Resolutions of the
Nashville Convention, June 10th 1850
1 Resolved. That the territories of the United States belong to the people of
the several States of this Union as their common property. That the
citizens of the several States have equal rights to migrate with their property
of these territories, and are equally entitled to the protection of the federal
government in the enjoyment of that property so long as the territories remain
under the charge of the government.
2 Resolved. That Congress
has no power to exclude from the territory of the United States any property
into lawfully held in the States of the Union, and any act which may be passed
by Congress to effect this result is a plain violation
of the Constitution of the United States …
5 Resolved. That the
slaveholding States cannot and will not submit to the enactment by Congress of
any law imposing onerous conditions or restraints upon the rights of the United
States, or to any law making discrimination in favour
of the proprietors of other property against them.
11 Resolved. That in the event
of a dominant majority shall refuse to recognize the great constitutional
rights we assert, and shall continue to deny the obligations of the Federal
Government to maintain them, it is the sense of their convention that the
territories should be treated as property, and divided between the sections of
the Union, so that the rights of both sections to be adequately secured in
their respective shares. That we are aware this course is open to grace
objections, but we are ready to acquiesce in the adoption of the line of 30
deg. 30 min. north latitude, extending to the Pacific Ocean as an extreme
concession, upon consideration of what is due to the stability of our
institution.