Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-12-31


he cargo BY the Wsnderer, numbering between |
hree and four hunascd Those engaged In this un-
awful enterprise have been vigorously prosecuted;
but not with q much success a. their crimes have
deserved A aumber Of them arc still under prose-
:uticM
Our history proves that the Fathers Of the Repnb-
ic in advance Of all other nations, condemned the
African slavetrade Il was, notwithstanding. deem
Vi expedjent bv the trainers Of the Constitution to
deprive Congress Of the power to prohibit tho MI
grafton or importation Of such persons any Of the
States now existing shall think proper to admit"
prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and
eight" !
1t will be seen that this restriction on the power
Of Congress was confined to such States only might
think proper to admit the importation Of slaves Il
did not extend to other States or To the trade car
ricd on abroad. Accordingly. We find that 80 early
rs the 2sd March, 1874, Congress passed an act i'm
posing severe penalties and punshmcnts upon citi-
xens and residents Of the United States who should
engage in this trade betwccn foreign nations The
provisions Of this act extended and enforced by
the act of 10th May, 1870.
Again: The States themselves had . clear right
to waive the constitutional privilege intended ir
their benefit, and to prohibit, by their own laws.
this trade any time they thought proper previous
to 1908. Several Of them exercised this right be-
fore that -eriod, and among them some containing
the greatest number Of slaves. This gave to Con.
gress the immediate power to act in regard tn all
such States because they themselves had removed
the constitutional barrier. Congress accordingly
passed an act on 2sth February, 1908, ito prevent
the Improvisation Of certain persons into certain
States where, by the laws thereof their admission
is prohibited" In this manner the importation Of
African slaves into the tnitcd States was to great
extent, prohibited some years in advance Of 1903
As the year 1903 approached, Congress dcteImin.
ed not to suffer this trade to exist even fur single
day after they had the power to abolish It On the
Cd of March, 1907. they passed an act to take effect
"from and after the LIST day Of January, 1sos pro-
hibitinc the importation Of African slaves into the
United States This was followed by subsequent
acts OF a similar character, to which l need not
specially refer. Such were the principles and such
the practice Of our ancestors more than hRy years
ago in regard to the African slave.tradc.
It did not occur to the rcvcrcd patriots who had
been delegates tn the convention, and afterwards BE-
came members Of Congress- that in passing these
laws they had violated the Constitution which they
had framed with so much and dclihcrat,on.-
They supposed that tn prohibit Congress, in express
terms, from exercising specified power before an
appointed day. necessarily involved the right to
crciSe this power after that day had arrived.
II this were not the case the trainers Of the Con-
stituton had expended much labor in vain. Had
they imagined that Congress would possess no pow
or to prohibit the trade either before or after lsUS
the States against the exercise Of this power before
that period Nay more. they would not have at
tached such vast Importance to this provision to
have excluded it from the possibility Of future repeal
or amendment, to which other portions OF the Con-
stitution were exposed. It would. then have hccn
wholly unnecessary to engra1 the fifth article of
the Constitution. prescribing the mode Of its own
future amendment, the proviSo. THAT no amend.
ment which may be made prior to the year ono
thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any man.
ner affect" the provision in the Constitution secu-
ring to the States the right admit the importation
Of African slaves previous to that period
According to the adverse construction. the clause
ITSELF on which so much care and discussion had
been employed by the members Of the convention.
was an absolute nnlity from the beginning and all
that has since been done under II a mere usurpa.
ton.
It was we'll and wise to confer this power on Con-
gress, because, had il been Left to the States Il.
efficient exercise would have bccn impossible In
that event any State could have cfcctually con
tinued the trade not only for itself but for all the
other slave States though never so much agains,
their will And why. Because African slaves
when once brought within the limits Of any On,
State in accordance with its laws cannot PRACTICAL,
he excluded from any other State where slavery CT
| lists. And even il all the States had separated,
passed laws prohibiting the importation Of slaves
these laws would have failed Of effect for want cf
naval force to capture the slavcrs and to guard tn
coasts. Such force no State can employ in time Q
peace without the consent Of Congress.
These acts Of Congress- it is believed have. viii
very rare and insignificant exceptions, accomplish
ed their purpose. For period Of more than half
! century there has been no pcrccp,iblc addition ,
| the number Of our domestic slaves. During thi
period their advancement in civilization has Ear SUI
passed that Of any other portion of the African rae,
The light and the blessings Of Christianity hav
been extended to them, and both their moral an
physical condition has been greatly improved
Reopen the trade. and it would be difficult to d,
termIne whether the effect would lie more tlclct,
rious on the interests Of the master or on those
the native-born slave. OF the evils to the mastc
| the one most to be dreaded would be the introtlu
ton Of wild heather, and ignorant harbarans anon
the sober, orderly, and quiet slaves whose ancestor
have been on the soil for several generations. Tn
might tend to barbarizc, dcmoralixc. and cxaspcra
the whole mass, and produce most dcplorable cons
quences.
| The effect upon the existing slave would, if 20
/ sible, be still more deplorable. At present he
treated with kindness and humanity. He i, ",
fed, well clothed, and not overworkcd His cont
ton is incomparaby better than that Of the cooli
which modern nations Of high civilization have ca
ployed Is a substitute for African slaves Both Il
philanthrophy and the selEintcrcst Of the mast
have combined to produce this humane result b
let this trade DC rcopencd, and what will be d
effect? The same, to considerable extent a. on
neighboring island-the only spot now on car
where the African slave-trade IS openly tolerate,
and this in defiance Of solemn treaties with q po
er abundantly able at any moment to enforce III,
execution. There the master, intent upon prcsc
gain EFFORTS from the slave Is much labor a. I
physical powers are capable Of enduring known
that when death comes to his rclicG, his place G
be supplied at price reduced to the lowest point
the competitor Of rival African slavetradcrs Shou
this ever be the case in our country-which
not deem possible-the present useful character
the domestic institution, wherein those too old q
too young to work are provided for with care .
humanity, and those capable Of labor are not ov
tasked, would undergo an unfortunate change. 7
feeling Of reciprocal dependence and attachms
which now exists between master and slave no,
be converted into mutual distrust and hostility.
But We are obliged as . Christian and moral
!. ton to consider what would be the effect upon
u happy Africa itself il We should reopen tho xla
, trade. This would give the trade an impulse q
: extension which it has never had even It's palmi
! days The numerous victims required to supply