New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-13

Z
gpan' They indulged in 70 conpreheoa,,
vews; ttey troubled the ,selv,s vs-r l,,,.
shout the abstract rights OF men. or the isio,i,,
q Slavery arl the slsve-trs1.. Taeie w.
course Of action "a Tia subject was dic.a.sl a.,
by BARROW and selfish view Of n II owe p,-s'
uar political sid commercial interests.
II was not till tie question arose abou, II.
bass Of repr, sen.atioo, that the uotther, De-.
gates begsn 70 exhibit some feelinyon tie nsi...
Of slavery Alter II hal been sgreed that g..
slaves should count as equal 20 three freemsa-,
proposition - which, by w0yot compromise tssv
unwillipgly sssented-they began to have psE,
ical interest in prohibiting the slsvesra!s iu,,.
much as every lucreSse OF the slave population
went 70 increase the political wei hl Of the SoaA
Bat it was only after the Convention. or
rather tie Committee o. Detail. had refa,ei IA
confer upon Congress the power to tax export,
"A measure upon which the Middle States wsr.
greatly bent-or 10 ensct navigation laws et.
cept by tro.thirds v5te--a power which Ne.
Eng shd was very urgent for-thAt the Northern
delegates were led, by disappointment, and veI,
ticn to make sn open attack uPot slavery ,nd
the slave trade. IL was this feeling, vas,
des more as his subsequent votes provsi)
than any conscientious and sincere hostility
70 the institution. or THAI the prohibition
upon CoDgres to interfere with the slave
trade inserted by the Committee Of De.,l,
hat produced the f,mou, assault 90 ctea
quoted. of Gouyerueur Morris upon Slavery, sad
the striking picture which be drew OF its ccoaOn.
zeal effect upor the States 10 wsich It most pre-
vs. led.
Rufus King a delegate from Ms'nchu'et,s
where be then resided, made 20 stctc f tn orr.
gin Of hts new born zeal against slavery and tao
,laye.trsde la the attack VIII h ne nov street
ed upon the representation allowed for thres.
ffths ofthe slaves, (Which be aud his Northern
associates were no longer willing to concede no
DE- uounced "the admission of slaves n a most
81. ciieyous circumstance to his miod, aad he BE-
u" leytd il would be 80 20 sgreN part OF che poo
., pls If America. lie had ROt made sirssuoss
opposition 10 It heretofore. because he had hoped
.. hat fh,s concession eOuld hare produced read
mass rchich had not bees manifested % sreagtisr
{. M. General Gorernmsnt Chats 70 give Il the
power 70 tax export, and pass navigation sct'.)
.. The report OF the Committee put an nj 80
.. all these hopes The Importation OF slaves
would pot b. prohibited, exports would not DO
taxed. Ii slaves are TO b, imported, shall not
. theexportp produced by their labor supplys rev
'enue to help the Government defend their mas.
81 er.l There was so much inequatyend uurea.
condolences 10 all this. that the people OF tho
Northern States could never De rec0rciied to IT,
- N, had hoped that some accommodation rouid hare
8. taken place on tbs My'ct; that at least time
8. would bave been limited for the importation Of
slaves. He never would agree 10 let them bs i'm
;. ported without limitation, and then be- repre-
s.Lted in the national legislature. Either slaves
s.. should not be represented, or exports shouldbe
80 tsxobe.
Bat what the New England delegates chiefly
csred about wss the unliDited right of COngce.
10 enact navigation laws, and thereby to give
American sbip.owners all advantage over foreign-
ers; and. to secure that fayorte object they pres
ertly entered into an arrangement with the deie
cate. from South Carolina to give up tho taxa.
zion Of exports, suJ, to u certain exteat, the pro-
hibiton of the saye-trsde Accordingly
u hen tho latter question came up, Els
worth Of Connecticut, argued strenuouslJ
against apy prohibition or restriction. Let
D.. every Stlte. ne said, import wba, /. please'.
" The morality n wisdom Of Slavery is a cousii-
Grafton bel Dging TO tbs States. VIVA! Gu
" riches part eurcbes the whole aud tho States
" sro tho best Judges o. their particular interests.
D.. The old confederation had not meddled with
This point, and he could see no greater nece,.
O. city for bringing it within the policy Of the aeS
% one He even went 60 far, in reply To tho
energetic deuGDciatioDs of Slavery aGd the slave
trade TO which Mason of Virginia, gave utter.
auce. az to insnuatc that all the Vrgnlans
wanted wss the monopoly Of the supply Of the
southern slave market. On the other hand
Hampshire, argued that nei her honor safety
nor good conscience would allow permission TO
the States TO continue the slave traffic; but King
Of Massachusetts came to the rescue with the
suggestion that the subject should be considered
in a political light only; yet it did seem to him
that slaves imported ought pay sdnty like other
merchandise. To this G. c. Pinckney, Of South
Carolina, minated Cd assent, aud the way thu,
open, Gouyerneur Morris proposed, and ths Con
yenton voted, 70 refer the whole matter Of The
.lsye trade, duties on exports, and nav cation
sws, to Committee. d" These thiogs,' Morris
may form bargain among toe North
ern and Southern States"
The report Of this committee carried out the
bargain, already substantially arranged as Il
"a nnld seem hetHeen Massachusetts on the OLs