The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-08

the reader'stime will be well employed in Civ
ing the addrefs an attentive perufal. We are
indebted to the Bottom Chronicle for the ability
to lay it before our readers.--- Awora.
SENATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Mr.. BiIzvsN reprobated the practice of do
meftic ilavery, as fully as any gentleman who
had fpoken before him. He regretted that it e.
yer had exiaence, Especially in this land of free.
dom and coniidered it the fouleh blot upon
the political and moral character of this coun-
try. The evil, he obferved fill exits, and its
consequences will long continue but it was in
PRODUCED in an age, when the ideas of men
were lefs liberal and jut than.at the preient
day. Slavery was then generally approved as
well as practfed. Even one of the mott learn
ed and pious cergymen of New-England, the
venerable Mr.. Edwards of Northampton, after
wards PRECEDENT OF the college in New Jerfey,
wrote an elaborate vindication of it. And his
fentiments were common among the diyines &
tatefmen of that period. 1t was general error
of the times. Slaves were admitted into all the
colonies. From the difference of climate, in
deed, and other caufes, a greater number were
introduced into fome than others and different
regulations were adopted as to their further adj
million. Before the revolution, the legislature
OF Virginia made attempts to prohibit their i'm
portation. But the meafure was againit the in
tereft the Engfih importers and the con-
cnrrence of the crown, which was then necef-
fairy to the validity of fatute, could never be
obtained. Since our independence, an act of
prohibition has been palfed in that fate and
limilar acts exit in all the other iates, except
one +; and he hoped even that fate would foon
follow 70 good an example. Ifnot, he trufted
that congrefs would exercife all their contitu-
tonal powers IN checking, and, after the year
1907. prohibiting any further importation.
Such, fad Mr.. B. being the circumstances
OF the ftateS, as to ilaves, when the federal CO.
vernment was formed, the contribution coniider-
ed them as perjosJ rather than as property, that
is, perions in peculiar degraded fate but
left the regulation of their rights and their con-
diton, in common with other internal concerns,
to the government of each fate. Various laws,
| relative to them, have been adopted in different
| ftates. In fome, their numbers were 70 fmall,
that an immediate emancipation would pro-
duce no danger or Inconvenience. Mr. B. felt
pride & iatsfattion in the idea that this fate,
by constitutional declaration of the natural
liberty and equality of men, had according to
the !olemn adjudication of our iupreme judicial
court, abolilhed navery at Jingle blow; al
though fimilar declaration in the contribution
of a neighbouring fate has received from their
Judiciary a:!!eTsn: Interpretation. II forne &c
the itates, laws have been paiied, recognizing
the principle of ilavery, and the exitencc Of
ilaves, but providing for their gradual emanci-
patton. In others, where that unhappy clafs
! OF men are more numerous, the queftion of what
ought to be done, in their behalf, is attended
with more difficulty. But it is wifely left to
the diicreton of each fate. The general CO.
vernment have no responsibility for it, nor any
| thing to do with if, any more than with the ci-
vii rights and disabilities of hufbands and wives,
pkoa I,I,
mutt respectively determine what portion of
their inhabitants ihal enjoy the right of outrage,
| and what political and civil rights in general
ihall be enjoyed by their refpective claHes of
| citizens. But how great proportion of the
national representatives ought to be allowed to
each fate, is diltin6 quenion, depending up
| on very different considerations.
In our prefent constitutional ratio of apporti-
onment, Mr.. 3. obferved, we have reduced 10
practice the principle, explained by A. Smith &
other judicious writers and reafoners on the f!b-
ject, that the wealth, the ftrensth, and political
IMPORTING and eXifence of nation or fate are
in proportion to its quantum of effective hu-
| man labour. He commended that this ought TO
be the tandard of Representation as well rs tax
ation--that the produ alive labour of perfons of
different fexes, ages and conditions, is different
that the proportion of males and females, of
old and young, being nearly the fame in difFe-
rent Rates, their numbers may 70 fairly furnifh
juR tandard oftheir amount of labour-but
there are different proportions of freemen and
Iiaves in the feveral itates and the labour of
llaves is leis productive, than that Of freemen {;
becauie the former a6t from fear only, without
the hope Of gain, whereas the latter, ENJOYING
the fruit of their labour, are, upon the known
principles of human nature, STIMULATED by this
powerful motive to greater and more conltant
exertions, and therefore add more to the gene
raj MATS OF productive labour--that rs the pro-
portion of llaves varied eiIentially in different
Rates, it became necehary to form fcale---the
labour Of FIVE fldves being conlidered, upon an
average, equal to that of three free perfons, of
the fame feE, and of equal age, that was aTum-
ed rs a ftandard and Genius, competed of
the whole number of free perfons and three
ffths of the ll1yes in each fate, was adopted as
the constitutional ratio both of taxation and re-
prefentation---that it is long eGablhed maxim
that taxation and representation fhould 20 hand
IN hand---tbat the apportionment Of both by
the fame rule, is calculated TO promote true
Genius, by furnilhng each fate and its officers
with an lnducement to return all their nhabi-
tants, with view 10 Representation, and to
guard againft an over-return, on account of tax
ation---that the prefent ratio, which includes
thrce-fftbs, & excludes ofifthsof theflaves,isa
juft medium between the extremes ofincludng
; them all and wholly excluding them from the
Genius that if VIC were now forming the con-