Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-02-16
Address of the Southern Delegates il
Congress 10 their Constituents.

We cannot give the whole of this address
because of its length, but the following en-
sracts will give a just idea Of its tone and
character.
We, whose nantes are hereunto annexed,
address you in discharge of what we believe
10 be a solemn duty, on the most important
subject ever presented for your consideration.
We allude to The conflict between the two
yreat sections of the Union, growing out
ola difference Of feeling and opinion in refer
ence to the relation existing between the two
races, the European and African, which in
habit the Southern s%ection,an the acts of ag-
preston and encroachment TO which ii has led.
The conflict commenced not long after the
acknowledgment of our Independence, and
has gradually increased until il has arrayed
the great body Of the North against the
South on this most vital subject. In the pro-
press of this conflict, aggression has follow
ed aggression, and encrodchment, eRcroach-
ment, until they have reached a point when
a regard for your peace and safety will not
pe1mi. us TO remain longer silent. The OBJ
iect of this address is TO give You a clear.
correct, but brief account of the whole series
of aggression and encroachments on your
RIGHTS, with a statement Of the dangers TO
which they expose you. Our object In ma
kipg i, is not to cause excitement, but TO put
You in full possession Of all the facts AVID
circumstance necessary TO a full and just
conception of a deep seated disease, which
threatens great danger to you and the whole
body polite. We act on the impression, that
in a popular government like ours, a true
convention of the actual character and state
Of a disease is indispensable TO e~flecting a
cure.
We have made it a joint address, because
we believe that the magnitude of the subject
required that it should assume the most i'm
pressive and solemn form.
COMPROMISE OF THE CONSTITUTION.
Not to 90 further back, the difference oil
opinion and feeling in reference To tho rela-
.ion between the two races disclosed itself in
the convention that framed the constitution,
and constituted one Of the greatest Difficult
ties in forming it. After many efforts, il was
overcome ny a compromise, which provided,
in the first place, that representatives. and
direct taxes shall be apportionpd among the
States according to their respective numbers;
and that, in ascertaining the number Of each,
five slaves shall be estimated as three. In
the next, that slaves escaping into States
where slavery does not exist, shall not be
discharged from servitude, but shall be de-
livered up on claim of the party to whom
their labor or service is due. In the third
place, that Congress shall not prohibit the
importation Of slaves before the year 1903
bnt a tax not exceeding ten dollars may be
imposed on sanh imported. And finally, thai
no capitaiion or direct tax shall be laid, blu
in proportion to federal numbers and thai
no amendment Of the constitution, prior t.
1908, shall effect this provision. nor that re-
lating to the importation of slaves.
So satisfactory were these provisions, that
the second, relative TO the delivering mp oil
fugitive slaves, was adopted unanimously,
and all the rest except the third. relative to
the importation Of slaves until lsOS' with al
most equal unanimity. They recognize the
existence of slavery, and make a specific
provision for its protection where 1t was sup
posed to be the most exposed They &c