The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-12-26
ON.INTERC0URSE.

"NON.INTERCOURSE,
HOUSE OF COMMONS, DECEMBER 10, 1880.
The Siarery Question.
Mr. Saunders of Wake on leave, from the joint
select committee on the subject of slavery, pre-
scented the following preamble and resolutions az
n report from the majority of said committee
Whereas the people Of North Carolina have
ever cherished lively and cordial attachment to
! the Union of the States, and entertain the most
| sincere desire for its preservation and whilst,
IN the opinion Of this s2eyal Assembly; thes'ave-
! holding States have suffered great wrong by some
of the measures enacted at the last session of Con-
press called the compromise acts, yet as these
measures have cece,SN <-S -.-~ X >'ss Vt',, - IS
the duty ofthe South to acquiesce 80 long as they
! shall be adhered to and enforced in good faith
and so long as Congress shall abstain from the
abortion Of any other measure touching the III
stiution OF slavery calculated either to endauger
its security or TO destroy the guarantees OF the
Constitution Be it therefore
l. Resoiued, That the Fugitive Slave act passed
by Congress at its last session Is In strict conior-
nifty with the provisions and requirements OF the
Constitution of the United States, and, If carried
into execution in good faith is calculated to give
security to slave property and any failure on the
part of he Federal Executive to enforce, or any
attempt on the part of the judicial authorities OF
the free States to obstruct its execution, would
not only constitute just cause OF complaint ON the
part of the South but would be such gross de-
reelection Of duty as could not fail to weaken
those ties which bind together the States of the
Union
q. Rssolred. That the abolition of slavery in
the District of Columbia-the Introduction of the
slave trade between the States-the refusal to
admit anv new State into the Uunion because Of
its recognition Of the institution of slavery-the
total repeal of the Fugitive Slave act, or its modi
fcation 80 as essentially to impair its force and
eficiency-would, in the opinion of this General
Assembly amount to such clear, deliberate, and
palpahle breach of good faith and fragrant abuse
of power as to demand of the Freemen OF North
Carolina the most determined resistance, and
Justify them in uniting with the other slavehod-
ing States to uphold and maintain their just and
violated rights
2 Resofped. That whenever all or any one of
the acts mentioned in the foregoing resolutions
shall have been passed by the Congress of the
United States the Governor Of this State be- and
he is hereby, requested to convene the General
Assembly at such time as In his wisdom shall seem
| ft in order to take into consideration the solemn
| duties which we owe to ourselves as Freemen
and of our then existing relations with the Fede
J raj Government
And whereas it would be both proper and ex
pedient to restrict all trading intercourse with tn,
non-slaveholding States so long as there shall ex
ist a well-grounded apprehension either as to thu
repeal of the Fugitive Slave act or its non-execu
ton and az there now exist just grounds for such
apprehension BE it therefore
Reoired, That is expedient to impose on al
uaornl tax upon all articles of merchandise Of th'
grow b, manufacture, or product of non slavehoid
! ing States, which shall be brought into and bt
offered for sale within this State, from and after
the first day of August next: Propmed, homersr
the Governor shall be authorized and required
by and with the advice Of the Council OF State, t'
suspend the execution Of such law until the meet
ing Of the next General Assembly, if it shall salts
factorily appear that the Fugitive Slave act hath
been faithfully executed.
The foregoing resolutions. on motion Of Mr.
Saunders were ordered to be printed, and referred
to the Committee of the Whole House, and made
the order of the day for Monday next"
We suppose this is to be regarded as another
efrort, to produce "Peacc and Harmony Th'
resolutions of course do not truly represent thu
sentiments of the great majority of the People o
North Carolina, but, so long as they suffer de
signing politicians to represent them, they mus
be held responsible.
This doctrine Of Non-lntercourse has become
quite fashionable of late in some of the slavehold
ing States and their citizens talk of resorting L
it, Just as confidently as if the most unrestricted
trade were not vital to the interests of the South
The policy is presented in two forms Mr.
Saunders, it will be observed, proposes to establish
a system of imposts directly upon articles, the
1t,,n IF phpll; S.a OF
imported into North Carolina Others propos
that every merchant pedler factor, and trader
in the State, shall pay a tax of ten per cent. az
uaiorem on all goods in his possession, unless h
shall state on oath that they are in part tn,
growth or manufacture of a slave State and tina
il, within three years from the passage of such al
act all the slaveholding States shall not have pass
cd q similar law, then the exemption from tax b
held to extend to the productions Of those State
ooiy which have adopted similar laws.
J We are Aossa, e conyss, 20 believe the. cr
slaveholding friends understand the Constitution
They have studied the resolutions Of '9s an,
since then have enjoyed the benefits of Baltimore
Nashville, and Milledgevillc platforms. Witt
great Difference, we venture to suggest, that per
haps the policy Of Intercourse is neither con
stitutional nor expedient
II we are not mistaken, one Of the radical de
fects of the Articles of Confederation was, tn,
absence of power in Congress to regulate com
merce with Foreign Nations or among the States
Each State framed such commercial regulations
as it chose, not unfrequently expressing the com
merce of a sister State, by discriminating duties
upon its Imports and hence sprang up retalia
tory system of duties, injurious to the interests
all. One object Of the Convention of 1877 was
to procure transfer Of the power over commerc-
from the States separately to the United States
and this object was accomplished when the Con
vention agreed 20 the following clause of section
eight of the Constitution, containing full gran
Of power to Congress
The Congress shall hare porer 10 lag and eollee
fares duties, imposts and sreiSes, to pay the debit
and provide for the common defence and genera
welfare of the United States; but all dunes, in
pOts and erei,ss, shall b.. UNIFORM throughout III
United &ates"
Also clause third Of the same section, which
copfers on Congress the power
1To regulate cammercs with Foreign Nations
and among the several States and with the In
dian tribesp
Had there been no other provision in the Con
sttution, no one would doubt that the power Of
-. 80.