The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-09-07


letters of its But it is of history and uni
yersa conceded that the fair the provision
TO Congress the power after the time limited tlses
prohibit the importation of persons and thus to the
foreign altogether without being compelled TO
resort for that important the general grant OF
to regulate with foreign nations The practice
of under the clause has been since the ex
ration the period of limitation conformity with the
ructon here declared and il gratifying to be able to state
that this practice has been strongly seconded by the
representatives of any portion of the American people than
by the representatives of the slavehodng States Was not
here compromise entered into upon sufficient equivalents
and has already resulted in immense alienation of
that evil in favor of which it purported to be madeT
"a single other provision of the constitution touches this
delicate question and its justice shall be plainly submitted
1t is in these words:
' No person held service labor in State, under
laws thereof escaping another shall consequence
of any law regulation therein be discharged from such
service labor but shall be delivered up claim of the
party to whom such service or labor may be due.
That this clause Of the constitution applicable the
fugitive slave unquesonaby true he is held to service
the slave State under the laws thereof and that is
applicable to the legally apprentice and servant of the
free States equally plain and true Does the fact that the
provision broad enough to embrace the slave vate It, ana
make wrong its insertion part of that sacred
Is and proper in ITSELF and ought not the friendly
relation to exist and be perpetual the States OF the
Union As applicable the slave it not due to the pre-
vious provisions which recognise and tolerate the institution
slavery and respect the rights and interests of the slave
holding States Could the fair faith implied by these pro-
visions be carried without this one? and they now
be available in the spirit of the compact between the
States without faithful observance of this covenant also
Are there any who will blame venerable fathers the
delegates in the convention of 1887 for giving their assent
to this clause Of constitution All the old thirteen
States asented to it, and to all the other concessions and
compromises which have been mentioned connected with
the subject of domestic slavery The people OF all the States
sssented them and fifty years of internal peace and aoun
dant prosperity have hested the wisdom of the convention
the patriotism and devotion of the States to the federal
Union and the intelligence and justice and faith OF the peo
ple What American citizen will now rise, and, claiming To
be purer than Washington the president OF that
purer and patriotic than the who supported him
the great work Of forming constitution as they had
previously the achievement of independencewi cast
the first stone that temple Of human liberty which they
erected? Who that loves his country will open again the
delicate and troublesome compromises thus soemny formed
settled and consecraed by time and happy expert
ence with the hope of reaching better results from the pres
temper and feeling of the country Who will cast upon
of time and chance the invaluable blessings we
have gained the triumph to human liberty we have secured
for the dark and stormy prospect which presents itself OF
perfect in effort? Who VIII wantonly
trampe upon the faith have solemny pledged to cur
brethren of the other States upon entering the confederac
of moulding them to more yielding disposition In
some future compact? Who will boldly strike at the Union
ITSELF and stake its fate against his ympaics for the slave
Look fellow citizens the pivot upon which the fate o.
this fair fabric of turned One State was entirely un
represented in the convention OF ISL majority Oh the
from two the States the largest GLASS;
and them both States declined to sign the constitution
as adopted by the convention merely equal portion OF the
delegates others of the States and one the second IN
population could consent to give it their signatures MAJOR
iticand in some cases bare maorities four others
subscribed the instrument and in but four states out Oh
the twelve did the entire delegations in attendance give their
signatures Thus mperfecy sustained and recommended,
the constitution submitted conventions of the people
of the several States 1t received with much promptness
MS could have been reasonably anticipated the ratification
and adoption eleven of the States, while five OF the eleven
accompanied their ascn with expositions OF their under
standing intent and meaning of various provisions
of the instrument with proposed amendments to it, or
both most strongly Indicative of their drus and fear OF the
workings the system to which, from the most solemn con-
victons of public necessity and duty they were yielding
reluctant These raticaons enabled the Congress 10
declare the constitution in force the States which had
adopted it, and take for the organization of the
government under it, which done on the 18th OF Sepem-
ber 1885, The 4th day of March, 1885, was fixed upon for
the organization of the government; and the elections
of President Vice President senator's and members of the
House Of Representatives conformity with the provisions
of the constitution to be inermediacly made The
elections made and the organized on the
day appointed and still two of the thirteen Statethe one
North and other Southhad not given their assent to
the system members of the confederacy under
it. The twelfth State unquaiedy, the 2st OF
November 1885, while the thirteenth held out until the 10Th
ay of May $780, and then accompanied its ratification with
long exposition and with recommendations for amendments
consisting of twenty articles This restored again the
union of the States completed the system of government
gave an the whole territory OF the original
United States be said to have terminated the civil
AZ the peace had done the military incidents OF the
| American revolution.
Still the public mind not at rest. Apprehenslons
extensively entertained that the granted to the
federal poy broad and that they would be
made and unnnded constructions
To prevent evils they should be real and to aay
prebension if they the Congress organized under
the constitutions its first session. caused amendments to be
prepared taken from the suggestions and recommendations
of the several consisting of twelve articles
which WERE according the provisions of the constitution
submitted to the several State legislatures for their ratihca
ton or rejection These amendments acted upon with
reasonable promptude by the requisite NUMBER OF the egs-
lares of the twelve articles adopted and made
mart of the constitutions while the two first did not receive
the ratification Of the requisite number of the legislatures OF
the States and we're rejected or The ten articles adopted
il worthy notice that restrictive
of the federal powers decaratve Of the rights of the peo-
pe or of the States both and that not word relating
directly or indirectly to the subject OF domestic slavery is
found either the articles themselves or in the expostons
md recommendations of the conventions which
| rise to them.
But two other amendments have been made to the
ution of the United States up to this day the rt OF
which relates to The stability OF States and adopted
in January l79s and the other relates the in
which the presidential electors shall give their votes for
President and Vice President and adopted in Septem-
ber 1905.
Such and so been the amendments to that con-
uton adopted and recommended to the people and the
States by the convention of 1887 and il would be just
to consider the ten articles Of amendment first adopted as
parts of the original instrument Incorporated upon by the
conventions of the the time Of their ratification
than alterations of it after bad met their appreciation