Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-01-05

Supreme Court OF the Onlteu StaleS, IL VIII 'iSn ~
time enough for revolution, and then revolution
would be more likely to be successful. Better far
for South Carolina to scar all the ills she can now
Justly complain Of at the hands of this government
than az to others she Knows not Of
Her chief complaint is the notification, by the
Northern Personal Liberty bills, of a part OF the
constitution which provides for the restoration oil
fugitive slaves. Now it does not appear that she
has lost any slaves from this cause; but If she had
it would be a very poor reason for breaking up any
government because some Of its laws are trangres-
sed &C defied There might be good cause for using
force against force in such case and carrying out
<sthc supreme law of the land" which the constitu-
ton is but TO cause for dissolving the government
If the President should hold that any such laws
are constitutional and refuse to enforce the rlgntS
of the southern States then their constitutlonaty
can be easily tested by the aggrleved party appeal,
ing to the Supreme Court and if the decision should
be in his favor, the Personal Liberty bills will be
rendered null and void, and the President Will be
compelled to carry out the laws of Congress and
vndicate the rights Of the complainant. Inc
principal article Of the republican creed IS tiat
slavery shall not enter The Territories in future
But the Supreme Court of the United States has
already decided in favor of the rights of the South
ern States as regards the Territories, and it is not
in the power of Congress or the President to in
terfere with them unless by changing the conStltu-
ton.
South Carolica refers to the Lennon case, in
which the State of Virginia is plaintiff and New
York defendant as having been decided against the
right of STAKEHOLDER to visit free State with his
slaves and vet retain them This is a mistake The
case is not finally disposed Of The Court OF APP
peals in this State has decided against Virginia. but
not so the Supreme Court, to which the case has
been brought by appeal From some of the grounds
on which the decision in the bred Scott case was
based there can be little doubt that the decision OF
4 No. rt,fS
of the STAKEHOLDER maintained. Shareholder can
not settle here and retain his slaves; but by the
common law which existed in the time of the colo
MES and during the confederation, and which now
exists so far it has not been repealed by the con-
stitution Shareholders have perfect right to visit
free States with their slaves without losing them, no
matter what laws such States may enact to the con-
trary Slaves are recognized as property IN the
constitution and by the fifth amendment it is pro-
vided that mo person shall he deprived of his prop
ertv without due process of law; and in tue section
about the rendition Of fugitive slaves it is declared
that the citizens of each State shall be entitled to
all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the
several States" So that citizen Of South Carolina
being a citizen of the United States has as much
right to protection of his property in slaves when
visiting New York citizen of New York has to
protection of his property in horses when visiting
South Carolina.
But the Sovereignty Convention of the Palmetto
States assumes that because the antISavery party at
the North are hostile to its institutions and have
succeeded in electng the President on that ISSUE
therefore the whole North is hostile, and South Car
DINA ought to go out of the Union. Now, it is quite
true that the republican party hostile to slavery
but it is equally true that the South has nearly
equal number of friends at the North, who, with
the votes of the Southern States, can always keep
abolition in check. Mr.. Lincoln was not elected by
a majority of the people, but by small minority
and if the election were to take place now, by dis
tricts by direct vote of the people he could not
be elected. Instead of Southern States, therefore
going out of the Union for this they ought to
themselves to prevent its recurrence by amending
the constitution, that the President could only
be elected by majority Of the people. Mr.. Lin
coins election accidental and technical and is
chiefly owing the divisions and corruptions of the
democratic party 1t is not Just, therefore to attr
butte the present condition of things altogether to
the North, share of it TO the whole North
ern people. For twenty-five years IN this journal
we have defended the rights of the South others at
the North have done the same thing; and had the
South been true to ITSELF there were always enough
of good men and true at the North to protect
Southern rights. At this hour, if the seeding
States will only return to reason, they can find
more allies than they need in the Northern popula-
ton to demoliSh republcanism root and branch and
in the words of the preamble to the constitution
establish Justice upon such basis as that it can
not be shaken for all time 20 come