The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-03
From, the Richmond Enquirer.
Letter from Senator Douglas on the Slave Trade
w .curNoro1 Apy . 1870

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1889.
Col. JOHN L. PEYToN, Staunton, Va. -
Ny Dear Sir You do me no more than
justice in your kind letter, for which ac-
cept my thanks, in assuming that | do not
concur with the Administration in their
views respecting the rights Of naturalized
citizens, rs defined in the "Le Clerc let
ter" which, it is proper to observe, has
been since materially modified.
Under our Constitution there can be no
just distinction between the right of ma
tive born and naturalized citizens to claim
the protection ofour Government, at home
! and abroad. Unless naturalization re-
leases the person naturalized from all OBJ
legations which he owed to his native
country, by virtue of his allegiance, it
leaves him in the sad predieament Of
owing allegiance to two countries, with
out receiving protection from either-a
dilemma in which no American citizen
should ever be placed.
Neither have you nisapprehended ny
opinions In respect to the African slave
trade. That question seriously disturbed
the harmony of the Convention which
framed the Federal Constitution. Upon
it the delegates divided into two parties,
under circumstances which, for time,
rendered harmonious action hopeless
The one demanded the instant and un-
conditional prohibition of the African
slave-trade, on. rnotal and religious
grotnds, while the other insisted that il
was legitimate commerce, involving nc
other consideration than sound public
policy, which each State ought to be per
mitted to determine for itself, so long a
, it was sanctioned by its own laws. Eacf
party stood resolutely and firmly by 1T
own position, until both became convinced
that this vexed question would break VI
! the Convention, destroy the Fedora
Union, blot out the glories of the, Revolu
tion, and throw away all its blessings, un
a less some fair and just compromise coul'
be formed on the common ground of sue
r mutual concessions as were indispensable!
to the preservation of their liberties, Unio
v and independence.
!, Such coaprosaise ,oas Effected and in
: coyporated into the Constitution, JF Which
b uas understood that the african slave trad
: might continue as a legitimate commerce !
= those States i0hose ldtUs sanctioned it unit
= the year 1903, from and after acIich tin
n Congress might and iooald prohibit it tore'
Is er, throughout the dominion and limits cf Il
= United States, and pass all la,cs toliC
might become necessary to make such prohib
T. ton efectual. The harmony Of the Coz
} vention was restored, and the Union save
a by this compromise, without which II
> Constitution could never have been mad
d stand firmly by this compromise. ar
y by all the other compromises of the Coz
le stitu,iou, and shall use my best efforts
le carry each and all of them into faithf
S, execution, in the sense and with the u
ID derstanding in which they were origina
", ly adopted. In accordance with th
rt compromise, am irreconcilably oppose
7e to the revival of the African slave trad
,y in any form and under any circumstance
s. I am, with great respect, yours truly,
i'd S. A. DOUGLAS