The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-04-01


TIAL TO THE PEACE, SAFETY AND PROSPERITY
OF THOSE STATES OF THE UNION IN WHICH
1T EXISTS ;"-and that the paramount motive
of the American Government, in annexing
Texas, was two-fold, first, to prevent the
abolition of Slavery within its limits, and sec
ondly, TO render Slavery more secure and
more powerful within the Slaveholding States
Of the Union. Slavery was then taken un-
der the special care and protection of the
Federal Government IL was no longer to
be left as State Institution, to be controlled
| exclusively by the States themselves lit was
to be defended by the General Government,
not only against the invasion or nsurrection
of armed enemies, but against the moral SEN
timent of humanity and the natural develop
mcnt of population and material power.
Thus was the whole current of our nation
i. al history suddenly and unconstitutionally re-
versed. The General Government, abandon
ing the position it had always held, declared
its purpose s to PsoStsctt s. taF IND Republic regarded
as an evil ,--as at variance with the principles
on which our institutions were based, and as
a source of weakness, social and political, to
the communities in which it existed. AT the
time of the Revolution, Slavery existed in
all the Colonies but neither then, nor for
half century afterwards, had it been an ell
cment of political strife, for there was no diff
ference Of opinion or of policy in regard to it.
The tendency of affairs had been towards
Emancipation. Half the original thirteen
States had taken measures at an early day, to
free themselves from the b'ighting influence
and the reproach of Slavery. Virginia and
North Carolina had anticipated the Continen-
| Il of 1874 in ohaclipc, fha
crease of their Slave population by prchibi
ting the Slave trade at any of their ports.
SENTIMENTS OF THE FRAMERs OF THE coNsrI-
TUITION CONCERNING SLAVERY.
The Constitution confering upon Con-
gress full power to prevent the increase of
Slavery, by prohibiting the Slave trade, had,
out of regard for existing interests and vested
rights postponed tho exercise of that power
over the States then existing until the year
1sOs,-leaving Congress free to exercise it
over new States and over the Territories of
the United States, by prohibiting the mgra-
ton or importation of Slaves into them, with
out any restriction except such as is own dis
creton might supply. Congress promptly
availed itself of this permission, by rcaffirm-
ING that great Ordinance of the Confedera-
ton, by which it was ordained and dccreed
that all the Territory then belonging TO the
United States should be forever free. -Four
new States were formed ont of Territory lying
South of the Ohio river, and admitted into
the Union, previous to 1S20;- the Ter
ritorv from which they were formed had be-
longed to States in which Slavery had exist
cd at the time of their formation; nd in ce-
ding it to the General Government, or in as
scntng to the formation Of new States with
: in il, the old States to which it belonged had
, inserted proviso against any regulation Of
Congress that should tend to the emancpa-
ton OF Slaves. Congress was thus prevented
7 from prohibiting Slavery in these new States,
by the action Of the old States out Of which
they had been formed. But, as soon as the
the Constitutional limitation upon its power
over the States then existing had exspired,
S Congress prohibited by fearful penalties, the
: addition by importation of a single Slave, to
T the numbers already in the country.
r The trainers of the Constitution, although
the historical record OF their opinio; proves
:, that they were earnest and undivided in their
dislike of Slavery, and in their conviction
that it was hostile, in It's nature and its intiu-
: ences, to Republican freedom after taking
n these steps 20 pr, vent its increase, did not
: interfere with it further in the States where
\ it then existed. Those States were separate
n communities, jealous of their sovereignty and
c unwilling to enter into any league which
G should trench, in the least degree, upon their
n own control and over their own affairs This
; sentiment the trainers of tho Constitution
! were compelled to respect and they accor-
u dinghy left Slavery, as they left all other 20
Q cal interests to the control of the several
It States. But no one who reads with care the
i debates and the recorded opinions of that age
! can doubt that the ultimate removal Of Sla-
! very was desired by the people of the
II whole country, and that Congress had been
l. empowered to prevent its. increase, with q
i view 10 its gradual and ultimate extinction
u Nor did the period Of Emancipation seem re-
st mote Slave labor, employed as il was in
/ agriculture, was less profitable than the free
r. labor which was pouring in to take its place
e And even in States where this consideration
s. did not prevail, other influences tended tC
,. the same restilt The spirit Of Liberty wa
b then young, generous and strong. The mel
e of the nation had made sacrifices and wagec
&c battles for the vindcation of their inaienabl'
q rights to life, liberty and the pursuit Of hap
IL pness; and it was not possible for them t.
D, sit down in the quiet enjoyment of blessing
thus achieved, without feeling the injustice
rs as well as the inconvenience, Of holding grea
y numbers of their fellow men in bondage, il
le all the States, therefore, there existed {
p strong tendency towards Emancipation. Th
'e removal Of so great an evil was felt to be
al worthy object of ambition, by the best anc
% most sagacious statesmen of that age; an'
g, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and all tn
u great leaders and representatives of pnblic o
10 pinion, were active and earnest in devisinl
10 measures by which it could be accomplished.
- But the great change produced in the in
: - dustry of the Southern States, in the earl
:, part Of the present century, by the ncrease'
u culture of cotton, the introduction of rcy
~ inventions to prepare it for use, and its grow
ing importance to the commerce of the coun