Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-09-28


among us. With RESPECT to the abolition
of slavery, it requires the utmost consid
Grafton. The propertygof the Southern
States consists principally of slaves. If
they mean to do away slavery altogether,
this properly will be destroyed. appre-
hend it means to bring forward manu-
mission. If we must nanumit our slaves,
what country shall we send. ,hem to? ItI
is impossible for us to be happy, if, after
manumisson, they are to stay among as
I Mr.. EedeH--AIr. Chairman The
worthy gentleman, L believe, has mis-
understood this clause, which runs in the
! following words: The migration or i'm
! porLation of such persons as any of the
States now existing shall think proper to
admit, shall not be prohibited by the Con
gress piior to the year sos but tax or
duty may be imposed on such importation,
not exceeding ten dollars for each person.
! Now, sir, observe that the Eastern States,
who long ago have abolished slaves, did
/ not approve of the expression slaves 1; they
! therefore used another, that answered the
same purpose. The committee will OBJ
! serve the distinction between the two words
n,igrotion and importation. The first part
of the clause will extend to persons who
come into this country as free people, or
are brought as slaves. But tic last part
extends TO slaves only. The word mjgru.
ton refers to free persons but the word
| importation refers to slaves, because free
people cannot be said to be imported. The
tax, therefore, is only to be laid on slaves
WHO are imported, and not on free persons
who migrate. L further beg leave to say
| that the gentleman is mistaken i'll another
thing He seems to say tl,at this extends
to the abolition of slavery. Is there any
thing in this Constitution which SAYS that
Conytess shall have it in their power to
abolish the slavery of those slaves who
are now in the county? Is it not the
plain meaning of it, that after twenty years
they may prevent the future importation
of slaves 1t does not extend to those
now in the country. There is another cir
| cumstance to be observed. There is 10
authority vested in Congress to restrain
IHe CtdteS' III tllc lil'ct Val Ol twenty years
from doing what they please. Ii they
wish to prohibit such importation, thsy
may do so. Our neXt Assembly may put
an entire end to the importation Of slaves"
Elliot's Debates, vol. Il, pages leo, 1Ol
and 100.
We have given. above. the entire debate
| in the South Carolina ratification Conyen-
ton, on the subject of slavery. From it
we find that the whole assemblage were
favorable to the ultimate abolition of that
system of oppression AM wrong. Judge
Iredell, the leading spirit of the Conven-
ion, went even so far to say that the
centre abolition of slavery will be au
event which must be pleasing to every
generous mind, and every friend of human
nature - and not voice in the whole
! Convention was heard in contradiction of
this fundamental truth. All were agreed,
none were there to plead for the perpetual
ton or extension of this great wrong. even
among the assembled statesmen of South
| Carolina She too, then, can be classed
with her sisters Virginia and Mary land, at
the period of the Revolution, in her hatred
Of slavery. Washington, Jefferson, Madi
son, Mason, Patric Henry, Luther Martin,
VIM. Pinckney and Judge Iredell, did they
believe "black men have no rights which
white men are bound to respect 90
Although South Carolina and Georgia
refused to come into the American Union
an nf 4 Io A q,
trade, for twenty years, yet as they give
some testimony upon the subject which is
of importance, we quote it that the people
Of Meigs may know what it is.
Gen. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, in
a speech in the South Carolina Ratification
Convention, among other remarks upon
slavery, said as follows:
alt was alleged, by some of the mem
bers who opposed an unlimited importa-
ton, that slaves increased the weakness of
any State who admitted them that they
were dangerous species Of property,
which the invading enemy could easily
turn against ourselves and The neighboring
States and that, as we are allowed
representation for them in the House of
Representatives, our influence would be
increased in proportion as we were less
able to defend ourselves. Show some
PERIOD said the members from the Eas-
tern States, when it may be in our power
! to put stop, if we please, to the impor
tation of this weakness, and we will en-
deavor, for your convenience, to restrain