STATE PAPERS. 



415 



tendency to destroy the obligations 

 of that compact, by which alone 

 our union is maintained i 



Already have we witnessed the 

 forniation and admission of one 

 state, beyond the territorial limits 

 of the United States, and this too 

 in opposition to the wishes and 

 elibrts, as well as in violation of 

 the rights and interests of some of 

 the parties to that compact ; and 

 the determination to continue that 

 practice, and thereby to extend 

 our republic to regions hitherto 

 unexplored, or peopled by inhabi- 

 tants whose habits, language, reli- 

 gion, and laws, are repugnant to 

 the genius of our government, is 

 openly avowed ! 



Against a practice so hostile to 

 the rights, the interests, the safety 

 of this state, and so destructive to 

 her political power, so subversive 

 of the spirit of the constitution, 

 and the very principles upon which 

 it is founded, your remonstrants, 

 in the name and behalf of tiie com- 

 monwealth of Massachusetts, feel 

 it their duty to enter their most 

 deliberate and solemn protest. 



If an extensive confederated re- 

 public is to be maintained, and we 

 most fervently pray that it may, it 

 can only be by a free communica- 

 tion of the grievances felt, and the 

 evils apprehended, by any of its 

 members ; and by a prompt and 

 liberal remedy. The same spirit 

 of concession which dictated the 

 formation and adoption of the con- 

 stitution, should be kept in perma- 

 nent and perpetual exercise. 



The blessings of government, its 

 >»igilance, its protection, its rewards, 

 should be equally and impartially 

 distributed, and its burthens as 

 equally and fairly imposed. No 

 portion of the Union ought to be 



sacrificed to the local interests 

 passions, or aggrandisement of 

 others. It cannot, however, be 

 denied, that causes have occurred 

 to disturb the balance, which, when 

 adjusted, was intended to form the 

 principal security of our present 

 compact — but the remedy is in the 

 power of Congress, and we look to 

 their wisdom for its efiBcacious 

 and speedy application. 



The chief motive which in- 

 fluenced the Eastern states to abo- 

 lish the old confederation, and to 

 surrender a great share of their 

 own sovereign power, as appears 

 by the recent history of those times, 

 was the expectation that their com- 

 merce would be better protected 

 by the national government. 



The hardy people of the north 

 stood in no need of the aid of the 

 south, to protect them in their li- 

 berties. For this they could safely 

 rely, as they always had done, on 

 their own valour. But it was an 

 important object with them, that 

 every aid, facility, and encourage- 

 ment should be given to that com- 

 merce upon which their prosperity 

 almost exclusively depended. 



To ensure this great object, a 

 very unequal proportion of poli- 

 tical power was conceded to the 

 Southern states. The represen- 

 tation of slaves was the price paid 

 by the Northern states, for the 

 stipulated protection and encou- 

 ragement of their trade, and for 

 an agreement of the southern mem- 

 bers of the Union, that the public 

 burthens should be apportioned ac- 

 cording to representation. Expe- 

 rience, however, has proved, that 

 although the contract, on our part, 

 has been faithfully fulfilled, both 

 these considerations have utterly 

 failed. 



