The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-12-15

Here was Virginia and every State
south of her represented and voting-vo-
ting unanimously Ay. The only negatie e
vote east came from New York. 1t is
quite true that New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and
Maryland were not represented on this
vote; but the frst four of them uuani-
uously voted to su-tain Mr.. Jefferson s
original restriction, and no man can doubt
that they would have voted in 1857 as
they did in 1854. now that even the Car
olnas and Georgia had come over to the
support Of the policy of Restriction. The
mem bers absent from their seats in order
to attend the sitting OF the Convection at
philadelphia were Ruiu- King and Ma
tbaniel orba of Massachusetts,, William
Samuel johnson OF Connecticut, Mr. Mad
isou Of Virginia. and G. Pinckney OF South
Carolina, and possibly Que or two others
whose names | have not detected-for
can find DO list of the members of the
Congress, save a. pick it up from page
to page of the journal as they severally
dropped in from day to day That few
me ber- of thi, Congress we're transfer
red to seats in the Convention Is true; but
in no single instance was State left by
such transfer unrepresented in Congress
nor is there .hadow Of reason for suppo-
sing that the Slavery Inhibition bodied
in the glorious Ordinance would have been
struck out or modified had no Conveution
been sitting. What becomes, then, OF
your sneer at "the remnant Of the Con
gress 7"
Here. then, We have two distinct dec.
larations by overwhelming msjorities OF
| the Continental Congress in favor OF the
principle of Slavery Inbibitiou-the 6rst,
By more than two to one (though not e.
nougb to carry it under the Articles OF
! Confederation acting under the lead of
Thomas jefferson, backed by such men
as EIbridge Gerry and Roger Sherman,
assembled directly after the close of the
Revolution, and while New Y ork was still
held by British army; the second by a
vote of eight States to none in the last
Coufederated or Continental Congress.
sitting 10 New York simultaneously with
the Conrention which framed our preseD,
Federal Constitution at Philadelphia
Here are two explicit affirmation- of the
Revolutionary Fathers of the right aud
duty of Congressional Inhibition of Sla'
very in the Territories Can there be any
honest doubt as to their viows on the sub.
jeot
But the. Federal Constitution was
framed aud adopted: perhaps this abolsh'
ed or modified the power over Slavery ir
4 Territories claiDed and exercised by the
Continental Congress. Certainly, the pre-
sum ptiou is strongly the other way; fol
the Constitution was framed to strength
en- not to weaken, the Federal authority
Let US again consult the records:
The 6r-t Feeeral Congress convened a
New York, March A, 1889; of its Mem
bers the following had been also Mem
bers of the Convection which had just be
fore framed the Federal Constitution;
From New Hampshire--John Langdon,Nich
oas Gilman.
4" IHdSSdchuSettS-EsIOI hSIiy, Ndio'
IL Strong.
" Conneciicut-W VIM. Sam'l Johnson, RO
ger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth.
" Nep York-Rufus Kings
+" New- -Jersey-WiIiam Paterson.
s Pennsuipania-Rober Morris, George
CIymer, Thomas Filzslmons.
/" Deiaoare-George Read. Richard Bas
sett.
" Maryland-Daniel Carroll.
I i" Viretnia-James Madison, Jr
, Georgia-William Few, Abr'm Baldwin
SELECTED TO the Convention from Mass.
in the first Congress under the Fed
f eral Constitution, composed 10 large mea
sure of the mo.t eminent of the frsmer
7 Of that Constitution. Mr.. Fitz,imons
9 Peousylvapia (himself a member also
; the Conyentiou) reported (July 10, 81
. a bill to provide tor the government
) the Territory Northwest OF the Ohio
which was then read for the first time