New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-04

the Federal Constitution, the portion of Pennsy-
vahia west Of the Alleghanies Was represented III
the popular brsuch by Thomas Scott. In fact, we
may set him down, not merely as representing
Western Pennsy " ania, bat as the representative
as well of the whole Western country north OF the
Ohio and east Of the Mississippi, IN which then
almost uninhabited territory BY the engraftment OF
the Jefiersonan Proviso upon the recently enacted
ordinance Of l7o7, for the government OF the
Northwestern Territory, involuntary servitude,
except in punishment Of crime, had been forever
prohibited. Thomas Scott WAS awOrthy represent.
alive OF the embryo greatness of that Western
country-not less distinguished for courage than
for talent and without the slightest faint OF the
doughiace-as was clearly shown in the part that
he took in the great debates on Slavery in that
First Congress.
These debates had their first inception from the
presentation of a petition from the yearly meeting
of the Quakers of Pennsylvania and Delaware,
seconded by another from the Quskers of New.
York; and here il is worthy of note that down even
to the adoption of the Missouri Prohibition il is TO
Pennsylvania that the honor belongs of taking the
lead in every movement for the restriction OF
Slavery. This petition modestly put forward
quRre whether, notwithstanding "sundry imp 'dl-
ments" growing cut of 'the influence and artifce
of particular persons, governed by the narrow,
mistaken views of scfinterest," il was not
within the power Of Congress - to exercise justice
"and mercy, which, if adhered to-" - must pro
/" duce the abolition of the slave trade.
1t will be recoIected that in the formation of the
Federal Constitution the Caroinas and Georgia had
insisted upon the right for such States as chose to
exercise it, to continue the slavetrade for twenty
wears In the Federal Convention, while the Constr
tuition was yet, as it WERE in embryo those States
had begun that same system of threats and bullying
which. down to within some twelve months past
they have SO successfully carried out, aud the ap-
parent failure Of which III the current Presidential
canvass fills them with much fury and alarm.
BY threats Of repudisting the new Constitution
they bullied its trainers into that disgraceu and,
as il soon after appeared mpoltic and unnecessary
concession of twenty years continuance of the
slaye-trale but at the same time, BY way Of sayo
10 their conscienccs, the members driven into this
concession insisted, not only on an ambiguous
wording of the Constitution, by which all mention
WAS avoided Of slaves or slavery, but also upon
giving to Congress the right Of imposing tax of
ten dollars head on all such mportatiOns
The presentation of the Quaker memorial above
referred to- On the subject of the slaye-trsde, was
met in the first Congress, On the part Of the Rep
resentstyes from the Carolinas and Georgia, BY pre-
cisely the same bullying threats against the exercise
BY Congress of lie express constitutional power to
tax the import of Africans, by which through.
ont the North il is now attempted bully the Free
State msjori,y of the nation out of their const.u
ucnsl night to nominate aud elect President OF
their own selection; while the response to this
insolenco which now goes forth from the
whole Northwest. including Western PenDsy.
yanis. was we'll foreshadUwed in the spirited
speeches which Scott delivered on that occasion.
Before. however, the debate on the Quaker Meme
rial came on. the slaye-trading members Of that
Congress were still further ruffed by the presenta
ton of petition from the recent! formed Penn
syyania Society " for promoting the abolition Of
slavery. for the relief of tree negroes unlawfully
held in bondage, and for improving the condition
of the African race "a petition signed BY the
venerable Franklin IS President of that Society
and 10 which We had recently occasion 10 refer
spropos TO the statue, spothecsis and glori-
6c,iion vouchssftd 10 Franklin, the de.
r.s..d Abolitionis, NOW for two-thirds of a cen
fury in his gravel by the slaye-caching conserya.
tiyes Of Boston--s most striking proof that the
ancient Jewish practice of simultaneously white
washing the .epulchers Of the dead prophets aud
stopnc the i've ones, dourishes IN all its original
yisor among the >crbes Phsrisees aud hypocri,es
Of to-,is,. Frsnklin's petition. indeed went
g,.d deal further than that Of the Quakrrs In.
stead ot c,nfnng Itself 10 the Afrcsn slsvr-,raie,
hat petition struck Simultaneous blow al the
domestic .,ay.-traae-.aVu.l >, hat .Ine y va.