The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-29

! OTdeTed, mat MIR. irumDull, MT w ar
Mr. Giles, Mr. Talbot, and Mr.. Grove, DO
committee pursuant to the said resolution
Page ass.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY %.
Mr.. Trumbull, from the committee appointed
presented a bill to prohibit the carrying on tn
slave trade from the United States to any fol-
eign place or country; which was read twice
and committed 469.
MARCH g.
The House went into Committee of tn
Whole on the bill to prohibit the carrying o.
the slave trade from the ports of the Unite
States-Mr. BOudinot in the chair.
The two first sections of the bill were agrees
to, with one alteration moved by Mr.. Trum
bull which was, to give the District Court a
we'll as the Circuit Courts, cOgnizance OF the OF
fence.
The third section-which relates to the pen
atty, &c-it was moved should be struck out
This motion was negatived.
1t was then moved to insert the word torelg1
before ship or vessel ~ which was agreed to
The Committee proceeded through the bill
which was reported to the House with sundr,
amendments. These were agreed to by tn
House, and the bill ordered to be engrossed fo
a third reading-Pdge 4S3.
From fuckers Blackstone
ON THE STATE OF SLAVERY IN VIRGINIA
By 81 George Tucker, Professor Of Lay an III,
University Of William and Mary, and one o.
the Judges of the General Court an Virginia
NoTE H.
In the preceding inquiry into the absolute
rights of the citizens Of United America, we
must not be understood as if those rights were
equally and universally the privilege Of all the
inhabitants of the United States, or even of all
those who may challenge this land of freedom
as their native country. Among the blessings
which the Almighty hath showered down on
these States there is large portion Of the bit
terest draught that ever flowed from the cup OF
affection. Whilst America hath been the land
of promise to Europeans and their descendants,
it hath been the vale of death to millions OF
the wretched sons of Africa. The genial light
of liberty, which hath here shone with unri-
vailed lustre on the former, hath yielded no
comfort to the latter; but to them hath proved
pillar Of darkness, whilst it hath conducted
the former to the most enviable state of human
existence. Whist we were Offering up vows
at the shrine of liberty, and sacrificing heca-
Oncilable hostility to her enemies, and hurled
defiance in their faces; whilst we adjured the
God of Hosts to witness our resolution TO live
free, or die and imprecated curses on their
heads who refused to unite with us in estab-
fishing the empire of freedom, we were impo-
sing upon our fellow men, who differ in COM
plexion from us Slavery ten thousand times
more cruel than the utmost extremity of those
grievances and expressions of which we COM
planned. Such are the inconsistencies of human
nature such the blindness of those who pluck
not the beam out of their own eyes, whilst they
can espy moat in the eyes of their brother
such that partial system of morality which
confines rights and injuries to particular COM
plexiOns; such the effect of that selflove which
justifes or condemns, not according to princi.
pie, but to the agent Had we turned our eyes
inwardly when we duplicated tho Father of
Mercies to aid the injured and oppressed; when
we invoked the Author of Righteousness to at
test the purity of our motives and the justice
of our cause; ~ and implored the God Of Bat
ties TO aid our exertions in its defence, should
we not have stood more self.cOnvicted than the
contrite publican? Should we not have left
our gift upon the altar that we might first be
reconciled to our brethren whom we held in
bondage Should we not have loOsed their
chains and broken their letters? Or, if the
difficulties and dangers Of such an experiment
prohibited the attempt during the commissions
of revolution, is it not our duty to embrace
the first moment OF constitutional health and
vigor to ehectuate so desirable an object and
to remove from US a stigma with which our
enemies will never fail to upbraid us, nor our
consciences to reproach us? To form just
estimate Of this obligation, to demonstrate the
inoompatibility Of n state Of Slavery with the
principles of our Government, and of that
Revolution upon which it is founded, and t.
elucidate the practicabity of its total though
gradual abolition, it will be proper to consider
the nature of Slavery, its properties, attendants
and consequences in general; its rise, progress
and present state, not only in this Common
wealth, but in such of our sister States as hav,
either perfected or commenced the great wOrl
of it's extirpation with the means they have
adopted to effect it, and those which the cir
cumstances and situation Of our country may
render it most expedient for us to pursue, fo
the attainment of the same noble and import
ant end (2)
According to Justinian, (3) the first genera
division of persons in respect to their rights j
into freemen and slaves 1t is equally the glor,
and the happiness of that country from which
the citizens of the United States derive thei
origin, that the traces of Slavery, such as a
present exists in several of the United States
are there utterly extinguished. 1t is not m,
design to enter into minute inquiry whethe
it ever had existence there, nor to compare tn
situation of villeins, during the existence o
pure vllenage, with that of modern domestic
do nf mt laaS
such as have reached this quarter of th'
globe are too few to throw satisfactor,
| light on the subject. Suffice it that our ances
tors, migrating hither, brought not with then
any prototype of that Slavery which hath beer
established among us. The first introduction
Of it into Virginia was by the arrival of Dutcl
ship, from the coast of Africa, having ttoent,
negroes on board, who were sold here in tn
year 1920 a. In the year 1888 we find then
in Massachusetts, (5.) They were introduce,
into Connecticut soon after the settlement o
that colony; that is to say, about the same pc
Rod, (6) Thus early had our forefathers sowi
the seeds of an evil which, like q lcprosy hail
descended upon their posterity with accumu
lated rancor, visiting the sins of the father
upon succeeding generations. The climate o
the Northern States, less favorable to the con
sttuton OF the natives OF Africa u than tn
Southern, proved alike uniavorable to thei
propagation, and to the increase Of their mum
bers by importations AS the southern colo
MES advanced in population, not only importa
tons increased there but nature herself, unde
a climate more congenial to the African con
stitution, assisted in multiplying the blacks il
those parts, no less than in diminishing tbei
numbers in the more rigorous climates of tn
North. This influence of climate, moreover
contributed extremely to increase or diminisl
the value of the slave to the purchasers in tn
different colonies. White laborers, whose con
stitutions were better adapted to the sever
winters of the New England colonies, were Their
found to be preferable to the negroes (s) who
accustomed to the influence of an ardent sun
became almost torpid in those countries, no
less adapted to give vigor to their laboriou
exercises thah unfavorable to the multiplied
ton Of their species. In those colonies wher
| tha far npl ,,,,ltar al nca hn~