Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-12-23

such States, because they themselves bad removed
the constitutional bari r. Congress accordingl.
passed an act on 2Sth February, 1903, 90 preven
the importation of certain persons into certain
States where, by the laws thereof their admission
is prohibited" In this manner the importation o
African slaves into the United States was, to grea
extent, prohibited some years ia advance of 1908
As the year 1908 approached, Congress deter
mined not 70 suffer this trade to exist even for
single day after they had the power to abolish it
On the I'd of March, 1907, they passed an act te
take effect 'rom and after the lst day of January
1905" prohibiting the importation of African
slaves iEto the United States. This was followed
by subsequent acts of similar character, to which
/ need not specially refer. Such we're the princi
pl. and such the practice of our ancestors more
than fifty years ago in regard to the African slave
trade.
It did not occur to the revered patriots who had
been delegates to the convention, and afterwards
became members of Congress, that in passing these
laws they had violated the Constitution which they
had framed with 80 much care and deliberation. -
They supposed that to prohibit Congress, in ex
press terms, from exercising q specified power be-
fore an appointed day, necessarily involved the
right to exercise this power after that day had ar
rived.
II this were not the case, the trainers Of the Con-
stitCtion had expended much labor 10 vain. Had
they imagined that Congress would possess no pow.
er to prohibit the trade either before or alter 1908
they would not have taken 80 much care to protect
the States against the exercise of this power before
that period. Nay, more, they would not have at.
tached such vast importance to this provision as to
have excluded it from the possibility of future re-
peal or amendment, to which other portions of the
Constitution were exposed.
1t would, then, have been wholly unnecessary to
engraft on the fifth article of the Constitution, pre-
scribing the mode Of its own future amendment,
the proviso, "taat no amendment which may be
made prior to the year 1908 shall in any manner
affect" the provision in the Constitution securing to
the States the right to admit the importation OF AT
rican slaves previous to that period.
According to the adverse construction, the clause
itself, on which so much care and discussion had
| been employed by the members of the convention,
was an absolute nullity from the beginning and all
| that has since been done under it q mere usurpa-
| tion
II is well and wise to confer this power on Con-
gress because had it been left to the States its ef
fcient exercise would have been impossible. In
that event any one State could have efectualv
tinued the trade not only for itself, but for all the
other slave States, though never SO much against
their will. And why? Because African slaves,
when once brought within the limits Of any one
State, in accordance with its laws, cannot practical
ly be excluded from any other State where slavery
exists. And even if all the States had separately
passei laws prohibiting the importation of slaves,
these laws would have failed of effect for want of
naval force to capture slavers and to guard the
coasts. Such force no State can employ in time
of peace without the consent of Congress.
These acts of Congress, it is believed, have with
very rare and Insignificant exceptions, accomplish
ed their purpose. For period of more than half
century there has been no perceplible addition to
| the number of our domestic slaves. During this
| period their advancement in civilization has far
surpassed that of any other portion of the African
race. The light and the blessings of christianity
have been extended to them, and both their moral
and physical condition has been greatly improv-
| ed.
Reopen the trade and it would be difficult to de-.
termiDe whether the effect would be more deleteri-
Ous on the interest of the master those of the
native born slave. OF the evils to the MASTER the
one most to be dreaded would be the introduction
Of wild heather, aud ignorant baroarians among the
sober, orderly and quiet slaves, whose ancestors
have been on the soil for several generations. This
might tend to barbarze, demoralize and eIasperate
| the whole mass, and produce most deplorabe con-
sequences.
The effect upon the existing slave would, if pos
sibe, be still more deploiabie At present he is
treated with kindness and humanity. He is well
fed, we'll clothed, and not oVeI-Worked His coH-
dition is ncomparsbly better than that of the cool
les which modern nations of high civilization have
employed as q substitute for African slaves. Both
the philanthropy and the selinterest of the master
have combined to produce this humane result. But
let this trade be re-Upened, and what will be the e
feet! The same, to considerable extent, as on
| nrighborng island--the only spot now on earth
where the African slave trade is openly tolerated,
and this in defiance Of solemn treaties with pow
er sbundaDtly able at any moment to enforce their
execution. There the master, intent upon present
GAIN EFFORTS from the slave as much labor a. bis
physical powers are capable OF enduring Knowing
that when death comes to his relief his place can
be supplied at price reduced to the lowest point
by the competition OF rival African slave
trad,rs ShOurd this ever be- the case in our coun-
try-whch do not deem poS>ible--the present
useinl character of the domestic Institution where
in those too old aud too young 20 work are provd-
ed tor with and humanity, aud those capable
OF labor are not ovt rtask.d would undergo
all unfortunate change The feeliGg of re-
ciprOccl dependence ana att 'chment which now
ists between mater AID slave would be converted
into mutual disrust and hostility.
But We are obliged, as Christian and moral ma
ton to consider What would be the effect upon un-
happy Africa, itself, if shoul reopen the slave
trade 1hi- would give the trade All impulse and
extensiOn which it haa never had even in its
palmesJ days. The numerous victims r, quirpd to
supply it, would convert rhe whole sIave.coast
into a perfect pandcrnonium. fer which this
country would be heid reSpOI s6e in the eyes of
both ;iGd and man. lis pet v tribes would then be
constantly engaged In Predatory wars against each
other Tor the purpose OF seIzi, ltves 10 supply
the American marner. ali kopes uf African civ
liz ition would thus be ended.
On the other hand, when a MAJ ket for African
slaves shall no longer he furnished in Cuba, and
thus all the world be closed against this trade, we
NAV then indulge reasonable hope Tor the gradu-
war among the tribes will cease whenever there is
no longer any d, mand for slaves. The resources
of that fertile but miserable country might then be
developed by the hand of industry and afford SUBJ
jects for legitimate foreign and DOM site commerce.
| In this manner ChIia.ianity and civilization may
| gradually penetrate the existing gloom.
| The wisdom Of the course pursued by this Gov
ernment towards China has been vindcated by the
| event Whilst we sustained neutral postO in
the war waged by Great Britain and France against
the Chinese empire our late minister in obedience
TO his ins ruction, judicouSy coop. rated with the
ministers of these powers in all peaceful measures
to secure by trea'y the just concessions demanded
by the interests of foreign commerce. Tee result
is tat satisfactory treaties have been concluded
with China by the respective ministers of the On =
ted States Great Britain, France and Russia. Our
"treaty or general convention of peace, amity and
commerce." with that empire was concluded at
Tientsin on the 18th June, 1858, and was ratified
by the President b. and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, on tie Slst December fol-
lowing.
On the 10th December, 1858, John E. Ward,
distinguished citizen of Georgia, was duly commits
stoned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni-
potentiary China. He left the United States for
the place of his destination on the 5th of FebI uary,
1859, bearing with him the ratified copy Of this
treaty, and arrived at Shanghai the 2Sth May.
From thence he proceeded to Pekn on the 18th of
June but did not arrive n that city until the 9th
JulH According to the telms of the treaty the