Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-09-14


Again we are told, by Democratic b
Statesmen that the Declaration of Inde i
pendence, where il says "all men," means {
only aOhite men, and that its trainers had
no eye to the poor black man who was
grooming in servile bondage" But here c
again steps in Franklin, and using the {
same idea embodied in the Declaration, {
with nearly the same words. says that 8
"from persuasion that equal liberty was '
originally the portion, and is still the birth
right of all men," &c. &c, they Wish the
total extinction Of slavery. Let it further
be noted that Franklin was one of the
Committee appointed by the Continental
Congress, to draft the Declaration of In
dependence, and the chain Of evidence is
complete. Either Chief Justice Taney
represented our Revolutionary history on
this point, or Benjamin Franklin did not
know what it was. We prefer TO follow
the latter, rather than the former.
The next name from the Old keystone
State, is that of Jamcs WilSon a "signer
of the Declaration of Independence. one
Of The early Judges of the Supreme Court
of the United States. and one of the first
Jurists of America during the latter part
of the last century"-"History of the Cou
stitution," by George T. Curtiss, vol. !,
ipp. 462. We quote from speech of this
distinguished man, delivered in the Penn
sylvania Convention called to ratify the
National Constitution, as follows: "With
respect to the clause restricting Congress
from prohibiting the migration or importa-
tion of such persons, as any of the States
! now existing shall think proper to admit,
prior to the year 1903, the honorable gen
tlemen says this clause is not only dark,
but intended to grant to Congress, for that
= time, the power to admit the importation
of slares. No such thing acoS intended.
But l will tell you what was done, and it
gives me high pleasure that SO much was
done. Under the present Confederation,
the States may admit the importation of
,. slaves as long as they please but by this
article, after the year 1903, the Congress
will have power to prohibit euch importa-
lion, Notwithstanding the disposition of
any State the 10 contrary. L considert his
- as laying The foundation for banishing
- slavery out of this country ; and though
the period is more distant than l could
~ wish. yet it will produce the same
gradual change, which was pursued in
" Pennsylvania. 1t is with much satisfsc-
ion l view this power in the General Gov
ernment, whereby they may lay an inter
diclion on this reproachJW trade but an
immediate advantage is also obtained, fol
% tax or duty may be imposed on such i'm
:" portation, not exceeding ten dollars fol
each person, and this, sir, operates as 8
partial prohibition it was all that could
be obtained, / am sorrU ii aoas no more ,
= but from this l think there is reason te
hope, that yet few years, and it will be
prohibited altogether and in the mean
' time, NEW STATES which are to b.
y formed eoiU be under the CONTROL
OF CONGRESS in this particular, AMI
he SLAVES WILL NEVER BE INTRO
{" DUCED among them.
recollect, on former day, the honor
able gentleman from Westmoreland, AM
the honorable gentleman from Cunber
~ land, took exceptions against the st claus
- : Of the 9th Section, Article, I, assuming
:: very unfairly, that, because Congress
al might impose tax or duty of ten dollar
on the importation Of slaves, within an
of the United States, Congress nigh
therefore, permit slaves to be importe
=" w. within this State contrary to its laws.
'"o confess, l little thought that this part {
''e' the system would be excepted to.
~ am sorry it could be extended no ia
49,, ther but SO far as it operates, 1t presen
~, us with the pleasing prospect that tt
RIGHTS OF MANKIND wiU 5s a.
49, kno,cledged md established throughout
Union.
the If there was no other lovely feature
am, the Constitution but this one, it wou
~, diduse beauty over its whole count
,,,J nance, YET THE LAPSE OF A FEY
nj. YEARS, AND CONGRESS WILL
M HAVE POWER TO EXTERMlNAT r
SE SLAVERY FROM WITHIN OU
m BORDERS" "Elliot's Debates" vol
r. pages 452 and 494.
Co Here we see, from the speech Of one
and the leading spirits who helped in framir
and our Constitution, that the people OF Pen
the sylvania had to be convinced thai it ga,
,ing no sanction to slavery in any respect, b
ow- operated all the time against it, before th'
could be induced to give it their sanctio
II ,Cl..... ..,u,lt cn,Ill hardly, haua hnlia W