New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-18
SLAVERY IN IT'S RELATIONS TO THE CON
SrIrUTION.

To the Editor If The " y Tribune.
SIR: Whoever reads the Constitution for the pnr-
pose of informing himself of its precise p'ovbions m
regard TO the peculiar institution OF the Southern
states will be, perhaps, surprised 10 ind that the
word SLAVE il not conta ned in that instrument ut all
The word and its derivatons were carefully Stunned
by the men TO whom Prov dence committed the des-
TIMES Of the infant Republic. Nor whi this seem
strange when we reflect on the position those men
occuped in their own eyes, not les than in the eye of
the world at he time they met to frame the great
charter of their own freedom, and the rights and hb-
critics of their posrery For years of ssnguin-
airy war had they been ringing changes on the des-
potisn tyranny and oppression exhibited toward them
by the King and people OF the mother country; mn
for almost seven more Of turbulent peace they had
been striving TO construct federaei government
strong enough to protect, but not strong enough 10
Cypress the inhabitants Of the country SUBJECT 70 s
cOnirol. How could they, then, in the same breath
proclaim Freedom for themselves and Bond
age for myriads of their felow.men with thews,
sinews, brai1s, hesh, blood, hopes, feelings,
and impulses like their own They were
not gully of so great Inconsistency. They
realized well the value of liberty for al maokind
to co anything that could be construed i to an st
tempt to tpnve any of their fa0w-crt ut lres OF
blessing nestimable. True, some, almost all, the
the States in The ir Individual sOyeeiSnes recognized
q part of their commoo Law the right of one man TO
hold another property Not so the Constitution OF
the Union, OF the men who made ~ The stain OF
human slavery, the mqnaoes, shackles aud fetters
that bind one man to another must BE- sought elsewhere
than il the fundamental law crea'iog an o'ganizcd
Government for The United States slavery IL no.
in the Constitution in word or fact. IL IL wore,
doubt very much whether tho Convection over which
Eat George Washington, President and Deputy from
Virginia. wOnd htye given thrir deliberations 10
The world ON The 18th OF September, 1857. Ihey
wOuld have been strangled In the tray al OF delivery
end never made their ehiraDce into lite. when t1e
Nebraska bill was under discussion IN tho la'e House
of Representatives, HGrIis member ron Ml-sssip
p elc tIiGeC sOue Of his colleagues ~ ths bold dee
iaralon, Sir said he, "the Constitution 90 not
'Itco. nize Slavery, and would despise u II " did
And 70 would &, and so Oug bit every man.
The menb.rs of the Convection over which WASH
ington presided, and Whose fair WORK IL our much
boosted COusttu oD, did not AM could no, ignore the
existence of condition OF servitu1e IN ther SEVERN
Stnies uyhed by local Ia AID having 10 recognized
validity outside OF the nits of the Sue permitting
Il. II we're impossible Og . EN- MOI TO snow all about
t. and they dit know il. This very knowledge ena-
bleO them, IN framing nc oTEaUIo lew OF the Confeae-
rated States, 70 keep Slavery gu, OF r. snd no even
by ul lea ion shp Of the pen, is any word, phrae
or expression 10 be found winch rec ,gnizee 10 any
way right of property by one man W "Dose Az
teupis have been uads, know, 70 give sirenkth 10
the modem heresy that Slavery Is "a lonA aud not
local by some lOOsa assert tons Gnout ia being pro.
tcc'cd by ihe Cons i'uion; but | have never neara
any man whose opinions were worm bat on, sen
outiy argue u sustain this proposition. Ibere arc
thco pGssGgts, 0nl but three, an the ConsiHono1,
which by a. latitude OF construction can oo "'" ~
embrace flsves. IL,
The hrsi is subdivision Of section OF arhe@ J.
ard lie material part Is IN csc words.
s. Representatives ard dire 4 iaxeB shGl be apFm,
toned among tho several States rhich nay b. qcHfsa
riNiH ms iH.oR, sscorliDg ~ Their resp-cnye nup'
hers which shall be determined by aiding 70 the "nes
uuu b,r OF nee p,nOus including those bound To 81.
vice tor term Of wears, and excluding lnaians nG
taxed ,h,c,-fiths OF all other persons. The aciaS
,uuusTa'iOn,' sc.
Tac s,copd is subdivision ! OF section .. the sam
article, ave j. rs follows;
-. L. - migrs'iaa or importation OF sleh persocs
as any OF tie SrArgs VOW ExIsrISG shall think prcpI
10 admit shal not b. prohibited By the Congress Pn@
10 tie year one thousand eight hundred and eghi Do.
tax or duty may De- impos, such importation h''
t1octoiug ten dollars Tor each person
The last - suediyion OF section Of article a01
Is thus exercised; o.,
- No tciscn hold 20 service or labor in ono StaE
agIsr "A. avs m EREOT. cscnl ng into another, sos
al cons, qusnco Of auy law reguiauon there,h ve
dtharscd from such service or labor out lah Oc ue
h,crcd 10 Ca c,arl of the party 10 Sho saeh ssf'S
or lehcg may lc dtt, i, .,...,. ,,...;,, an
~ ,hl,t ef slavery and slaves Nov, : u not per-
.tly u,ar,st thai Ia each Of tbese three PROVISIONS
,l.,,. AN, jtsistatoA pc s3us, and taG Ia pone ..
t,, can an, Warrant hc found iOT ne assertion mal
a., ,,,rsittuiiou ffcnsn .cs slaves property rO
,r,nsu, W. will considcr each provision oy itsos'.
h, csseluinins how representative sud direcs ta>ts
hall 10 sVpoila Cd among tie soVeTal SfsieS, pow
san ar, not wealth. rs fixed upon a. NE oa-s, aI
,.s,rs crni. Ia ~ n distinctive comcnt' hye 81 them
a, ,aict q. ecual O. "thrso free persons whle 10
/ .,ans rot lassa are altogether excluded. be OF
,,,,rd thai the rrlGcaaoa We three Tree lsssons,
80 tt,rs ntr 20 I. persons many profess 70 uudes-
/ ,fspd IL (elcy " uof ~ lAf sr ;he Ccnei'pten