The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-10-12

"Iu hi'aIIlI IN Iioti South carolina passed
law imposing penalty of one hundred pounds
Tor hVe hundred dollars for every negro slave
subsequently introduced into that Colony.
The Colony Of Georgia was originally found
ed on strict anti-slayery principles, and rgidly
maintained this policy for series OF years, un-
til the inhabitants became convinced by ex per-
ience that, with their climate and productions,
Elaye labor, if not essential to their existence,
would prove beneficial and useful to their mate
rial interests. Maryland and Deleware protec-
ted and regulated African Slavery as one Of
their domestic institutions. Pennsylvania, un-
der the advice of William Penn, substituted
iourteen years service and perpetuel adscript to
the soil for hereditary slavery, and attempted to
leglslate, not for the total abolition of slavery,
but for the sanctity of marrige among slaves,
and for their personal security New Jersey
New York, and Connecticut, recognized A fri
can Slavery as domestic institution lawfully
existing within their respective limit S, and pas
sed the requisite laws for its control and regu-
lation.
Rhode Island provided by law that no slave
should serve more than ten years. at the end Of
which time he was to be set free; and if the
master should refuse to let him &c free, or sold
him elswhere for longer period of service, he
was subject to penalty of forty pounds, which
was supposed at that period to be nearly dou-
BILE the value of the slave
Massachusetts 70 ;,,DocoJ boovr Eo,-oe ,,Dop n II
slaves brought into the Colony, and provided in
some instances for sending the slaves back to
their native land; and finally prohibited the in
PRODUCTION of any more slaves into the Colony
under any circumstances.
When New Hampshire passed laws which
were designed to prevent the introduction of
any more slaves, the British Cabinet issued
the following order to Governor Wentworth:
You are not to give your assent to, or pass any
law imposing duties upon Negroes imported in
to New Hampshire"
| While the legislation Of the several Colonies
exhibits dissimilarity ofviews, founded on d.
Versity of interests, on the merits and policy of
slavery, it shows conclusively that they all re-
garded it as domestic question affecting their
internal polity in respect to which they were
entitled to a full and exclusive power of legis-
lation in several provincial Legislatures. For
few years Immediately preceding the American
Revolution the African Slave Trade was encour-
ment and carried on with more vgor by the
English merchants than at any other period in
the history of the Colonies; and this fact, taken
in connection with the extraordinary claim as
serted in the Memorable Preamble to the act
repeating the Stamp duties, that "Parliamenl
possessed the right to bind the Colonies in all
cases whatsoever" not cnly in respect to all
matters affecting the general welfare Of the EN-.
and internal polty of the Colones--produced
powerful impression upon the minds of the
colonists, and impaired peculiar prominence to
the principle involved in the controversy.
Hence the enactments by the several colonial
Legislatures calculated and designed to restrain
and prevent the increase of slaves; and, on the
other hand, the orders lssned by the Crown in
Structing the Colonial Governors not to sgn or
permit any Legislative enactment prejud icial or
injurious to the African Slave Trade, unless such
enactment should contain a clause suspending
its operation until the royal pleasure should be
made known in the premises; or, in other
words until the King should have an opportu
nifty ofannu,ling the acts Of the colonial Legis
latures by the "inhuman use OF the Royal mega
tive"
Thus the policy OF the Colonies on the slave
rGqueston had assumed direct antegonism to
that ofthe British Government; and this antrg-
onism not only added to the importance of the
principle of local selfgovernment in the Colon.
les, but produced a general concurrence of opin-
ion and action in respect to the queotion ofsave-
ry in the proceedings Of the Continental Con-
gress, which assembled at Philadelphia for the
first time on the 9TH ofSeptember 1874
On the 14th OF October the Congress adopt
ed a Bill of Rights for the Colonies, in the form
Of a series Of resolutions, in which, after conced-
ing to the British Government the power to reg
ulate commerce and do such other things as af
lected the general welfare of the empire with.
out interfering with the internal polity of the
Colonies, they declared "That they are entitled
to froe and exclusive power in their several
provincial Legislatures, whore their right
represention can alone be preserved, in all cases
of taxation and internal polity." Having thus
defined the principle for which they were con
tending, the Congress proceeded to adopt the
following Peaceful Measures" which they still
hoped would be sufficient to induce compliance
with tLeir just and reasonable demands. These
Peaceful Measures" consisted of addresses to
the King, to the Parliament, and to the people
of Great Britain, together with an Association
Of Non Intercourse to he observed and main
tanned so long as their grievances should remain
unredressed.
The second article Of this Association, which
was adopted without opposition and signed by
the Delegates from all the Colonies, was in these
words:
"That we will neither import nor purchase
any slave imported after the first day of De-
cember next; after which time we will wholly
discontinue the Slave Trade, and will neither
be concerned in it ourselves, nor will we hire
our vessels, nor sell our commodities or manu-
actures to those who are engaged in it,"
This Bill Of Rights, together with these arti-
cles Of association, were subsequently submitted
to and adopted by each Of the thirteen Colonies
in their respective Provincial Legislatures.
Thus vas distinctly formed between the Col
onies and the parent country that issue upon
which the Declaration of Independence was ou-