or Intimidation from
mobs or riolous aSsemblases, or wien, AFTER
arrest SUCH fugitive was rescued by t,kc 'io'
lence ur intimidation, and the owner thereby
deprived of the same; and Congress Ssiall pro
vide bv law for securing tu the CITIZENS OF each
State the privileges aud immr1it'eSo oil The Se'e
raj States"
II might be sufficient to say that We were
united against that provision. | bad hoped
that it would require no explanation at my
hands. } 1t received an explanation at the hands
of my honorable colleague, in which | could
not concur. | felt that that explanation MAS
rather in contrarentlnn of ;hc views l cater.
tanned, and therefore | begged him to urge the
| objections which he had had IL the section
wien We voted unitedly against It. Ut was
considered by some Of us )at least Chat that
section was, In effect tiie initiation OF Il course
of emancipation throughout the extensive Dor
ders of the slave States; (that there would be
every inducement on tie part Of the Slave to
cross the border, ami every infringement lor
mobs to assemble and prevent the arrest OIL the
fugitive, or to secure his escape. The master
himself would be less III earnest TO recover
possession of the fugitive, rs he had 10 De f:iiu
for him bv the Government. Nay, the marsha!
hiu,self-I should have but little confidence III
marshals of Mr.. Lincoln'S appointment
might wink at the whole proceeding. anu thus
q great Pandora's box would be opened all along
the bordyr. Instead of such IL provision as
this quieting agitation II would reopen
il. but strong as these objections occurred
to me to be, Jour chief position, Us | un'
derstood it Ewas leveled at the last
clause. Under the Constitu,ion,) when
Ia citizen travels abroad from bis owI'
State, he should. enjoy the rights privileges
and in,nunities which are enjoyed by the ctl
zen of the State to which he goes. That pro
vision is broad enough, capaclous enough and
covers the whole ground. ct wants 10 icg;Sia-
ton to enforce it, Then it is plain as words eau
make it But Congress is to be invested with
full discretionary power to lcgisiate upon this
subject. I'm Massachusetts, (if | am not it,
ceived, and in some other States hey pro-
claim that abortion of their 50 called citizens,
are of the African race. They are admitted
to an equality with the whites at the polls
being professediy citizens Of that State why
| sir. lthe tolls might be thrown over lis, without
our beinc aware Of it, through an act OF Cou-
gress.) Congress might lsg,Slate then! even
into Seats in that body, and you m'Ei!. nave
Fred. Douglass occupying 4 Seat there. lie, Is
one of their leading men, one OF their prlncI-
pal orators upon MI the disturbing questions
| connected with>the slave interest Of The coan'
try. He is ever thrusting himself into every
thing. The last time ! heard of him he was
at Faneuil Hall, attempting to address son'E
assemblace held there. Faneuil Hall, thai
.bor
hAue so often knelt togethcr-to be dssecrated
by the rawlings OF Il runaway slave! | could
| not tolerate TOR a moment the idea Of putting
my honorable friend CIR. SUMMERS -ana | trnS;
that some day ne will be clothed with 4 higher
representative power, either 1T Washington or
neutrality-suspicious. by the side of Fred. Doug
lass, in the Senate OF the United States, cheek
by iowl, and in fellowship with him rs his fel-
low citizen. 'Give me some ciyet, good apo;h-
ecary, to sweeten my imagination"
Nov, Mr., President, what do you make OF
this thing y Let US see what is lei; Of it, Il
have demonstrated, that SO far as grants Of the
public land are concerned, it is L mere ipyth3-
q gossaIner Of the a~ir-somcthing That iades
before you Us a will -the-wisp; that vanishcS
into thin air, so that you cannot Icy your hard
upon it,
AS to/the first section, therefore, it Us Of no
consequence ut all. That is my deliberate
49, En,,r ,n,nr,;tt.an G q apt, - r. ypttl
have it under their consideration. The first
section, then, is worthless. CThe second | de.
monstrated to be Injurious. US preventing the
acquisition Of any new territory. Ite third is
superseded in its material part py Mr..
Corwin's amendment which has passed the
two Houses Of Congress; and whatever
knot compensated for by the ncgation of the
right Of transit through the States The fourth
section is already provided for in the Consritu-
ton of the United States. The fifth and Sc.
venlh were voted against unanimously by the
Virginia Commissioners. What re.nalus Of
the article then? Why, it is all gone, dissipa-
ted, according to the Interpretation | put upon
it. 1t was, in truth, but a phantom from the
first
Since it introduces nothing which is tangible
and OF value, that should nave been provided
for, what is omitted by it: u will recapitula,c,
very briefly, what it has omitted
First Lands all gone and none To be ac-
quired.)
Second: no right of transit;
Third. NO rendition of fugitives from justice!
A negro kills his master in Virginia, and
fees into Ohio; Governor Denuison turns over
his volumes, and he cannot find, with the aid
of all his spectacles, that in the State Of Ohio, a
slave killing his master can be punished as for
a crime. One of John Browns raid fees 10
Iowa a rcquisition is made upon the Gov
ernor for the man who has violated your own
homestead, and who has dared to tread with
impious footstcp upon Virginia soil. You make
IL demand upon the Governor for him; but the
authority cannot be found ia tae bond which
authorizes his restoration. Like the Jew Shy.
lock, he cannot find it stipulateS in the bond,
and the murderer and the incendiary goes free.
. E-.,kl, NJ c,.,,1 ~ r,rnnot IiiNl.,f - hills