Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-12-19

nave deserved number OF them are still under prose
cutOn.
Our history proves that the Fathers of the Republic
in advance of all other nations condemned the African
save-trade 1t was, Notwithstanding deemed cxpeden
by the trainers of the Constitution to deprive Congress of
the power 10 prohibit 1.-THE mi grafton importation OF
such persons any of the States existing shall think
proper to admit prior to the year thousand eight
hundred and eight.
1t will be seen that this restriction Oh the power OF
Congress confined to such States only might think
proper to admit the importation of slaves. 1t did not
extend to other States the trade carried abroad
Accoldingly We find that 50 early as the 22d March,
1894 Congress passed act imposing penalties
and puniShments upon citizens and residents OF the I'M
ted States who should engage in this trade between for
eign nations The provisions Of this act extended
and enforced by the act of 10th May, 1900.
Again The States themselves had clear right to
waive the constitutional privilege intended for their BEN
eft and to prohibit by their laws this trade at any
time they thought proper previous to lSOS. Several OF
them exercised this right before that period and among
them some contlinn. the greatest number Of slaves
This gave t. Congress the immediate power TO act i'll re-
gard to all such States because they themselves had re-
moved the constitutional barrier Congress accordingly
passed an act 2Sh February, 1903, o prevent the
importation certain persons into certain States where,
by the laws thereof, their admission is prohibited In
this the importation Of African slaves into the
United States was, to great extent, prohibited some
years in advance of 1908.
As the year 1905 approached Congress determined not
to suffer this trade to exist for single day after
they had the power abolish it, On the "a of March,
1907 they passed IN act to take effect om and after
the st day Of January 1905 prohibiting Interpretation
of African slaves into the United States This was fol
lowed y subsequent acts OF similar character To which
need not specially refer Such the principles and
such the practice OF ancestors more than fifty years
ago in regard to the African slve-trlc.
1t lid not the reveieI patriots who had been
dclcg to the convention and afterwards became mem
beIs Of Congress that III passing these laws they had vo-
lated the Constitution which they had framed with So
much and deliberaton They supposed that to pro.
hbt Congress i'll express terms from exercising speci-
fled power before appointed day, necessarily involved
the right 10 exercise this power after ihlt day had ar
rived.
Ii this the case the trainers OF the Constltu
ton had expended much labor in vain Had they i'm
agned that Congress would possess power to prohibit
the trade either before after 1905 they would not
have taken much to protect the States against
the exercise of this power before that period Nay more,
they would have attached such vast Importance To
this provision to have excluded il from the possibility
Of future repeal amendment to which other portions
Of tin Constitution were exposed 1t would then have
been wholly unnecessary to cngrtt on the fifth article OF
the Constitution prescribing the mode OF It's own future
amendment, the provso, that no amendment which
may be made prior To the gear thousand eight nun
drcd and c; shall in any affect tie provision in
the Constitution securing to the States the right to al
nit the importation of African slaves previous to that
period
According the adverse construction, the clause Itself
on which much and discussion had been employ
cd Ly the members Of the convention was an absolute
nuy from the beginning and ali that has since been
done under it mere USQ.pation.
1t was well and wise confer this power on Congress
because had been left II the StteE its efficient cXer-
else would have been impossible In that event any one
State could have eiectually continued the trade not only
for itself but for all the other slave States though never
50 much against their will And why Because African
slaves, when once brought within the limits OF any one
State in accordance with its laws cannot practically be
excluded from any other STATE where slavery exists.
And even il all the States had separately passed laws pro
hibng the importation OF slaves these laws would have
fe of effect fur want OF naval force to capture the
savcrs and to guard the coasts Such force no State
can employ in time OF peace without tie consent OF Con
| gress.
These acts Of Congress it is believed have. with very
rare and insignificant exceptions accomplished their pur-
pose. Ful period Of more than half century there
has been 40 pcrecptibc addition to the number OF our
domestic slaves During this period their advancement
il cyiliz o has far surpassed that of any other portion
OF the African race. The light and the blessings Of
Christianity have been extended 10 them and both their
mo,l aud PLY steal condition has been greatly impoyel
Reopen the trade and it would be difficult 10 deter
mine whether the ell, ct would be more dclcerios on
the interests of the master those OF the nativebol
slave. OF the evils to the master, the one most to lie
dreaded would be the introduction of Wild hcathen ana
ignorant barbarans among the sober orderly, and quiet
slaves whose have been the soil for several
generations This might tend to barbarizc dcmora'ze,
and cXsperte the whole mass ard produce most depor-
able consequences.
The effect upon the existing slave would if possible be
still more depolabIe AT present he Is treated with
kindness aud humanity lie is well fed, well clothed,
and overworked His condition is incomparaby bet.
ter than that of the coolies which modern nations OF high
civiliz alton have employed substitute for African
slaves Both the philanthropy and the selfintecst of
the have combined to produce this humane result
But let this trade be reopened and what will be the
effect The SAME, to considerable extent, neigh
boring slandthe only spot now on earth where the AL
rcau s,vctrade openly tolerated and this in defiance
of solemn treaties with power abundlntly able at any
moment to enforce their execution There the master,
intent upon present gain, eXols from the slave as much
labor his physical powers capable of enduring
knowing that when death comes TO his relief, his place
en- be supplied price reduced the lowest point by
this be the in countrywhich do not deem
posbc-the present useful character of the domestic in
Stuton wherein those old and too young to work
are provided for with and humanity and those ca
Bile of labor are ovcrtaked would undergo unior
tune change The feeling reciprocal dependence aud
attachment which exists between master and slave
would be- converted into mutual distrus and hostility
But we are obliged us Christian and moral nation TO
consider what would be the effect upon unhappy Africa
itself if we should reopen the save-traGe lhs would
give the trade an impulse and extension which it has
never had even in its palmest days The numerous vic.
Tins required to supply would convert the whole slave
coast into perfect Pandemonium for which this country
would be held responsible i'll the eyes both OF God and
man Its petty tribes would then be constantly engaged
in predatory against each other for the purpose ol
Selling slaves to supply the American market All hopes
of African civilization would thus be ended.
On the other hand when market for African slaves