The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-23
AN IMPOSITION EXPOSED.
To the Editor of the National Era:

To the Editor OF the National Era:
l have but now been reading in a book just
brought from Washington: "The Constitution
of the United States of America, with an Alpha
betical Analysis. By w. Hickey" presume
you are familiar with this work, yet L must ex-
plain 1t a little.
Several names of renown, viz Dallas, Davis,
fancy, Wayne, Gibson, Kane, Breese, Cranch,
Wright, Berrien, Clay Cass, and Webster, pour
their eulogistic oil upon the work. Hundreds,
thousands, and tens of thousands of copies of the
work" are purchased by Congress for public
use. Our member of Congress brings home a
quantity. A neighbor of mine obtains a copy,
and / am permitted to borrow and peruse it.
Well, have gone through the authenticated u
Constitution of the United States, and, batting
the capital letters at the beginning of all sub
stantives or nouns" find that it reads very
much like the old copy of that instrument which
have for many years owned and consulted.
But next comes the analysis The gen.
eral principle on which this is constructed is to
select, in alphabetical order, some important
word, place it in marginal line, and to the right
give the sentence in the Constitution that con-
tains the leading word, and the place where it
may be found. | commenced reading this.
Coming to the words delivered up" l am ia
ken all aback, and lose my Roadway. What is
the cause of this Why, the clause reads,
Persons held to service or labor, Tor slaves, J
escaping into another State shall be delivered
up, on claim of the party to whom such service
or labor may be due"
Here the words or slaUes," in the parenthe-
sis, are comment thrown in by the author.
They are, first, uncslled for; the sentence with
out them gives the words "deIiuered up" which
answers the legitimate purpose of the " analy-
Sis" I'd. This comment is false. There is no
such word or being, known to the Constitution,
as SLa0eS and the author well know that the
simple reading of the clause would convey no
such idea; hence his oficiousness in giving his
own version of the subject
The very idea of service or labor being due
from one person to another, involves the power
of contracting such an obligation by two com.
potent parties. Now, the chattel property in
s,itution of slavery gives to the slave no such
power of contracting debt that would be OBJ
ligatory any more than they would give it to a
horse. But here the service or labor set forth
as the ground of the claim" must, in the ma
ture of things, be the result of compact be-
tween legitimate contracting powers; on no
other ground can it become o debt, or " due"
The author, in his dedication, quotes from
Mr.. Dallas the following words, viz: "The
Constitution in its words is plain and intelligi-
bic, and is meant for the home-bred, unsophis-
ticated understandings of our fellow-citizens'
But author, Notwithstanding that he en-
dOrses these sentiments by quoting them, yet
he will not trust them when slavery is to be
made out, as the above addition of his own
clearly shows. The same words, or slaves"
are Incorporated in the subjects indicated by
the leading words "duty" and " escaping" But
our author grows more interested in his favorite
ha Wa EnI &C.;
tive slaves" and, after that, runaway slaves"
given as leaders to the subjects analysed, none
of which is contained in the text, or warranted
by it.
At the leading word, service, or labor" we
are directed to see slavery" But where shall
we look in order TO see slavery? Not into the
Constitution, to be sure it is not there; nay, but
look further along in the analysis" Aye,
here it is ; one, two, three four, FIVE times, in
succession, is the word slaves" set down as a
leader to parts of the Constitution in which it is
not once named By this time the sound of
the word " slaves must have become enchanting
to our author, as appears by the number of
times he repeats it, and the subjects with which
he connects it.
Mr.. Hickey has appealed to Mr. Dallas in
the language we have quoted; we now invite
him to consider that high authority for consti-
says: II think it wrong to admit the idea. in
the Constitution, that there can be property in
man." In accordance with this view, neither
the word nor the idea was admitted into that
instrument, all the passages claimed for slavery
being provisions Of general character; and if
they embrace slaves at all, it can be but incl
dentally. But the anthor of this book has thus
used his own die to stamp slavery on the Con-
stitution, and this is the way that Southern
rights are established, in reference to slavery
or freedom-they assume what should be proven,
and upon that assumption found their claims
We deny, in the most positive manner, the
Legitimate application of the word "slaye" or
slaves wherever It is used in the Analysis"
as indicating the character of the clause with
which it is connected; and this denial we have
defended "upon the face of the bond" and re-
ly upon our home-bred fellow citizens to be
sustained in our defence of liberty. Is.
WiU county, Illinois.