Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-12-09
RICHMOND WHIG.
s ron THE WING
SLAVERY AND COMMERCE. UNDER THE CONsTI
TUITION OF THE UNITED STATES

:
TO he Board Of Trais Of Richiaord:
Inc conneNon bet the poSeIs granted the Fed
congress over the regulation of Commerce and the
rendition oil fugitive slaves l. probably not very gene
ally known, and yet Is intricate and interesting that
u Is worthy OF your at atentoa-espccay at time when
'he aggressons Of those who gained aud have largely
eJoyeh the commercial advantages conceded TO them
are forcing yol to take serious thought as TO the best
methods OF selfproecon il OF direct retaliation and
reprisal.
Now, Congress have power By nere majority .to Law
anu collect axes. duties mposts and exeises" &C. and
10 regulate commerce with foreign nations and anon
the several States and with the Indian tribes" Bo,
soout his minority one of the battles In the Con.
Fenon tha, framed the Federal Constitution was fought
const. U. s. Art H. S,et. pIIL, 81. B. Several pages
utner on Art w. Sect J, i the following provision -
NO person held to strsice or labor in one State ,J,r
me dAs thereof esc'ping into another shall in couse.
uehee oil any law or regulation therein be discharged
from any such service labor; but shall he mn
be due" - A''' -'"'
And now for the connection betve m these two sub.
lees- From the right claimed and exercised by the
Sats, under the old articles Confederation or mali
s tmcir own commercial regulations sprang jealouses
u useOnents that disturbed the peace OF the Confede
racy and threatened the rupture of its bonds Tho stat.
having ports for forign commerce taxed and rritaed
he ADJOINING States that traded through them New Jer-
ey situated between New York and Pennsylyani, ,vas
mAened to cask tapped at both ends and North Caro-
hianet"een Virgin ia and South Carolina to be paticn,
'cu'ng AZ Doth arms, some of the States as Counecti
cut taxed mpor from Others from Massachusetts
an IN snndry instances the navigation laws treated the
clZens OF other States aliens Madison U,rers n,
o'2 ana Ill In his state OF things Commissioners an
pointed by Marylind aud Virginia to settle the nrisdr
lion on the dividing the two States bonSb, ,L
could render still further public service bv recommend
ing an uniformity IN their regulations relating TO foreign
Aue' Maryland deemed the concurrence OF her NEIGH
bors, Delaware AZ Pennsylvania Indispensable. and
they Tor like reasons, would require that of their neib
oot Had there been no additional circumstances con
sP"'hg 10 produce the next step IL would have heer
very natural and easy one On the 2Ist of January
1856, virginia appointed commissioners 10 meet tbo. ~
be appointed by other States ito take into
| mil SF.t.
situations aud ;ride of said States TO consider how Far
Uniform system in their commercial regulations NAV
| harmony, &c" f'
| when the commissioners from FIVE States met ot An.
h'pos all but those OF New jersey (thlt donly,e,,d
SKI were restricted to the consideration of eon,mnrI
suatloHs What could more strongly indicate the con.
Neton OF the States that with closer and more uniform
commercial relations they would still get along compsra
lively very well with another But mari now .pcb
bonds inierwine themselves with nearly every other
The commissioners resolved return home and ask for
m enlargement OF their powers so as Ito meet the evil
sencies OF the CnoB, aud of the chief consid.r
lions that impelei them 10 this cours. vas tbrs 90, f
IN the circular addressed the States from the men NJ
uamltoh I'm the course of their reflections the COM
sSohers have been induced to think that the mower
.GGuIIhg trade Is OF such comprehensive extent and
~il enter so far into the general system of tho Fc
Government that TO give efficacy and to olviate oues.
ana doubts concerning its precise nature and mits
may require CORES pondcn adjustment of other n.rt
81 the fedora! system good illustration this Of tho
Aphorsm of Carlyle that Commerce is King car,,r
IN no aT-fttchcd sense. Commerce was our President
when the Convention ue:, in 1887 they found ,e,v
'te uhcuity n agreeing upon the principe that Con
F'Ss should have the general regulation OF commerce
nd IN uniform mode but there we're some assoc;ste
r collateral questions which elected no little earnest de-
late The North had her navigation and ris.r MANI
'usS' 'ue South heT products requiring transporta-
on by sea TO market and fabrication into various forms
'Or consumption, and her institution of slavery Tbese
grand interests demanded mutual accommodation
lhe only item which the South gained enfi,ly in tho
e" raternal conflicts which those interests led in the
Ter fu st,v
regard TO the basis Of representation she lost the WEIGHT
' t"o-tiths OF her slaves though ra-G tho .arne
rart OF the labor of the country, they Ths was
t6hcesbn from south mostly from liberal and pa-
rioc motives but partly from regard to her supposed
advantage, in tAnamount exemption from direct taxes
nd military quotas Moreover the ida that the South
r States would increase in population iister than the
Northern Ia hare been c'sDSirsy entertained ia
Aose days! Mad. Pap. p 1882 In regard 20 the i'm
oratiOn of slaves this allowed for the sake o South
Carolina aud Georgia, but only till the year 1903 "Mr
Gerry thought had nothing do with the conduct of
The States a. to slavery true thought certainly Mr.
Ellsworth said, "LT EVERY STATE IMPORT
FLEAsEs The morality wisdom Of slavery are con-
iderations belonging to the States themselves What
enrches part enriches the whole and the States are
the best judges of their particular interest" Mr. Rut-
ledge (of South Carolna had before said thc true
question at present whether the Southern shall shall
not be parties TO the Union
The South did succeed in having exports exempted
rom axation but this exemption is largely shared with
he North, aud hardly question between North and
South. Mr. Mason urged the necessity Of laying no tax
TO deny the Southern this security. IL woul hereafter
be desirable to the former when the latter should be-
come tue most populous He professed his jealousy for
the productions Of the Southern he cas them the
staple states" McssTs. Rutedge Mercer Carroll But
Ter, Williamson, Esw orth, Gerry and Sherman sustain
| cd the views of Mr.. Mason Messrs. Madison Morris
Wilson, Langdon Dickinson, and Fi;zsimmons spoke in
favor of the power exports. There were shades
of difference however between those on the same gene
r i side. General Washington voted with Mr. Madison;
Mass chusetts, Connecticut Maryland, Virginia. Nor.h
and South Carolina aud Georgia voted against the pow
| er by the Federal Government to tax exports: New
| Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, aud Delaware
in favor of such power. The provision proposed
"No tax duty shall be laid by the Legislature on
articles exported from any State; the migration
or Importation OF such perons the States shall think
proper TO admit; shall such migration importation
be prohibited In opposing the fr,t cliusc, Mr. Lang
don, Of New Hampshire, said "By this section the
States rft liberty tax cxports: New Hampshire
therefore, with other non-eNporting States will be sub
ect to be taxed by the States exporting their produce
Ths could not be admitted IL to be feared that
the Northern States will opprcss the trade of the South.
ern. This may be guarded against by requiring the
concurrence Of twohrds, thrcc.fourih Of the Leg
stature in such cases. IL win be found that the South
could obtain the protection thus pointed out by Mr.
| Langdon whist New Hampshire and others we're fully
protected bv the States also being prohibited TO tax eX.
ports On the other hand, Mr. Williamson said though
| North Carolina has been taxed by duty on twelve
| thousand hhds OF her to- acco, yet he would new
er agree 20 this power n Congress to tax exports)-
Should it take place. 10 woud destroy the last ,pe Of
| the adoption Of the lln,'-cf union The discussion
proceeding upon the importation Of slaves taxation on
uch impoftatons and the majority requisite to pass
1lyigation act, the Convention IN the conflict Of
views which prevailed brought TO a serious dilemma:
when Il moved and finally carried, commit these
subjects 20 special committee Of from each State
W. Morris having plainly suggested that those Ddifrs
might forH "a bargain bcissH ne N0rf1rR and South
| crH States
The interests Of North and South the collision between
'hc threatening the defeat Of any Constitution for
closer union, were now openly array,d against each
other This special committee, therefore wa scarcely
| ID "a Hraff. a Z d..
ion Of our ndcp 'ndcncc They Mcssrs tarrdon
King, johnson. Livingston Clymcr, Dickinson L. Mir'r
Madison, William on, G. PincknCy aud Baldwin; who
u two dnys, made their report which though not On.
rcy adopted, was The hasis Of compromise The i'm.
portaion Of slaves was allowed l The wear sos and
the equivalent therefor the imposition Of tax thcrc
on not exceeding ten dollars for each person Tho ma.
oiity requisite 70 make regulation u subject Of
Commerce still remained 20 he determined hut hv ne.
cntng 70 the importation Of slaves and the rendition Of
fugitive slaves the North gained enough Southern friends
90 nhlan hcr NlrnrH lLn nrn-lnn- Li-. hn-nnf