Nebraska advertiser., 1859-09-29
NO. 12.

previous TO the Declaration Of indepcn-
dence by the Continental Congress; and
after remaining in force as a part Of the
Constitution for period Of fifJy.four years,
was readopled, without alteration, by the
Convention which framed the new Con-
stitution in 1880, and then ratified by Ihe
people as a part Of the new Constitution
and was again readopted by the Conven-
ton which amended the Constitution in
1850, and again ratified by the p6ople7as
part of the amended Constitution, and
at this day remains portion OF the tbri-
damental law Of Virginia-proclalmlng
to the world and to posteti,y that one Of
the reasons for separating from Great
Britain was "the inhuman use Of the Royal
negative in refusing US Ilhe Colony Of
Virginia permission to exclude Slavery
from US by law" --
The legislation of Virginia on this sub
iect NAV be taken as a fair sample of the
Legislative enactments Of each of the thar.
teen Colonies, showing conclusyely that
Slavery was regarded by them all as,
domestic question to be regulated and de-
termined by each Colony to sult itself,
without the intervention Of the British
Parliament or "the inhuman use Of the
Royal negative Each Colony passed a
series of enaCtments, beginning at an
early period Of It's history and running
down to the commencement Of the Bevo-
luton, either protecting regulating, or re-.
Istraining African Slavery within It's re-
spective limits and In accordance with
their wishes and supposed interests
North and South Carolina, following the
example of Virginia. at first encouraged
the introduction of slaves, until the mum.
Der increased beyond their wants and
necessities, when they attempted to check
and restrain the further growth Of the IN
stitution, by imposing a high rate OF tax
alton upon all slaves which should DC
brought into those Colonies and finally
in 1854, South Carolina passed a law I'M
posing a penalty Of one hundred POUNDS
Cor five hundred dollars) for every negro
Slave subsequently introduced into that
Colony.
The Colony Of Georgia was originally
founded on strict Anti-Slavery principles
and rigidly maintained the policy Tor
series of years, until the inhabitants Je-
came convinced by experience, that, with
their climate and productions, slave labor,
if not essential to their existence, would
prove beneficial and useful TO their ma
terial interests. Maryland and Delaware
protected and regulated African Slavery
as one of their domestic institutions
/ PENNSYLVANIA, under the advice Jf w lllIarn
Penn. substituted fourteen years service
and perpetual adscript 10 the soil for
hereditary Slavery, and attempted TO
Iegislate, not for the total abolition Of
Slavery, but for sanctity Of marriage
among slaves, and for their personal Sc
curly. New-Jersey, New York, ard
Connecticut. recognized African Slavery
as domestic institution lawfully existing
within their respective limits, and passed
the requisite laws for It's control and regu-
latiOn.
Rhode Island provided Jy law that no
slave should serve them more than ten
years, at the end of which time be was
to be set free; and if the master should
refuse to let him 90 free, or sold him else
where for longer period Of service, be
was subject to a penalty of forty pounds,
which was supposed at that period to be.
nearly double the value of the slave.
Massachusetts imposed heavy taxes
upon all slaves brought into the Colony,
and provided in sorae instances for send
| ing the slaves back TO their native land
and finally prohibited the introduction Of
anv more slaves into the COLONY under
any circumstances. ....-
When New-Hampshire passed laws
which were designed to prevent the in-.
. PRODUCTION Of any more slaves, the British
/ Cabinet issued the following order 20
Gov. Wentworth: "YOu are not 10 give
your assent TO, or pass any law imposing
duties upon Negroes imported into New
Hampshire"
While the legislation Of the several
Colonies exhibits dissimilarity Of views,
founded on adiversity Of interests, on the
merits and policy of Slavery, 1t shows con-
clusively that they all regarded it as a
domestic question affecting their internal
polity in respect to which tLey were en-
titled to a full and exclusive power Of leg
islation in the several provincial LegiSla-
lures. For a few years Immediately pre-.
ceding the American Revelation the Af-
rIcau Slave trade was encouraged and
stimulated by the British Government and
carried on with more vigor by the Eng
lish merchants than at any other period
in the history of the Colonies; and this
fact taken in connection with the extra
ordinary claim asserted in the memorable
Preamble to the act repeating the Stamp
duties, that parliament possessed the
right TO bind the Colonies in all cases
whatsoever" not only in respect 10 all
matters affecting the general welfare Of
the Empire, but also in regard 70 the DO
mestic relations and internal polity Of the
Colonies-produced powerful impression
upon the minds Of the Colonies, and i'm
parted peculiar prominence 10 the Princi-
pie involved in the controversy.
Concluded ne-t lCcek. }
When Martin Welton, a notorious hirb-