Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-04-24


to be found on this continent to prevent slavery)
was before we had charter from England and
read It to show that in the earliest history of the
people of this country, when uncontrolled by the
power of England, or other commercial nations,
they had the same just notions of the rights of
men to hold others in slavery that at this later
day they have in England. call attention to
these old records on account of what Is said here
in debate by Senators, who seem to think these
are new doctrines, and that to act upon them, or
believe in them, is an aggression upon the South.
They may be too old for present use, and come
to the history of the times, referred to by the
court, and to the acts of the fathers Of the Re-
public. read from paper written by Mr.. JEFF
erson, and laid before the Convention of Virginia
in 1774, from which instructions were to be drawn
for the members from that State to the Congress
to be held in reference to our difficulties with
Great Britain, and to petition the King
"The abolition of domestic slavery is the great
object of desire in those colonies where 1t was
'unhappily introduced in their infant state. But
previous to the enfrancbisement of the slaves we
have it is necessary to exclude all further impor
'tations from Africa. Yet our repeated attempt
ito effect this, by prohibition, and by imposing
duties which might amount to prohibition, have
been hitherto defeated by his Majestys negative:
thus preferring the immediate advantages of a
few British corsars to the lasting interests of the
American States, and to the rights of human ma
'ture, deeply woundedby this Infamous practice"
In this paper it is declared that the abolition of
slavery is the great object of desire in the colo
Mes" The next paper will call the attention
of the Senate to, is the original draft Of the De-
claration of Independence, as reported by the
committee to Congress. / refer to the clause in
that instrument which, Mr.. Jefferson says, +" was
stricken out in complasance to South Carolina
and Georgia who had never attempted to re-
strain the Importation Of slaves, and who, on the
contrary still wished to continue it." That stricken
out was in these words: r.
/" He has melted REASONABLE instructions Of
'our fellow-ctizens with the aurements of forfeit
'ure and confscation of our property.
I" He has waged cruel war against human ma
ture ITSELF violating its most sacred rights Of life
and liberty in the persons of distant people
'who never offended him, captivating and carry
ing them into slavery in another hemisphere, or
to incur miserable death in their transportation
'thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium
"y'asI powers Is 'ne warfare u 'ne "" '''''''
hihg Oh urea' nri'a'li De'ernineu W Aeep opo'
a market where men should I've bought and sold,
he has prostituted his negative for suppressrg
every legislative attempt to prohibit or to re-
strain this execrabe commerce. And that this
sassemblage of horrors might want no fact of dis
ungui7neu uie, he 10 nv" eNS's 'no'e e,'
Peopie rise II arms AlnoS -, 1 ~ ~ p1
ona'S 'na' no'.y " "n,oA n' ",.~ -, -
"us w rip' r0Op -,
"au0. s -,
ni''ou Asans' 'ne ''o''','' ., v o'e poop'1'
crimes "n,.n ne us'' 'net" " ''lAn' 's''
'he "0eS u a"''"e'.
1t is proper 70 say tnA' ai'nougn 'l''s was S'r'oA
en- out, Tor the reasons assgaeo its substance "a'
declared in another iorm' oy saying, he mas re
fused his assent 10 Jaws tue most ~no'eS'ne ant
necessary ior INC puon' so'u HiCn --.A' ,a''
inciuueo 'ne que fe'eiieu " ~ 'ne SoI "o'
LOUISIANA mr. phS'AAisI A' na''"e oeeA pa'o.O
py oou'n oa'onna IL i'oO' i'' ,N
siaVe 'raue, WHICH ne ea'u .'e Ains ts'N'e. A'N
assent TO- nv 'ii'' per''u VI ou' ",o'o'' 'D''.
seems 10 nave Deen stronger 'eenns asan''
Oonsutuuon' No' oniy III 0ons'e''' 'u' - '"e
primary assemohes oi 'ne PeoP'e' "eIe suon 'o'i
iugs expressed, as was mai urai' anu oi'eh
tnat whereas We were ABOUT !" "'0e'' oo, Hs"''
10 hoerty' 1t was proper 10 seoosi1e anu a'o,' :.
the rght oi al men 70 l" Durins 'ne war VI '''
hevoluton, hhode isianu Pa7'eu "a" e"ine "
every save nis lreeuoin ""o "ouiu eni'' ~ '"e
service ana serve ior 'er'n VI 'uree years many
did so ana thus secoreu 'ner own "ee'0"i,
ana tha' Oh 'ocir ioriner o"nerS, Inc Ioc''
must nave norgot'en' or o'eiooAe'' All .'e'e
iacts' 80 prominent IN our re'oiu1o""ry nis'o'''
or tney "oula ho' nave iei' " he0e''ai' " Pus
construction upon instruments wri''e" a. S"i,
period oi intense love OF hoer.y anu oe 0o"pe"eO
TO restrict the apphc"eon Oh noe'a, oOc'r'neS m 70
single CLASS OF men, "neh '"ey ue''af0 II 'ne'
had oeen wn''eh Ill our "lne' .ney S"ou'u nave
CONSIDERED tneih as embracing all o'a''eS'
mean, however, to have no dispute with the
Supreme Court, although their decision mas IN
voved this question in most oil the diihculties
that surround it.
ask the attention OF Senators to these iacts, 70
show that this question OF slavery, and the best