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

and Revolution itself may become necessary b
stay its desolating march.
THE ORIGINAL" POLICY.
'Was not the policy of the fathers of tn
Republic" asks the Sentinel "made to declar
in the most emphatic manner possible, tina
Slavery should be secured outside the Stat
limits; and that whithersoever Slavery shoult
flee, the ubiquitous arm of the exclusive jurs
diction of the General Government alone Sc
cures this Slavery, and holds it Slavery, no
only where it has exclusive jurisdiction, but il
the very heart of free soil and Free Soilers
where in fact the only Jurisdiction, almost
which the General Government possesses, il
the jurisdiction to hold a slave still slave anc
all the retained sovereignty of State, peopled
exclusively with Free-Soilers, has to acknowl
edge the rightful jurisdiction of the General
Government to take and restore the fugitive
In truth, it may be clearly stated that the whole
power Of the exclusive jurisdiction Of the Gen
eral Government is not only authorized, but
pledged to exert it, not only where its power
is exclusive but where it is restricted and lin
tied by all the retained sovereignty of States
that, in fact, to whomever Slavery attaches nc
power on earth, in its own State, in other
States, in the National domain, or upon the
seas, shall loosen that bond, except by the &C
ton of the bondholder HIMSELF
This is the last consideration urged by the
Sentinel against the position, that the original
policy of the Government was to restrict Sla-
very within State limits, and secure freedom
within the exclusive jurisdiction of the General
Government Here as throughout the argu-
ment, the Sentinel relies upon mere exceptions,
to overturn general truth. We have never
claimed that the Anti-Slavery views Of the
fathers of the Republic were fully embodied in
the Government they founded; that they were
not at times constrained, by circumstances ap-
pearing to them imperative to qualify them to
a certain extent that tho Federal Constitution
contains not single provision repugnant to
those views. The ground we take is, that,
by the policy Of the trainers of the Federal
Constitution, Freedom was regarded, protected,
and provided for, as National, Normal, Per-
Interest-Slavery, as Sectional, Excep-
tional, and Temporary.
few years before, when organizing the
and declaring its independence
Of Great Britain, they rested the vindication of
their act upon solemn affirmation of the doc
trine that call men are created equal, with
certain unalienable rights" among which "are
life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness" that
to protect these rights Governments are insti-
tuted that when Government fails in this
duty, and habitually tramples upon them, it is
the right of the People to amend or substitute
it; that the British Government had been guilty
in both respects, and therefore, the Colonies
were justified in rejecting il, and forming q
Government for themselves The sole ground
Of their justification was, the doctrine of the
natural equality Of rights among men. This
being admitted, the vindication of their act
wSs triumphant; if untrue the Declaration of
the foundation of our distinct
existence as Sovereign People, is simply a lie
Our fathers believed it true, and it was this
Principle that controlled their action when
they came to found the Constitution of the Uni
ted States; for in behalf of the People of the
United States they solemnly declared that their
" form a more perfect union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
defence, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty to them
selves and posterity. Now, it will be found
that all the main provisions Of this instrument
are manifestly designed and calculated to pro-
tect personal liberty, to secure fundamental
rights to restrain the ambition of majorities,
TO preserve the essential rights of the individual
States, to check the tendency of power from
The many to the few. Its pervading spirit is
respect for the Principle of Natural and Equal
Rights among men.
Three provisions, evidently exceptional in
their nature, point to the existence of an Ele-
ment in the Union in conflict with this Princi-
ple these are, the arrangement in regard to
the representative ratio, the clause relating to
the migration or importation of persons prior
10 the year 1903, and the stipulation in regard
10 fugitives from service or labor. We, who
have been born and educated in this country,
that these provisions have been
applied to Slavery; but foreigner,
with our social condition and
history, could never infer this from the provi-
sions themselves, or from any other portion of
the Constitution. The language in which they
are clothed is ambiguous; the words, slave"
and Slavery" are never used the very idea
is rejected. Why? Because the trainers of
the Constitution felt that Slavery was repug-
nant to the truths of the Declaration Of indie
pendence, repugnant to the spirit and inten-
ton of the Constitution they were forming, not
Fit to be named among the institutions of a
Democratic Republic That is not all-the
provisions were SO framed, that this exception.
al Institution might cease to exist, without the
necessity of preliminary change in them. Be-
sides, every implication is carefully excluded
from them, which might favor or tolerate Sla-
very as right or proper. They proceed on the
thatit eaists, but not that it is good
or just. They make certain arrangements in
view of its existence, deemed necessary to pre-
vent the General Government, about to be es.
from coming into collisio N with Sec
tional interests identified with it, but afford no
to il, and no inducemen. to its
continued existence.
Line upon line, precept upon precept," is
a necessity. We are wearied with iterating
and reiterating but the perpetual repetition of
error and sophistry imposes the wearsome task
upon us.
The three provisions alluded to are these:
1. Representatives and direct taxes shall
be apportioned among the several States which
may be embraced within this Union, according
to their respective number, which shall be de-
termined by adding to the whole number of