The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-23

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at their pleasure.
In the Convention that framed the present
Constitution, the power to regulate trade with
foreign nations, after much elaboration, wai
transferred from the States to the United
1 States; and it was the strong desire of the ma
jorisy of the delegates, including those from
Virginia and Maryland, to surrender to tn,
United States the entire power over the migra
ton or Importation of persons from abroad
This was strenuously resisted by South Caro-
lima and Georgia, until at last Compromise
was proposed, which was sustained by dele
gates from the Eastern States, investing Con
gress with the power to pass navigation law'
by simple majority, and with the power K
prohibit, in the year 1908, the migration or i'm
portation of such persons as the original States
might think proper to admit prior to thai
time, and meanwhile to impose tax on such
importation, not exceeding ten dollars head
Before the adoption of the Federal Contribution
then, the United States had no po0er over the
Slave trade By the adoption of the Constitu.
ton, after hard struggle, springing from the
jealousy of South Carolina of the Federal pow.
er, the United States were invested with the
authority to prohibit that trade in the year
1908, and to discourage it before that period.
AS matter Of fact the power to discourage
it was exercised the moment the new Govern.
ment went into operation; by the year 1898,
all the States had laws in force prohibiting the
trade absolutely, and an act of Congress i'm
1 fba e. IL
of those laws; and in 1908, 30 soon as the
| Constitution allowed, the United States enact
ed their famous law for the total suppression of
the traffic
| This brief history demonstrates that it was
not the policy "of the fathers of the repub-
lie" to "give their sanction, countenance, and
the national protection to the slave trade
The Sentinel misrepresents the truth of histo-
ry, and grossly ibels their character. They
| secured by the Federal Constitution power
for Congress, to abolish the slave traffic, which
it had never before possessed; and that this
power could not be exercised till the year
1908, was the result of circumstances which
they could not control, and proves nothing
against the truth of the declaration of the Ad-
dress, that their original policy was to secure
freedom to every person "outsde of State linn
its and within the exclusive jurisdiction of the
Federal Government"
Be it remembered here, that slaves imported
into the State, prior to the year 1908, were not
{" watht,l the exclusive jurisdiction of the Fede-
raj Government")
The Sentinel follows up its fallacious state
ment, with an assertion, which we are glad to
see made so boldly, as follows:
"And now, if cargo of these 'chattels'
be shipped at port within State limits, and
tho floating territory upon which they stand
moves to the ocean, 'outside of State limits
and bearing the flag, the evidence of the 'ex-
elusive jurisdiction of the General Govern
ment,' they continue chattels, solely and er
cfussUefy by virtue of that very Exclusive
jurisdiction of the General Government which
this Free Soil party alleges secures freedom
emphatically. In both the former cases, it is
the exclusive jurisdiction of the General Gov
eminent alone, which secures Slauery on board
this floating territory"
Mark-the Sentinel speaks of slaves as if
Constitution as chattels, or subjects of mer-
chandise He has no authority for this. Slaves
are never mentioned OF regarded in the Con-
stitutiOn as property. No provision in relation
to them implies that they are property. There
is not a word in that instrument which can be
tortured into giving countenanoe to such an
idea. If there be, produce it, Give us the ar
ticle, the section, the clause. Stop your decla-
nation, and submit the proof of your assump-
ton. Repeatedly have the pro-slavery men
been challenged on this point, but never have
they responded. We defy the Sentinel to quote
q single clause of the Federal Constitution au-
thorizing it to regard or name slaves as chat
tells or property, when discussing their rela-
tions to the Federal Government.
But let US examine its bold averment It is,
that "slaves shipped at a port within State
limits" and carried in an American vessel out
upon the ocean, outside of State Iimits," are
not held as chattels in virtue Of any State lar,
but only ain virtue of the exclusive jurisdiction
Of the General Government" F
We thank the Sentinel for the important adj
mission it makes. 1t involves a principle, fun
damental in the creed of Independent Democ-
racy--a principle of Natural Law, recognised
and respected in the Constitution Of tho United
States That Principle is, that Slavery, being
against Natural Right, exists only as the crea-
ture of force, embodied in or recognised by
positive statute, which has no operation beyond
the jurisdiction of the Legislature enacting it,
On this Principle slave escaping from one
sovereign nation into another, is exempt from
reclamation. An attempt to seize him and
carry him back to the place whence he fed,
would be not only an outrage on his right, but
an afront to the sovereignty of the nation in
which he has found refuge
On this Principle q slave escaping from Viz
ginia into New York would be secure against
reclamation and seizure, but for positive stip-
ulation in the Federal Constitution in relation
to fugitives from service or labor. On this Prin-
ciple, slave carried by his master from Ken
lucky into Ohio, or permitted by him to 60 there
cannot be reclaimed or seized as a slave, the |
said stipulation being confined expressly to per-
sons escaping from serUice an one State into
another, where such service is not recognised
and not embracing persons held to service in
one State, and placed by the voluntary act of
their masters in another. On this Principle,
slaves shipped at Norfolk, Virginia carried in an
American vessel, on the ocean, outside of State
limits by the voluntary act of their masters,
cease to be slaves, because, as the Sentinel ad-
mits, State jurisdiction does not extend beyond
State limits-the laws of Virginia have no ex-
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