The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-11-22
THE COMPROMISES OF THE CONSTITUTION.

At the time Of the meeting Of the National Convention
in 1887 there two great leading interests ia this
country-commerce and agriculture The people of the
New England States had been induced from the serility
of their SOIL to invest their wealth commerce. and there
fore this interest peculiarly guarded by them Those
Of the South engaged in pantngbecause their soil
and climate invited iand therefore, they agrieul
tural How far any rivalry may have existed between
these two interests before the convention met II Is not inn
poran inquire but it is enough for my present pur
pose know that in the convention, this rivalry exhib-
tied itself-perhaps much side the other,
though that material II will be recolleced that
after general debate OF more than month"; in the con-
venon upon the several plans OF government proposed
il finally referred to a committee of FIVE members TO
prepare and report consttuion-beng called the
Committee Of Detail This committee elected by bal
lot and composed Of one member from South Carolina
from Virginia, from Massachusetts,, from Con-
necticut and from Pennsy lyana-thus giving the
majority the free Sates On the 9Th of August 1887,
this committee reported plan OF government and de-
sire 10 call your attention to two oft provisions that
you may understand fully how these two opposing in
erests Of which have spoken barmonizedhow in
other words Of the great compromises of the cons
tuition were made. beg that you win observe, not par
tcuarly what say this subject but the facts they
are recorded both in Eios Debates and the Madison
Papers.
The fourth section Of the seventh article of this reported
plan in these words
Src A. No tax or duty shall be laid by the legislature
on articles exported from any State the migration
importation Of such persons the several States shall
think proper 70 admit nor such migration or importation DC
prohibited"
This you will observe provided for the continuance
the Stare trade without limitation, although il reported
from committee majority Of whom from the free
States 1t took away from Congress the power to prevent
the importation of slaves into any of the Stse by pro-
vdng that it should neither tax prohibit the mpora
tom thus leaving the States to do what they already
had the power to doto carry the importation at their
pleasure When this section came up for consideration
the first part of it relating to export duty agreed
to; but motion made by Mr. Luther Martin, of Mary
land, amend the remainder by giving Congress the
power to put 1pyoh6iion tar The importation Of
sares" This motion came therefore, from southern
and stakeholder and a proposition to
provide plan for the suppression Of the slave trade
in the place of the plan for its perpetual connu-
dnee that had been reported by the Committee Of
Detail. And it sustained by the mover expressly
upon the ground that it Inconsistent with the prnc
pies Of the revolution and dshonorabe to the American
character As we had comparatively few slaves in this
country at that time here proper occasion for deter
mining the question: at and forever whether by the
sanction Of the national government about to be formed
any should be added by Importation the number
already here 1t distinctly presented by the motion,
and could not be escaped There attempt
IT. but the question met directly and And it
of modern orass to read especially that part
Of it in which Mr. Ellsworth, OF Connecticut aterward
Chief Justice of the United States said that he morality
wisdom Of slavery considerations belonging to the
States themselves and that other part wherein Mr. Roger
Sherman of Connecticut declared that the pubc good
did not require that the States should be prevented from
importing slaves and still that other part of it, wherein
Mr. Ebdge Gerry of Massachusetts, said that they had
nothing TO do with the conduct Of the States slaves
All these gentlemen great menvery great menand
represented northern constituencies but they did not fear
say what they felt and have heard that their
sentiments then dsapproved by the States they rep
resented While they opposed Mr. Martins notion and
acted in concert with the representatives of the States
South Carolina and Georgia in favor of the continuance
the Stare trade they opposed by Mr. Martin Of Mary
land Mr. Mason OF Virginia. (who denounced it
fera traffic. originated the aparc Of British merchants
which, he said, had already been prohibited in Virginia
Maryland and North Carolina by Mr. Dickinson Of Della
ware and by Mr.. Langdon of New Hampshire All these
gentlemen one from SLAVE States yet they
decided and earnest against the continuance of the
trade finding formidable opposition to their policy and
sentiments from the extreme North This hope you will
observe, for shall have occasion to to it again
While the debate going on, and before it had pro-
duced any practical result proposition made by Mr.
Governor Morris of Pennsylvania to refer the whole
subject to committee "ncuding the clauses relating
taxes exports and ndygaon actn These things
said he may form bargain among The northern south
States" There had, yet been bargain formed
The two extremes Of the Union had not yet come to-
gether though it is evident that what was done by the
northern gentlemen have referred to was done with the
hope of bringing about between them The clause
in relation to navigation had not yet been acted on and
therefore, the northern could know what might be
the fate of their commercial interests Nor could the men
the extreme South who anxious that the States
should moth forbidden to carry the know
what might be the result of their proposition Therefore
both these interests embraced in the motion of Mr.
Norris that they might form the basis of an arrangement
or compromise bargain he called it That you may
see how this to be effected will read the article in re-
lation to navigation to which the North was opposed
was section 6, article Z, and was in these words
mo navigation act shall be passed without the assent
Of two-thrds Of the members present in each house,
In debating the proposition Of Mr.. Morris Mr. Gorbam
OF Massachusetts, distinctly announced the ground upon
which the eastern States stood in the convention He said
he desired II to be remembered that tho eastern States bas
more 10 union but commercial They were able tc
protect themselves They not afraid of external dan
ger and did need the aid Of the southern States,
These sentiments showed clearly that the commercial in
teress of New England w-uld furnish the basis of bar
gain Mr. Morris had suggested and his proposition was
accordingly, adopted Tie whole matter was referred both
In reference to the slave trade and navigation act TO
committee composed Of from each State in
the convention and in their hands both questions were
placed.
On the Gath August this committee reported compro-
mise upon which they had agreed in reference both to the
slave trade and navigation act This the report: