The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-02

gladly thought at hand. five Judge Of the fu-
ture by the past )" said the celebrated preacher
within fifty years from this time it will be
as shameful for man TO hold a negro slave as
to be guilty of common robbery or theft
Thus, at this time, the Church, in harmony
with the Nation, by its leading denominations,
Quakers, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Con-
gregationalists, Numbered against Slavery
The COLLEGES were in unison with the Church
Harvard University spoke by the voice of Mas
sachusetts, which had already abolished Slave
ry Dartmouth College, by one of its learned
professors, claimed for the slaves equal priv
leges with the whites" Yale College by its
President the eminent divine, Ezra Stiles, be-
came the head of the Abolition Society Of Con-
necticut. And the University of William and
Mary, in Virginia testified its sympathy with
this cause at this very time, by comforting upon
Granville Sharp, the acknowledged chief Of
British Abolitionists, the honorary degree of
Doctor of Laws
The LITERATURE of the land such as then
existed, agreed with the Nation. the Church
and the College Franklin, in the last literary
labor of his life; jefferson, in his Notes on Yir-
ginia; Barlow in his measured verse; Rush, in
work which inspired the praise of Clark
son; the ingenious author of the Algerne
Captive the earliest American novel, and
though now but little known one of the earli-
est American books republished in London
were all moved by the contemplation Of Slave
ry. "lf our fellow citizens of the Southern
States are deaf to the pleadings of nature" the
latter exclaims in his work, IL will conure
them, for the sake of consistency to cease TO
deprive their fellow-creatures of freedom, which
their writers, their orators, representatives, and
senator's, and even their constitution of Gov
eminent, have declared to be the inalienabe
birthright of man.
Such, sir, ut the adoption of the Constitution
and at the first organization of the National
Government, was the Out-spoken unequyocal
heart of the country. Slavery was abhorred
Like the slave trade, it was regarded as tenn
porary; and by many it was supposed that
they would both disappear together. Voices
of freedom filled the air. The patriot, the
Christian, the scholar, the writer, We'd in 10y
ty to this cause All were Aboltionists
Glance now at the earliest Congress under
the Constitution. From various quarters me-
MORALS were presented to this body against
Slavery. Among these was one from the Abo-
lition Society of Virginia, wherein Slavery is
pronounced mot only an odious degradation
but an outrageous violation of one of the most
essential rights of human nature, and utterly
repugnant to the precepts of the Gospel
Still another, of II more important character,
came from the Abolition Society of Pennsylva-
MIA, and was signed by Benjamin Franklin, as
President. This venerable man, whose active
life had been devoted to the welfare of man.
kind at home and abroad-who, both as phi
losopher and statesman, had arrested the ad-
mil ration of the worldwide had ravshed the
| lightning from the skies and the sceptre from
tyrant-who as member of the Continental
Congress, had set his name to the Declaration
of Independence, and as a member of the Ma
tional Convention had again set his name to
the CONSTITUTIONAL whom more, perhaps, than
IN any other person, was embodied the true
spirit of American institutions at once practi-
cal and humane--than whom no one could be
4 more familiar with the purposes and aspira-
tons OF the founders-this veteran, eighty -four
years of age, within few months of his death
now appeared by petition at the bar of that
Congress, whose powers he had helped to de-
fine and establish This WAS the last polt ca
act of his long life. Listen now to the prayer
of Franklin:
"Your memoralists, particularly engaged in at
tending to the distresscs arising from Slavery, be
levc it to be their indispensable duty TO present th
subject to your notice They have observed with
| real satisfaction that many important and sautary
powers vested in you for promoting the welfare
and securing the blessings of liberty TO the people
the United States; and as they conceive that these
blessings ought rightfully to be administered urfhOut
dtstiiOR 0t eoi0r TO all descriptions of people,
,hey indnLge Memseices IA the pleasing eIpriotioa,
that nofhiDg which run be dome for The RELIEF If hc
Hnh0ppy OJecfs Of their care ciU be ether omitted OF
deioyed" Under these impressions, they earnestly
cntrcat your serious attention to the subject of Sla
very that yOn ariH he plalsof 10 c0Hnfen0nce e res
torat'on If Liberty 10 Mo@ unhappy men, who oio,,e,
"a ms haAd Of Freed0ni, d6eJaIH UfO Jayyefndl
bOmfage and who, amidst the general joy of surround
ing freemen are grooming in servile subection that
you will promote mercy and Justice towards this dis
tresscd race and thd yoH UJH STEP 10 Me r0V pcygc
0fhe Porer UeSed IA yoH foy DISCOURAGING
e0TH slecies Of frGBic IN he prySoHS Of oW /eIiow
| mem
of the times. From his grave Franklin seems
still to call upon Congress TO step to the pery
verge of The pOWers rested in ii 10 DISCOURAGE
SLAVERY and in making this prayer, he pro-
claims the true national policy of the Fathers
Not encouragement, but encouragement of
Slavery was their rule.
Sir, enough has been said to show the senti-
ment which, like vital air, surrounded the
National Government as it stepped into being
I'm the face of this history and in the absence
that Slavery, which under the Confederation
was merely sectional, was now constituted
national institution. But there is yet another
link in the argument.
In the discussions which took place in the
local conventions on the adoption of the Con-
sttution, a sensitive desire was manifested TO
surround all persons under the Constitution
with additional safeguards Fears were ex-
vrosaaI from the sunpossb indafnitanaaa nf
some of the powers conceded TO the National
Government and also from the absence of a
Bill Of Rights. Massachusetts, on ratifying
the Constitution, proposed series Of amend
ments, at the head Of which was this, charac-
terized by Samuel Adams. in the Convention,
as "a summary Of II Bill Of Rights"
THAT il be explicitly declared that all powers not
expressly delegated by the aforesaid Constitution are
reserved TO the several States to be by thom oxor.
ciscd"
Virginia, South Carolina and North Caro-
lima, with mnoritcs in Pennsylvania and Ma.
ryland, united in this proposition In pursu-
ance of these recommendations, the first Con-
gress presented for adoption the following arti-
Gle, which, being ratified by proper number
of States, became part Of the Constitution, as
the 10th amendment:
"Tbe powers not delegated TO the United States by
the Constitution, nor prohibited by it 20 the States,
reserved To the States respectively to the peo
pie"
Stronger words could not be employed to
limit the power under the Constitution, and to
protect TO people from all assumptions of the
National Government particularly IN deroga-
ton Of Freedom. Its guardian character COM
mended it 10 the sagacous mind of Jefferson
who said " | consider the foundation corner
stone Of the Constitution Of the United States
TO be laid upon the tenth article of the amend
mentsn And Samuel Adams, ever watchful
for Freedom, said I" 1t removes doubt which
many have entertained respecting the matter,