New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-03
pEyysyLyANrA AND SLAVERY.

1t was IN Philadelphia that the first association
was formed having that object IL view-an a.so-
citation Of which Franklin. Rush, aud other dis
tins uished patriots we're the founders. This as
ISOLATION, in 8 mem Drisl signed by Franklin as
its President-ihe lsst act Of thst great man S
| lore a-d honorable public life-within less than
year after the organization Of tue Federal Gov
| eminent, called the attention of Congress 10 its
duties in this matter. "I0ur memOriali'ts,'
said this remarkable document particularly
engaged in attending to the distresses arising
"Irom Slavery, believe il their indispensable
"duty to present this subject TO your nofce
"Tbey have observed with real satisfaction that
"nsDy important and sanitary powers are
"ves,ed in you for promoting the welfare Of and
Securing the blessings of Liberty to the people
"ef the United States; and as they conceive
"tbat these blessings u.ht rigbtfully to be adj
"ninistered, without distinction of color, TO
call descriptions Of people, 80 they indulge
themselves in the pleasing anticipation that
"uothing which can be oobe for the relief of
1" the unhappy objects Of their care will be
"eitber omitted or delayed. From persuasion
"that equal liberty was originally the portion
d" ard is still the birthright OF all men, end in
- fueDced 10y the strong ties OF humanity, and
"he principles Of the Constitution, your memo
" rlali,ts conceive themselves bound to use all
"iustifable endeayors TO loosen the bonds Of
"Savery, and promote general enjoyment Of
sine blessings Of Freedom. Under these i'm.
"pIessions they earnestly entIest your serious
"attention to the subject of Slavery; that you
"wiil be pleased TO countenance the restorat n
"of liberty to these unhappy men who alone in
''tls land of freedom are degraded into per-
"petuol bondage, aud who, an'd the general
"jOy Of surrounding freenen, are grooming in
servlle subectIon; that you will devise means
"for removing this Inconsistency from the
character of the Ameri ian people; tina, you
"wil promote mercy and Justice toward this
distressed race; and that you ,ciH step 10 the rery
"r1ge Of tie poteers res'ed in yOu for discoufagng
"eveIy species of traffic in the persons Of our
" fellow. men"
The presentation Of this petition of course
raised great clam)r among the slavehOli ling
Members of Congress. But all they pretended
at this time was that the emancipation of the
slaves was a question exclusively reserved to
the States, Slavery being subject which did
not fall within the Ognizan.e Of the General Gov
ernment-not even the prohibition Of the foreign
slaye-trade-till after the expiration OF twenty
Years They wished, on this ground, to pre-
vent the commitment OF the memorial; but the
Pennsylvania members strepuOusly maintained
that Congress had al least the power OF checking
the slave-trade by imp ,sivg a tax of ten dollars
on each slave imported, and on this groun4 they
insisted upon and obtained the eOmmittal of the
men orisl. In this they were supp )rted 81
Madison, at that time Member Of Congress
from Virginia, who remarked Z" that though
Congress were restricted by the Constitution
"from Immediately abolishing the slase-trade.
"yet there was a variety Of ways by which
'tpey might countenaEce the ABOLITION of that
Giraffe. They might, for example, respecting me
'introduction Of sIdres into the nee States to Be
formed ont cfhe Uestern territory Kansas, for
"instance, make regulations such as rere beyond
their poirer IN relation TO The old settled Siaes-aR
ob,dphiehh he thought rsH rOnhy Of reconsideration"
-snd which, stree the sprneing up OF the new
domestic slave.trade-a thing then unknown
is certainly not less worthy of attention than it
was in Madison's time.
In this first Congressional agitation Of the
Slavery question the Members Of Congress from
PEI nsyl vania were found aTrsyed to a man on
the side Of Humanity and Freedom. Such con-
tinued to be the case in all the debates that
arose on the subject Of Slavery and the foreign
slave-tIade for the next thirty years. Indeed,
n 1 e
the State Of Pennsylvania, and especially Of the
City OF Philadelphia, to the practice of slave
holding which caused the defeat Of the repeat d
attempts made 10 continue Philadelphia as the
seat Of the Federal Government and which
Transferred the National Capitol from that beau.
tiful and hourishing city to an abandoned plant
aiion on the banks Of the Potomac.
The determination thus eyinced by the North
on the subject of the foreign slaye-trade, and Of
which Pennsy lyania was tie spokesman. was
not without It's influence upon those States
which had refused 10 come into the Union *
cept on coalition of being allowed to continue
ior twenty years that detestabl- traffic. Yield
ing TO the moral sentiment Of the nation thus
displayed, South CaroliDs, North Carolina, and
Georgia, ore after the other prohibited the in
poitatiOn OF slaves from Airica. But As the
swine is prone 10 return 10 his wallowing 10 the
miIe, so after six years general proh bit on Of
the African slave trade, so far as the sew.
eral States Of this Uaion were concerned
South Carolins again legalized it. This out
rage upon the moral sentiment and democratic
principles OF America was at once met on the
part Of the Pennsylv Representatives in