JB_172_071.xml

Title: [1821 Aug. 12 From Miss Wright]

Description: 1821 Aug. 12

From Miss Wright

Cessions of Power

Miss Wright's Testimony

Page 392. There is at present twenty two republics in the confederacy; of these 12

have been rendered free to black and white: the remaining 10 continue to be more or

less defaced by negro-slavery. Of these 5 are old states, and the other 5 either

parted from these or formed out of the acquired territory of French Louisiana. Thus,-

Kentucky was raised into an independent state by mutual agreement between herself and

Virginia, of which she originally formed a part. Tenessee, by mutual agreement

between herself and Carolina, to which she was originally attached. Mississipi was

surrendered to the general Government by Georgia, to be raised when old enough into

an independent state, but with a stipulation that to the Citizens of Georgia should

be continued the privilege of migrating into it with their slaves. Louisiana proper,

formed out of a small portion of the vast territory ceded under that name, came into

the possession of the United States with the united evils of black slavery in its

most hideous form, and the slave trade prosecuted with relentless barbarity. The

latter crime was instantly arrested; and under the improving influence of mild laws

and mental instruction, the horrors of slavery have been greatly alleviated.

* In all these cases the federal Government has been powerless to effect the

eradication of slavery. It has however been all powerful to prevent its introduction

in such territories as have been placed under its control.

This was the first state formed from the commencement, upon American prinicples. It

was planted by the hand of congress, in the vast region ceded by Virginia to the

north west of the river Ohio. In the formation of a new state out of the national

waste lands, its government is entrusted to the congress of the United States, who

mark its boundaries, nominate its public

* Travellers afflicted with the anti-American mania are fond of

drawing their portrait of the national character in New Orleans. This is much the

same as if we should draw that of the English in Guadaloupe or S t

Lucia. Such tourists may now have an opportunity of sketching the American character

among the Spaniards of Florida.

The Missouri question, which so greatly agitated the nation and the senate last

winter, turned soley upon what were the powers of congress to legislate for the

territory in question. Missouri was colonized by slave holding French when the

territory was ceded to the United States by a treaty securing to the inhabitants

their property, including slaves. Emancipation therefore, was not within the power of

congress. The question was whether it possessed the right of preventing the citizens

of other states from migrating into Missouri with their

slaves. The error seems to have been the having omitted to pass this prohibitory

law before the period when Missouri assumed the place of a state. Congress after

months of anxious deliberation, came to a compromise which seemed the only one in

their power. A law was passed preventing the possibility of the formation of any

other slave-holding state in the French Louisianian territory, and the slavery of

Missouri was placed under every restriction, which the previous treaty and the

constitution would permit.

JB_172_371.xml

Title: [1821 Aug. 12 Rid Yourselves]

Description: 1821 Aug. 12

Rid Yourselves

Protected form the importation of innovation protected even from that

foolish and unmeaning note of censure from the duet between knavery and folly is this

operation by a succession of laws and conventions which may be seen all together in

the volume which I have before me of the laws of those United States, published in

five 8 o. Volumes A o 1815 by authority of

Congress. In the Index pages, under the general head of cessions of Lands I find

Cessions

1. from the State of New York A o 1780 p. 467

2. from the State of Virginia p. 472 A o 1784

3. from the State of Massachusetts A o 1785 p. 482

4. from the State of Connecticut A o 1786 p. 484

5. from the State of South Carolina A o 1787 p.

486.

6. Articles of agreement and cession of land or territory between the

United States and the State of Georgia A o 1802 p. 488.

Of these cessions some were made in favour of the inhaitants of the

relinquished territory, and of these alone: made to them to the end that to their

further happiness they might be formed into so many separate members of the Union:

into so many otherwise /in every other respect/ independent States.

Others were made in favour of the entire Union made to that body to

the end in the expected accesion to the stock of public felicity /happiness/ the

several members of the Union might each of them have its share.

In no one instance does there appear any reason for the supposition that by any one

of the men by whose suffrages the relinquishment /transfer/ was made any the smallest

particle of benefit was ever received or expected other than that in which either the

new formed [...?] State or all the citizens of the Union were alike sharers.

JB_172_072.xml

Title: [Miss Wright's Testimony public officers]

Description: Miss Wright's Testimony

public officers and defray the expenses of its government until its population

amounts to 60,000 souls; when it is entitled to summon a convention, establish its

own constitution, enter upon the administration and expenses of its own government

and take its placee in the confederacy as an independent republic.

* In 1787, the congress passed an act, establishing a temporary government for the

infant population settled on the lands of Ohio; and the government then established

has served as the model of that of all the territories that have since been formed in

the vacant wilderness. The act then passed contained a clause which operated upon the

whole nation territory to the north west of Ohio. By this "slavery and involuntary

servitude" was positively excluded from this region, by a law of the general

government. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, have already sprung up in the

bosum of this desert; the three first independent states, and the latter about to

pass from her days of tutelage to assume the same character.

It is deserving of observation, that for the passing of this law a unanimous vote of

the states was necessary, according to the old articles of confederatioon then in

force. By a unanimous vote it was passed; not a dissentient

voice being raised by Virginia, who had ceded the territory in question, nor by the

othewr states of the south, who thus voluntarily deprived their slave-holding

citizens of the right of migrating into it.

* * Several territories have passed to the condition of states

before they comprised the population demanded by law. Illinois for instance having

preferred a request to congress that she might be permitted to assume the reins of

her own government was allowed to join the confederacy with a population of less than

40,000.

* In observing upon the policy of the southern states generally,

it would be ungenerous to pass without notice, that their representatives in congress

have been among the most strenuous enforcers of the last penalties of the law against

those convicted of the surreptitious introduction of slaves into the southern ports.

The close neighbourhood of Cuba and the Spanish Floridas affords great facilities for

this atrocious smuggling. The navy of the United States is actively employed in

intercepting this stolen trafic, not only on the American but the African coasts; and

agents are stationed in Africa to receive the stolen negros, returned in the safe

keeping of the Republic to their native country. In all these measures, the Members

from the south have not only invariably concurred, but some of the most important

have originated with them.