The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-09-07

IL r., FEom as4SOpthsyR ,BgpGdGre.
synCpsis Of the Speech Of Dr.. J w
Crnmp. on the Re-Opening Of the Slave
n Trade, in the. Citizens Meeting ct
j. West Point, Saturday Hay 2l, 1859

e y
SYNOPSIS Of the Speech Of DE-. J W.
Crnmp. ON the Re-opening Of the Slave
4, Trade. in the. Citizengs Meeting ct
4. West Point, Saturday Nay u, 1909
The meeting having been duly organized,
nnH the resolution, rs published last week,
presented. the speaker addressed the Chalr
an6 assembly on first theseans.itutionallty o.
- has never been contended that the Fed
Il tslrsI Government can exercise any power which
l. not expressly delegated; or necessary TO car
rvI out the granted powers There Is no
cyant Of mower in the Constitution to prohibit
the Slave Trade, and it may teAslzed % the
execution OF what grSntea powers II neces-
sary The Constitution says. Art. L, Oec'
81 That Congress shallrhaye power 70 regu-
late commerce with foreign nations and among
the several States. Z Then If Importation
Of slaves be commerce (and it is recognized as
such by the language used in the 9Th Sec
same Art. ofGonstitution, (which says tax or
duty NAV be Imposed Oh such importHfIOn,)
will it be contelded tliat Qpngress can prohibit
commerce Certainle- aot Then by what
right can she prohibit the importation ofslavesF
If she has the right and power in one, it IS
full and complete in every instance. Does
the power to regulate commerce with iorelgn
nations convey the power 70 prchibit the i'm
portation Of slaves2 II il does, then the pow,
er to regulate commerce among the several
states must undeniably carry with it the pow
er to prohibit the introduction ofslaves into,
one state from another. Does the power TO
regulate commerce imply the power to des-
troy it, or any branch Of it2 Can Congress,
=. Al. .,f
&C., or interfere with the intlOdpction Of slaves
from one state INTO another None contend
that she can But tits said by some that she
| derives the right to prohibit the importation
| Of slaves from the 9th Sec. 1st art of the
| constitution. ~ ~ ~
1 i"The migration, or importation Of such per-
sons as any Of the states, now existing, shall
/ think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited
| by the Congress, prior to the year l66O, but
a tax, or duty, may be imposed upon such
importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each
person" sf.s' - q, ~, -
DR.. G. stated the only thing granted IN this
clause was the right to tax; that the right to
prohibit was inferential, and that Congress
can exercise no right that is not expressly
granted, or necessary to carry out an express
grant Amended Constitution ART 10, says;
"The powers not delegated to the United
States by the constitution, nor prohibited by
il to the states, are reserved to the states
respectively ~ Then it must be clear to
every unpreiudiced mind, that the Act Of
Congress prohibiting the penalty OF death,
was usurpation Of power not granted by the
constitution. Themost favorable construction
that can be given to the power granted, would
be to admit that Congress had the right to pro-
,hibit by excessive taxation. And even that
construction cannot be maintained, for the
amount of tax, or duty, is specified in the pow
er granted
The speaker here alluded to the letterOf
the Hon. l. N. Davis to the Southern Conven-
ton, and said it should be read by every man
South. Mr.. Davis says ;.in the above section
it is strongly indicated that after 1903 Congress
should have the power TO prohibit such migra-
| ton and importation, but as that is a mere
| inference, and no express grant given, we
hold that Congress cannot do more than levy
a tax, or duty, of ten dollars upon each per-
son imported" He farther says if the Con-
yention intended to invest Congress with the
power; "How easy it would have been to
say SO in express language DIR. CFamp be-
ieved that the Convention anticipated that
after 1908, a farther grant Of power would be
given under the form Of an amendment to the
constitution, giving Congress the right to pro
hibit the importation Of slaves. But as no
such grant ofpower was ever made, it clearly
remains where it originally belonged, with the
states And to say the importation ofslaves
is piracy, is as absurd as to say that black
Congo is a white man or that the physical and
moral condition Of the former is not bettered by
being brought to the South and sold into
slavery.
He would not discuss the moral bearing Of
the question, as all intelligent men understand
and appreciate it 1
He noticed the rapid increase Of the free
states-the foreign importation OF millions an
nually-who settle in the North and North
western states-build Rail Roads, tunnel
mountains, bridge streams, and follow mechan-
ical or Architectural pursuits White labor
never has and never will grow cotton, hence
the free states have increased in number, pop
ulation and political influence, with rapidity
heretofore unequalled; while the South IS CON-
PEELED to await the natural increase Of slave
labor The scarcity Of slave labor atthe South
is proved by the high price of slaves; and can
it be expected that when we have only slave
| labor enough TO cultivate acre irr 30 ia the
states that we will emigrate to the terTitoresp
Then how is the South to increase the num-
Der of slave states How is she to maintain
that political strength, and influence so nee
essary to her existence in the Union, or out
oft ? Wealthy men do not settle new ter
ritories 1t is the hardy pioneer, who does
not carry slaves with him from the fact that
the high price precludes the possibility Of his
owning them While in the states; surTound-
| ed by the influence of others, he will remain
| true to the interest Of their institutions. But
4 l. L hfvh
| hard labor he builds his cabin and cultiyates
his patch, contending with innumerable diff
| culties without the aid or assistance of slave
labor, or the influence of slave holders, pre-
| pares the territory to come into the Union as
a State, will it, can it reasonably be expected
| to, come in as slave state
Serious fears are entertained by our ablest
men that part Of Texas viii be lost to the
South. Arkansas has been IN the Union 20
wears and has only two representatives in Con-
gresS. 1t is an alarming fact but fact neverthe-
less, that the number ofslave owners, instead Of
/ being on the increase is on the decline Il is
| confidently predicted that the next census
will show a decrease fully 20per cent in the
| number of slave holders. With population
of 100000 in the South there are only
| 25OOO0 slave owners. And in the state of
Mississippi less than one-third of the voters
own slave Dr. @. said the Legislature at
tempted remedy by passing a law exempting
one slave from execution, but at the same
time passed law subecting any person to a
fine of 1000 dollars, who should sell or buy
any slave born out OF the United States.
This was. in effect, tosay that we exempt from
execution that property which we intend you
shall never own; for it must be clear to every
mind that the only means by which slave
property can be diffased among the people, is
to diminish the price by increasing the num-
Der. To this some, object, but upon what
grounds he was at a loss to see, a large major
ity Of them are slave buyers-if not the price
of slaves would not remain at present figures.
Others thought that if the law Of Congress was
repealed there would be too many impor-
ted. He CDR. CD did not think So but in
the event there should be, the Legislatures of
the different states could lay such restrictions
upon the trade as the exigences of the times
mightdemand
The objection that they would not make
good slaves, and would be dangerous property,
scarcely required noticing 1t, said he, is a
we'll known fact that the best slaves we have
are direct descendants Of Africans. As to
the danger, history tells us that the importa-
ton of slaves commenced in 1913 and con-
tinued to 1908, Notwithstanding all the avail
able military force Of the colonies was requir-
ed to fight the Indians not the least dangeris
mentions from servile insurrection. He de-
sired TO see the numbef increase and theprice
diminish until every man ni'the South should
be able to own one, II he so desired Rome,
Attica and Sparta, had more slaves than free
men; and those slaves were the natural equals
Of their masters. Slavery Is not only an ele-
ment of national wealth but also one Of ma
tional strength. 1t was said he asked what
was impacticable, that the North viii not
consent t t he repeal Of the mconsu utional
laws prohibiting the importation Of slaves;
then the power rests with the states where it
properly belongs-that we should at once
proceed to repeal all laws prohibiting the sale
of foreign slaves and pass others treating all
| Africans landed on our borders as slaves, and
protecting those who own them in the same
manner as those bringing slaves from one slave
state to another If the South would but be
true to her own interest-shake off those re-
strictions that cramp her energies, bright tu-
ture awaits her. Her rich valleys will becul-
tivated. her streams bridged and her rivers
Ilevied. her plains traversed by Railroads, and
| dotted with villages, churches and institutions
4 = L. l.1 l.