The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-03-27


good reason why the sun should be struck
down from heaven. They prefer the chance
Of running into utter aikness to living III
heavenly hight, If that heavenly light be not
absolutely without any imper!ectlon. There
are impatient mrn-too impatient always To I
give heed TO the admission Of ST. Paul, "thst
We are not TO do evil that good may come -
too impatient 10 wait for the slow progress Of
moral causes IN the improvement Of mankind.
! They do not ieme mber that the doctrines and
fthe miracles Of Jesus Christ have. in eigh
Teen hundred years, converted only 4 small
portion of the human rsce and among the ma
tlons that are converted tn Christianity they
forget how many vices and crimes public aud
private, still prevail, and that many Of them,
public crmcs especially, which are Offences
against the Christian religion, pass without
exciting particular regret or ,ndgnatlon.-
Thus wars are ~aeed, and utjust wars.
do not deny that there may be jnst wars
There certainly are, but il was tie Tematk
vf an eminent person, not many years ago,
on the other side Of the Atlantic, that it was
one of the creates, feproaches TO human na.
lurs TINT vars were sometimes necessary
The defence Of na'inns sometimes causes
war against the injustice of other nations.
Now, sir, 10 this state of sentiment upon
the general nature Of slavery lies the cause
! Of grea, portion ofthose unhappy divisions,
exaspe rations, and reproaches which find vent
and support in different paris Of ;he Union.
Slavery does exis, in the United States. 1t
did exist IN the States before the adoption Of
5 this constitution, and at that time.
: Aud now let us consider, sir, for moment,
Whist was he state Of senlimen, Nor'h and
South in regard to slavery at the time this
i constitution was adopted. A remarkable
J. change has taken place since, but what did
D the wise and great men Of all parts Of the
J. coon,ry think Of slavetyl-in what es,iIna.
lion did they hold ii in 1887, when ;ais con.
4 slu,ion was adopted? Now, il will be found
10 sir, if we carry ourselves BY historical re-
y search back TO that day, and ascertain mems
10 opinions by authentic records still existing
e among US, that here was no great diversity
r of opinion between the North and the South
l. upon the subject Of slavery, aud II viii be
" found that both parts Of the country held A
'e ~..r.us,s,-. S-si u'"'oa "na re'iucni e'i
re l. vii not be found ,ha, either at the Nortl
~ or al ihe South there was much, though ther
?! VAS some, invecttve against slavery as inhu
q man and cruel, The great ground OF ohJee
~ ,ion to il was political; that II weakened IN
y social fabric that, taking the place oil ire
Is abor, society was less strong and labor wa
OF less productive and therefore We find troI
ng all the eminent men of the time The cleaIe.
expression of their opinion that slavery wa
ilh an evil. And they ascrbed ii, mol wltbot
eat truth, and no, without some acerbIiy ot ten
~, per and force of language, TO the ,nlurlo'
ep nolicy Of the mother county, who, 10 tap'
Of The navigator, had entailed these evils upc
~. the colonies. | need hardly refer, sir, TO Il
on, publications Of the day. They are matte
the of history on the record. The eminent me
be. the mos, eminent men and nearly all the CO
na. spicuous Of the South, held the same sen
and ments; that slavery was an evil, blight,
on blast, mlldew, a scourge, and curse
ms The,e was no term of reproba,ion of slav
ave ~ SO vehement in the North Of that day
20. in III. South. The North was no, so mu
TO excited against ii as the South and the re
any son is, suppose, because there was mu
her less at the North, and The people did not 81
that or think they saw, the evils so prominen
,ind MS they were seen, or thought to be seen,
ian. the Souh.
ious Then, SIT, when this constitution was ira
q al ed. this wss the light IN which the Conv'
gree ,loo viewed ii. The Convention retieC ed
nan, Judgment and sentiments Of The great men
ious the South A member Of the other Hnu
eos whom have not the honor to know, in a
her cent speech has collected extracts from n
In nuhlic documents. They prove The truth
n be what am saying, and the question then v
,e- how TO deal wih it, and how deal with II
They an evil Well, they came TO this general
ught suit. They thought that slavery could
lsh q he continued in the country If the impo
thev ZION of slaves we're made ia cease, and The
ong. fore they provided that after certain pei
bl.h the importation might be prevented by
the ,ct Of The new Government. Twenty VI
ions, was proposed by some gentleman, No
tha, ern gentleman, | think, and many OF
,s, as Southern gentlemen opposed It as being
aud long Mr.. Madison especially was so
per. ,hinp warm against ii. He said 1t w
v, do bring too much OF this mischief INTO lhe c.
may try 10 allow the Importation ot slaves to'
how n period. Because we must take along
may US, in the whole of the discussion when
luay ste considering the sentiments and oPin
y, Dol 10 which this constitutional Pto'''o" " 6
,ed TO ted, that the conviction OF al men was
nd TO if the importation ol slaves ceases inc "
or all race would multiply faster than the
ay.- race, and that slavery would therefore 6
r, and ually wear out and expire. 1t may no
II hu improper here 10 allude to that, had al
9 pie said, celebrated opinion Of Mr.. Mad'o
NOR. You observe, sir, tina, the term slave or
what yery is not used in the constitution.
ha. is constitution does not require that "tus
equa- slaves" shall ibe delivered up. 1t req
much ,ha, "persous bound to service y" one
them. and escaping into another, shall be de.'