The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1856-07-09

II ne did not recognize The laborers III the
South either as persons or property to be re,
presented. These were subjects OF dispute,
more Oh less, from Nav to September, in In
dependence Hall, and the Convention was ~
danger Of breaking up on Slavery ana the
Slave institution. Tradition, indeed history
To same extent, says that old Benjamin Frank.
lin, whom some have CALLED an loiidel, and
who certainly was not an over plous man,
seeing this Convention about TO break up on
the subject Of slave representation. invoked
his fellow. convention men to appeal to God
to bless them in their deliberations, to direct
them to peace, and concord, and concession
among themselves, and report goes, that alter
PRAYERS so offered, in short time, the dit.
ficultics were settled by compromise and con.
cession, the threc-fiths principle Of represen-
tation. thateyery fiyeslayes should be counted
as three persons, prevailing. The South gave
to US, having the majority in the Congress,
the control of navigation, and the regulation
of commerce, power Of vast importance to
the North, for we had then, us now, about all
of the navigation, and we agreed with the
South not TO use that p0wer ; Gas to stop the
importation Of slaves until 1908; andson the
subject Of fugitive slaves, we Of the North
agreed to surrender slaves whenever they
came upon our territory.
Such were the conpacts and agreements Of
the Constitution made after long aud trying
deliberations-and made BY whom? BY such
Northern men as Rufus King and Nathaniel
Gorham Of Massachusetts, the Langdons and
Gilnans Of New Hampshire. the Roger She
mans and William and Samuel Johnsons, Of
Connecticut; by Alexander Hamilton, OF
New York, the Benjamin Franklins and Robert
Morrises, Of Pennsy yania, and the Daytons, OF
New Jersey-made with Southern men as
Madison, and Washington, and Rutledge, and
Pinckney. The result Of their compact was
this form Of government, for a people then
but three millions in number, and all then
on the coast of the Atlantic--all on the
other side of the Alleghanies, hut now, under
the blessings Of that constitution. rolled over
the AlIeshanies, along the borders Of the lakes.
and swelling in grandeur upon the shores Of
the Pacific, (Cheers.) If We break this Con
stitution. these concessions. these compacts.
if We keep not our faith, we go back TO the
disorders Of the old confederation, we APP
proach civil war, we exchange all these bless
ings our fathers secured to Us, to be the prey ut
our own passions, and the victims Of foreign
insult and aggression. (Applause.
There are some wrong impressions prevail
ing on this subject of concessions and com
pacts, aud excuse me If briefly refer Ia
them. Ii is not true, rs oIten said, that in the
formation Of the government, all parties
agreed, that all the territory OF the United
| -. L.. 81
Ii is true the lannon's ordinance Of 1877 was
passed that cunsccrated the Northwestern
Territory all to freedom, but not less true
that all those ternIories, now Kentucky. Ten.
nessee. Mississippi and Alabama, were con
secrated, or des, Grated as you please, to sla
very. Our fathers divided the general do.
man. All north Of the 0hiO was given e
ireedOm,--a south Of the Ohio was left I,
slavery. Our fathers in that division man
! iiested the spirit N which they administered
the government. Ii is not true, then, tina
this Government started at first with ,isown
ing and excluding slavery. but on the contra
~, recognizing il and dividing the territor,
OF the States under it. Kentucky belonge,
) to Virginia. Washington signed the &C
which admitted her as a slave State into III,
Union. Tennessee, under the name Of Frank
land, belonged to NORTH Carolina, and th,
Father Of his Country signed the act tina
, admitted her also as slave State into th'
Union. The territories row Alabama an,
Mississippi, belonged to Georgia, and in Iii,
! compact with Georgia ll802-5), under ID,
, administration Of Jefferson, they were hnugh
aud paid for, costing Us 81 25O 900, and ae
! cepted as slave territory Of the United States
Ia 1898. under the administration Of JOhl
Adams, old John Adams, the Massachuselt
Adams, the territory Of Mississippi was or
ganiZed-ali that territory then Of Georgia
that stretched froh the Chattahoochie rive
to the Mississippi. organized explicitly an,
especially as slaxe territory. Congress en-
! acted, Especially enacted for Mississippi
the Northwestern ordinance Of Reorganization
the Ohio. indiana aud Illinois ordinance o
l181-,he whole Of il, in principle. AM
pledge, aud compact, save and except th
last section OF that ordinance that exclude,
slavery iherefrOm. Congress said, April 7th
I793-old John Adams approving:
.The President Of the United State. Is here
n authorized 70 establish therein now Aabame IN
M,sissppil government IN all respects similar % tina
n0W exercised rs the territory Northwest o. tue Ohie
- RxsFPrtss ASD ExcLrnisG NE lat fanti-slasery
arteis j Ne ordinance 81 t79s. (see Ae, Congeaa
April 7th, l7s1j
Congress, thus. in one sense, establishe,
i slavery IN al that great territory rcachin,
irnm tie Georgia line 70 the Mississippi river
; And a Massschusett. President, IN 1893, ~
pcared the act which Virginia President
: jefferson, in 1903, perfected. And yet
mere Northern party, calling itself Rrpub
] lican," and excluding all u rs shosr Anne
} mean, Fillmore American, only bcrause "
. walk 10 tic ways Of the Constitution and tn
: laws Of our country, forget al these larts. an
] clam eacluayelyt u walk 10 the WAYS u Wash
| ington aud Jefferson! They forget that whc
!, Jefferson was President 81 the United State,
4 he made 4 treaty with France buyiuJ 4