Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-05-23


ways held declared ts purpose TO protect and per-
petuate what the great founders Of the Republic had
regarded as an evi-as variance with the principles
on which our institutions based, and source
of weakness social and political, to the communities
in which it existed. At :he time Of the Revolution
Slavery existed in all the Colonies; but neither then,
nor for half a century afterward, had it been ee-
men of politca strife, for there difference OF
| opinion OF of policy IN regard 10 It. The tendency
of affairs had been toward emancipation. Half the
original thirteen States had taken measures ut carly
day to free themselves from the blightng influence
| and the reproach OF Slavery. Virginia and North
Carolina had anticipated the Continental Congress of
l774 in checking the increase OF their Slave popua-
by prohibiting the Slave trade at any Of their ports
SENTIMENTS OF THE TRAINERS OF THE CoNsTITU-
TON CONCERNING sLAvERY.
The Constitution. conterrng upon Congress full
power prevent the increase of Slavery by prohib
| ting the slave trade. out OF regard for existing in
terests and vested rights postponed the exercise OF that
power the States then existing until the year
1903 leaving Congress free TO exercise Il over new
States and the Territories OF the United 5taes by
prohibiting the migration importation Of slaves INTO
them. without any restriction except such as lie own
discretion might supply. Congress promptly atailed
itself of this PERMISSION by rearmng that great Ord
nance of the Confederation by which II was ordained
and decreed that all the territory then belonging TO
| the United States should be forever free. Four
States were formed out OF territory lying south OF the
Ohio river and admitted into the Union previous To
1920 but the territory from which they formed
had belonged to States IN which Slavery existed at
the time of their formation and in cedng It to the
General Government in asserting 10 the formation
| of new States within it, the old States 10 which il
belonged had insertad provso against any regula-
ton of Congress that should tend to the
of slaves. Congress was thus prevented from pro-
hibitng Slavery in these States by the action of
the Old States out of which they had been formed.
But as soon as the constitutional limitation upon its
power over the States then existing had expired.
Congress prohibited by fearful penalties the addition
by importation of single slave TO the numbers
| already in the country.
! The trainers of the Constitution, although the his
torcal record OF their opinions proves that they were
earnest and undivided in their dislike OF Slavery,
and their conviction that II hostile III its nature
and influences Republican Freedom after taking
these steps TO prevent It's Increase, did not interfere
| with il further in the States where il then existed.
Those States separate communities, jealous OF
their sovereignty and unwilling TO enter into any
league which should TRENCH in the least degree upon
their own control their own affairs. This senti-
ment the trainers of the Constitution were compelled
to respect and they accordingly left Slavery, they
left all other local interests to the control OF the sew
eral States But who reads with care the de-
bates and the recorded opinions OF that age can doubt
that the ultimate removal Of Slavery was desired by
the people of the whole country, and that Congress
had been empowered TO prevent its increase, with a
view to its gradual and ultimate extinction. Nor did
the period of emanc patton seem remote. Slave
labor employed as it in agriculture, was less
profitable than the free labor which was pouring IN
TO take its place. And even in the States where this
consideration did not prevail, other influences tended
to the same result. The spirit Of liberty was then
Young, generous, and strong. The men OF the nation
had made sacrifices and waged battles for the vindi.
cation of their naenable rights to life liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness and 1t was not possible for
them to sit down in the quiet enjoyment OF blessings
thus achieved without feeling the in ustlce as well as
the Inconvenience Of holding great numbers Of their
feowmen in bondage. In all the States, therefore,
there existed strong tecdency toward emancipation.
The removal Of so great evil felt to be wor-
tby object OF ambition by the best and most sagacous
statesmen of that age; and Washington, Jefferson,
: Franklin, and all the great leaders and representa-.
tives OF public opinion, were active and earnest in
devising measures by which ii could be accomplished
But the great change produced in the industry OF
the Southern States in the early part Of the present
century, by the increased culture OF cotton, the intro
duction of inventions TO prepare 1t for use, and
its growing importance to the commerce OF the c0un-
try and the labor of the world by making slave labor
more profitable than 1t had ever been before, checked
this tendency toward emancipation and soon put an
end to it altogether As the demand for cotton in.
creased, the interests Of the cottongrowing States
became more and more connected with Slavery; the
: spirit of Freedom gradually gave way before the
spirit OF gain, the sentiments and the language O
the Southern States became changed, and all at.
tempts at emancipation began TO be regarded, and
s sisted assaults upon the rights and the interests Of
e the slaveIolding section Of the Union. For many
# years. however, this change did not affect the polit
cal relations of the subject. States, both free and
# sav ehoding, successfully added 10 the COnfed
eracy without exciting the fears OF either section
j Vermont came into the Union in 1871 with Const
: tuition, excluding Slavery Kentucky, formed out o
f Virginia, was admitted in 1892; Tennessee in 1896
i Mississippi in 1877 and Alabama in lSl3-all Slave
s States, formed out of territory belonged to Slave
States and having Slavery established in them the
: time of their formation. On the other hand, Ohio
was admitted in 1903, Indiana in 1SlG, and Illino.
in lslS having formed State Governments under act.
of Congress which made it a fundamental condition
that their Constitutions should contain nothing repug
= nant to the ordinance of l7S7-or in other words
that Slavery should be prohibited within their limit
forever In all these in the admission
of Louisiana in 1872, there had been contest be
4 tween Freedom and Slavery, for it had not beer
4 generally felt that the interests Of either were
j, seriously involved.
THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
IL The first concerning the admission Of new
State which turned upon the question Of Slavery
7 Cured in 1919. when Missouri formed out Of terri
: tory purchased from France in ls03 applied to Con
d press for admission to the Union as slavehoding
o State. The application strenuousy resisted BY
the people of the Free States. 1t was everywhere
felt that the decision involved consequences of the
last importance to the welfare Of the country, ant
that if the progress of Slavery be
ed, that was the time to it. The slavehodine
interest demanded its admission right, and denet
power of Congress to impose conditions upon new
States applyinp to be admitted into the ConfedeTacv