New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-08

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A, the time when the Constitution of the United .
States was adopted and indeed down TO the fresi-
denial election which took place during Monroe
second term Virginia altogether the leading state
- the Union. At the time when the Federal Conssi-
,utiop was adopted it was unquestonably the Poicy
Of virginia to check the spread of Slavery and to pre-
mare the way for its abolition so soon as tas means anu
method. could be devised for accomplishing that great
ohect One of the first fruits Of this policy IA leading
;de, with jefferson during all the earlier part OF his
life, wa. the Act Of the Virginia Legislature OF MS
nrobibpg the further importation into that State OF
slaves not from Africa only bat from the adjoining
States of tie Union as we'll This was followed up in
,-2o bv another law repeating all the old colossal re-
,,,;c,iops upon the full and free right of enamel
p,ton-tLe only act of dominion to be exercised, we
spprebend by candid and sober'nnied slave
holder with the perfect approval OF hs own conscience
Petitions we're subsequently, presented to the virginia
legislature by resident citizens praying for the abcl
ton of Slavery Washington in his letters, strongly
syoved himself in favor of this policy declaring 1t 70
be among his first wishes to see some plan adopted
q" BY which Slavery may be abolished by law Ana
we need not wonder that projec' to which 50 SOBER
minded nan as Washington gave his warm approval
obtained as we learn from one of Madisons letters
80 the syowcd patronage of its principle by sundry re-
| " srectsble members" This, indeed, was proposal
to which neither the OF the people nor any large
number Of their representatives prepared to ac
cede: for however il might accord with their Utmost
convictions it seemed to require too great an imme
date effort and sacrifice Nor, indeed, need we Won
der at the bsckwsrdness Of Virginia on this point
when we recoect that Slavery at this time, and for
thirty or forty years after, was not abolished even
in New.York But though not prepared to give up
their own slaves the Yirginans were Jealous against
ary further extension of the curse and hence
they readily responded TO the proposal of Jeter-
son to exclude Slavery from all the territory
which they bad coucurred with the more
northern states in uniting 10 the Union In no quarter
did the ordinance of l7o7 subsequently extended by
tie Missouri Compromise TO the Territory now pro
posed 10 be organised as Kansas and Nebraska give
greater satisfaction than to the intelligent cizens Oh
Virginia.
This same zeal to prevent the extension Of slavery
was cotemporaneousIy exhibited by the leading states
men of Virginia on another heaer and in pursuit OF
prohibition no less pregnant with mighty consequences
Tie delegates from Virginia in the Convention tna'
framed the Constitution OF the Csted States urged
with te greatest zeal and eloquence as sne qua no"
an indispensable provision that the new federai uoV
errn eDt about TO be formed should be vested WIN lu
mowers 10 abolish at the detestabe African slave
trade.
II WAS upon this occasion that first became visible
in the political horizon policy on the subject OF do
nestle slavery, antagonistc TO that of Virginia 1t
seemed then little cloud scarcely bigger than mans
hand black indeed and to the prophetic, alas too pro-
Mad;g napJR andolDh
with future disasters but which the northern optimsts
and compromisers of that day fondy hoped would, II
left TO take its own course dsperse and disap-
pear Of itself.
That policy found its direct advocates In the dele
gates from the Carolinas and Georgia South carolina
taking the lead on account of her comparative wealth
and population which gave her at that time rank II
the Union from which she has since so dsastrousy
fallen. Georgia however, stood by, fully conscious,
even then, that the leadership was ultimately to pass
into her hands For it is to be observed that IN all
the divisions in the Federal Convention thought 10
turn ON the conflicting interests OF the larger and
smaller States, Georgia though at that time in point
of population one of the most Insignificant members
Of the Union, always voted with the larger States in
anticipation of her future greatness she claiming at
that time, it will be remembered the whole territory,
now included in the States of Alabama and Mississippi
It's great mistake to regard Mr.. McDufie and Dir.
/ Calhoun as the authors Of the famous heresy that
Slavery is the best basis which to erect Republ
e5n Government So far from originating with them,
this maxim may be said to form in substance the nda-
mental principles Of the Carolina Georgian system of
policy, fully developed in the Convention which framed
the Cor stuton of the United States; never without
It's advocates in Congress whenever the question OF
Slavery has been raised there aud which OF late years
especially since the unucky accident OF Tylers Pres
denoy, has openly aspred to make Itself not merely
the secret, underhsnd unacknOwledged policy of the
President and bis Cabinet but last in the Nebraska
bill the open, avowed, proclaimed policy of the
Nation al Government and the American people.
According to this Carolina. Georgian Slavery view,
ID neither moral political evil; aud starting
from these premises the delegates from those States
perfectly consistent in opposing that prohibition of
the African slave trade, upon which Virginia and
Maryland .trenuously insisted. Under the faintest
shadow of title-as to the Southern halves of the
present States of Alabama and Mississippi so
faint as hardly to be visible through the most
powerful legal microscopes-the Caronas and Georgia
claimed at that time to include all the territory south
ofVirgna and east Of the Mississippi to the 3lSt de-
gree of north latitude and they expected, as Madi
tells u.s. before long TO become more popuous than
all the other States put together The continuance oil
the African slave trade would greatly expedite so they
believed their population and enrichment, and woud
hasten the time which would make them masters OF the
| Union. Indeed, it was upon this economical ground
that the Carolina Georgian policy was chiefly main
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