Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-03-14

trace the path of its ambition through the
past twenty-five years of our national his
tory.
1t wa. under the administration Of Prcsi-
dent Tyler, and during the negotiation winch
preceded the annexation of Texas, That the
Federal Admin 5tratlon for the first time de-
cared, in its diplomatic correspondence with
foreign nations. that Slavery in the United
State. was II " POLITICAL INSTITUTION. rsstN-
TIAL TO THE PEACE. SAFETY AND PROSPERITY or
THOSE STATES OF The UNION IL vnIcn IT TX
lsrs" and that the paramount motive of
the American Government. in annexing Tex
as, was two-foid first, to prevent the ah'li-
tOn Of Slavery within its limits, and scco1G,
TO render Slavery more secure and more pow
erful within tho Slaveholding states Of the
Union. Slavery was thus taken under the
special care and protection of the Federal
Government. 1t was no longer to be leit as
q State institution. to be controlled exclusive
ly by the States themselves 1T was to be de-
Tended hv the General Government, not only
against the invasion or insurrection OF armed
enemies. but against the moral sentiment of
humanity and the natural development of
population and material power.
Thus was the whole current of our nation
al history suddenly and unconstitutionally
reversed The General Government, abau-
clared its purpose to protect aud perpetuate
what the great founders of the Republic had
regarded as an evil at variance with the
principles on which our institutions were
based and as q source of weakness. social and
political to the communities IN which it cx-
isted At the time of the Revolution. Slavery
existed in all the Colonies but neither then,
nor for half century afterwards, had it
been an element Of political strife. for there
was no difference of opinion or o! policy in re-
gard to it, The tendency of ail,Iirs had been
towards Emancipation. Hall the Original
thirteen States had taken measures mt an
early day, to free themselye. from tho blight
ing influence and the reproach Of Slavery
Virginia and North Carolina had anticipated
the Continental Congress, of ia, in check
ing the increase Of their Slave population by
prohibiting the Slave trade at any Of their
ports.
SENTIMENTS OFTHE TRAINERS OF TIE
CONSTlTU TION CONCERNING SLAVE
RY.
The Constitution, cDnierring upon Con
gress full power to prevent the increase of
Slavery by prohibiting the Slave trade had,
out of regard for existing interests and vest
ed rights, postponed the exercise of that pow
cr over the States then existing until the yesr
l~0S leaving Congress free to exercise it
over new States and over the Territories OF
the United States, by prohibiting the migrl-
ton or importation OF Slaves into them. with.
out any restriction except such as It's own
discretion might supply. Congress promptly
avdiled itself of this permission, by reaiiIrm
ing that great Ordinance of the tUnicdcr-
alton, by which it was ordained and de-
creed that all the Territory then belonging
to the United States should be forever free.
Four new States were formed out Of Ter
ritory lying South Of the OHIO river, and
admitted into the Union, previous to ls2O:-
but the Territory from which they were
formed had belonged to States in which Sa-
very existed at the time Of their formation
and in ceding it to the General Government,
or in asserting to the formation of new
States within it, the old States to which it be-
longed had inserted proyiso against any reg
ulation Of Congress that should tend to the
emancipation of Slaves. Congress was thus
prevented from prohibiting Slavery in those
new States. by the action Of tine Old States
out of which they had been formed. Bat. as
soon as the Constitutional limitation upon
its power over the States then existing had
expired. Congress prohibited, By fearful pen
alties, the addition by importation Of sin
gle Slave, to the numbers already in the
country.
The trainers OF the Constitution, although
the historical record of their opinions proves
that they were earnest and undivided in their
dislike Of Slavery, and in their conviction
that it was hostile, in its nature and its in
ausnces, to Republican freedom after taking
these steps to prevent its increase, did not in
terfere with it further In the States where it
then existed Those States were separate
communities, iealousof their sovereignty, and
unwilling to enter into any league which
should trench in the least degree, upon their
own control over their own aiflirs. This sem
| timent the trainers of the Consultation were
compelled to respsct:-and they accordingly
left Slavery. as they left all other local int r
csts, to the control of the several States. But
no one who reads with care the debates and
! the recorded opinions of that age, can doubt
that the ultimate removal of Slavery was de-
sired by the people of tie whole country, and
that Congress had been empowered to prevent
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