The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-04-26
THE EMANCIPATION ACT.

congress- IN passing Dill 70 Abolish slavery
in the District Of Columbia, has violated the
plainest principles of justice and right. When
Maryland and Virginia granted to Congress a
portionof their territory, they granted it to be
used as the seat of the United States Govern
ment and for no other purpose. They never could
and never did intend to grant to Congress the
right to interfere with slavery in the District,
and Congress has always heretofore refused to
Interfere with that question: on the ground that
it would be an act of bad faith toward the people
of those States. If Maryland and Virginia had
{ supposed that slavery was to be abolished in
{ the District of Columbia, while the institution
was retained by them, the lcession never would
have been made. Maryland did not suppose that
this would be the ultimate result of her generos-
ity, and that it twas to plant within her own
bosom the source of her own destruction"
The bill which has just become a law affords a
place of refuge for all the runaway negroes in
this State, and from which point plans may and
will be formed to incite Instruction within our
borders. This result statesmen have always pre-
dieted. Mr.. Adams himself, while contending
for the right Of petition, years ago, stated that
even if Congress had the right to abolish slavery
in the District of Columbia, that on this account
he would vote againstit so long as it was recog-
nized by the the States of Maryland and Virginia.
But times have changed, and the Adamses, and
Clays, and Websters, and Choats, and Buchan-
ans have given way to the Summers, and Hales,
and Tova;oyo and T,r,,nahuJo aud tba proo;don
tial pen is no longer welded by a. Madison or a
jackson. The places which were once filed by
statesmen and patriots who lived and labored
only for their country and its renown, are now
occupied by trucking politicians, who live only
for themselves, and lose sight of their country
and its interests, in their anxiety for selfaggran-
dizement. The brawling politician takes the
place of the statesman, and the corrupt dema-
gogue has usurped the seat of the patriot
Many statesmen have contended, and with
much force, that although Congress has the right
toexercise exclusive legislation in the District of
Columbia that this exclusive right refers only to,
and means, such legislation as is necessary to
make it a suitable seat of government; sand in
asmuch as it is not necessary, in order to render
it proper and suitable seat Of government of
the United States, that slavery should be abol-
ished within the limits of the ten miles square;
and inasmuch as the cession was made at the
time in spirit Of generosity, Immediately after
the adoption Of the Constitution, when all was
peace and harmony, and when fraternal feeling
prevailed throughout the Union. When the States
Of Maryland and Virginia, in moment of gene
rous impulse, and with feelings of high regard
toward the members OF the Union, chose to make
the grant, neither party could have suspected
that at some distant and future period, after the
agitation of this unfortunate subject, their gene
rous grant. without equivalent, was to be turn
ed against them and the sword was to be lifted,
as it were, within their own bosoms, to strike at
their own hearts. !" a do think, said Mr.. Clay,
''that Congress, as an honorable body, acting
in good faith, according to the nature and pur-
pose, and objects Of the cession at the time it was
made, and looking at the condition of the ceding
States at this time, cannot, without forfeiture
Of all those obligations Of honor, which men Of
honor and nations of honor will respect as much
as if they were found literally in SO many words
in the bond itself, interfere with slavery in this
District without violation of those obligations
not in my opinion less sacred or less binding than
if they had been inserted in the constitutional
instrument ITSELF"
Ifthese remarks of Mr.. Clay were applicable to
this question twelve years ago, they are inst as
applicable MOVE and the RepubIican marty In