Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-03-21

England, the subjects OF which government
not only seized them ON the coast of Africa,
but took them as ordinary merchandise to
where they could make profit ON them.
The opinion thus entertained, was univer-
sally impressed on the colonies this side of
the Atlantic therefore, negroes of the Afri-
can race were regarded by them as proper
tv, and held, aud bought, and sold as such
in every one of the thirteen colonies which
united in the declaration of independence,
and afterward formed the constitution.
The doctrine of which we have spoken was
strikingly enforced by the Declaration of
Independence. It begins thus "When in
the course of human events il becomes nee
essary for one people to dissolve the political
bonds which have connected them with an
other, and to assume among the powers Of
the earth the separate and equal station to
which the laws of nature and natures God
entities them, decent respect to the opin-
ions of mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to the
separation : and then proceeds: 1--WE hold
these truths to be elf-evident--tbat all men
are created equal that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights;
that among those are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. That to secure these
rights governments are instituted among
men, deriving their Just powers from the
consent of the governed" &c. The words
before quoted would seem to embrace the
whole human family; and If used in sim
liar instrument at this day would be so un-
derstood But it is too clear for dispute that
the enslayed African race were not intended
to be included, for in that case, the distin-
guished men who framed the Declaration of
Independence would be fagrantly against
the principles which they asserted. They
who framed the Declaration of Independence
were men of too much honor, intelligence
and education to say what they did not be-
! lieve and they knew that i'll no part Of the
civilized world were the negro race, by COM
mon consent, admitted to tie rights of free
men, They spoke and acted according to
the practices, doctrines and nsuages of the
day That unfortunate race was supposed
to be separate from The Whites, and was new
er thought or spoken Of except as property
These opinions underwent no change when
the constitution was adopted. The pream-
Die sets forth for what purpose, and for whose
benefit, it was formed. It was formed BY
the people-such as had been members OF
the original states--and the great object was
to secure the blessings OF liberty to our
selves and our postcrity. 1t speaks III gen
ersl terms of citizens and people of the L.
States when providing for the powers grant
( ed, without defining what descriptions OF
persons should be included, or who should
be regarded as citizens But two clauses"l
the constitution points TO the negro race rs
separate, and not regarded as citizens Tor
whom the constitution was adopted. One
clause reserves the right to import slaves 9n-
I'll loos, and IN the second the States pledge
themselves one TO another TO preserve the
rights 10 the master, ana 10 aeilVer up Saves
escaping 10 their respective territories by
the frst clause the right to loid THIS proper
ty is directly sanctioned anu authorized by
persons VINO framed the constitution, Tor
twenty years; and the States pledged them
serves 10 ophoid Tue right OF the master as
long as tue government theh formed should
endure And TINS shows eonclaslyeiy that
anothef description OF persons We're emerac-
ca III sne o'her provisions Oh Tue eons'',o, !,
Ton these TWO clauses We're not intended
10 CONFER upon them or their pos'erity the
dressings OF liberty so carefully conferred
upon the whites. None OF this class ever
emhgrated TO the United States voluntarily
they were all articles OF merchandise. The
NUMBER emanclpated was few as compared
Win tnose VINO were held III slavery, ana
not suihciehtly numerous to attract public at
teition as separate class, y were regarded
as part OF the slave population rather than
iree.
IL cannot DE supposed that the states con-
i l. eluzenship upon them; Tor all those
states at that time established police regdia-
IONS tor the security OF themselves and fami-
lies as wei as OF property Ia some minor
cases there were different modes OF trial, and
II conid not be supposed that those States
"eeia nave formed or consented TO a govern
meht winch abolished tins right and took
lfo'h ,nem the safeguards essential to their
own profession. They have not the right
10 pear arms; and appear at public meetings
10 discuss political questions or urge meas-
ures OF reform which they might deem adj
Vlsapie---lhey cannot vote at elections, nor
serve as Jurors, nor appear as witnesses
where whites are concerned. These rights
are secured IN every State TO white men. 1t
Is impossible to believe that the men OF the
slaveholding States, who took so large