New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-01-03

o {SIi5t fsNEeT7ff7
fore tha period ana Among them some containing
the greatest number of slaves. This gave y eo Z,
gress tho immediate power ~ act N regara " As
such States, because they themselves had feaoNsu
messed N ct al 18th February ls0S. e to prevent
/ The importation Of certain persons into certain
| States where BY tho laws thereof aheir hdinisson
is prohibited ll this manner tlae lnipoa,a t
i If African slaves into the United States was, 70
great extent. prohibited some years in advance o.
"a AZ lie year 1905 approached. Congress de-
isfined not e suilar tls fde % eSssa esss, iar
| On the ID % March, 1907. thsy passed an act 10
| take effect from and after the 1T day Of lanu-
airy, 1905, e prohibiting the importation of African
slaves lnta the United States. This was followed
hy subsequent acts 0f similar character to which
/ need not specially refer. Such were the prin-
cipes and snc the practice Of our ancestors more
than fifty years ago IN regard TO the African slave
trade
1t 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 so much care and delheration.
They supposed that to prohibit Congress, in ex-
press terms. from exercising 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 Com
stitution had expended much labor in vain Had
they imagined that Congress would possess nc
power to prohibit the trade either before or after
1905, they would not have taken SO much care 70
protect the States against the exercise Of this power
before that period. Nay more, they would moi
have attached such vast Importance TO this proyi
sion as to have excluded from it the possibility Of
future repeal or amendment, 70 which other pcr-
| tons OF the Constitution were exposed. ltwoud
then. have been wholly unnecessary to engratt on
the hfth article Of the Constitution, prescribing the
mode of its own future amendment, the proviso
7. that no amendment which may bc made prior to
.i<r hrfpd rtd
shall in any manner Affect Z the provision in the
Constitution securing to the States the right to adj
init the importation Of African slaves previous to
4 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
4 that has since been done under it mere usnrpa-
4 tion
4 1t was well and wise to confer this power on
Congress- because, had it been left to the States,
! Its efficient exercise would have been impossible.
In that event any one State could have efeetualiy
continued 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,
1 when once brought within the limits Of any one
State in accordance with its laws, cannot practi-
calIv be excluded nom any other State where
slavery exists And even If all the States had sep
arateiy passed laws prohibiting the importation Of
slaves, these laws would have failed Of effect for
want Of naval force TO capture the slaveTs and TO
pioy in time Of peace without the consent Of Con
gress.
These acts Of Congress, it Is believed, have, with
very rare and insignificant exceptions, accom-
plished their purpose. For period of more than
half century there has been perceptible addi-
ton TO the number or 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 improved.
Reopen the trade and it would be difficult 70 de-
ternline whether the effect would be delete
FERROUS on the interests of the master those of
the native born slave. OF the evils to the master,
the one most TO be dreaded would be the introduce
ton of wild, heather and Ignorant barbarians
among the SOBER orderly aad quiet slaves, whose
ancestors have been the soil for several genera
tons. This might tend to barbarize. demoralize
and exasperate the whole mass, and produce most
deplorabIe Consequences.
The effect upon the existing slave would, if pos
sible, be still more deplorable. AT present he IS
treated with kindness and humanity. He is well
fed well clothed, and not orer-worked His con
dtion il incomparably better than that of the cool
les which modern nations of high civilization have
employed as d substitute for African slaves. Both
the philanthropy and the sef-interest of the master
have combined to produce the humane result. But
let this trade be reopened and what will be the eff
fecty The same, TO a considerable extent. as on
neighboring isand-the only spot on earth where
the African slave trade is openly tolerated; and
this in defancc Of solemn treaties with power
ahundantly able at any moment 70 enforce their
execution.
There the master, intent upon present gain, ex-
~ = W ~ a,'rna 4.
X - , al 81 hi ag IT.; Mo -,
= - s,ed " h 1,pst ;rt
81, r;yai "A fea sIa l
sstlJ tiass ID tI. III ,,, rh;ci
AZ III '4 dn ,ssSo he sant sst b
III IN M J,aests ;net;t,tpn svIsren tbose ~
ia ana sa yannar tn sork ar. ,,ro,,;dad For Viii
sa,.e ana s,,rnan;tr and ttaee cansble ~ iabor a,a
not : ersr1asIa1 wanIfi naaerra an nnfartnnate
ebanges Ths feeling of recinrocal denenJence
MI attaehment who'll now exists between master
ana siavs wosd he converted into mutual diatr,,at
a,,d hosfiI;fv as
Rut We IL, ,blioei as a (,briafian and moral M
Y;e III nns;er what yanla bc tho efct mon n
H. frca sssef If we sI,onId rao1,en TX Ia
trade rh;s ,rn,,Ifi give the tre s ;n,nnlaa ma
stssysn which 4 las never had ever X III na
iest DAYS. The numerous victims required to SIM.
~ vs. ia IN ia 7. T.
p,y !. Which s;s H.
XIII gasnnnsible II, tle ewes both ~ f;od ana MAJ
IL ty;haa svo,,ld fhsn he s5
n wars ga;,,st each th Nm,
z.s,sa of sa;y;ao siasaa IL cpnrIt tta a,,,orIna,
IL hones IF African flor ,ld
t s,,'1s ~ a4,,leI =
a., ttfa ether hand when n market FIR A fr;ea
saves sha,l IA omrer IL furnished II f,nha IN
t,,s Il, he world ia cIasad ara;rst HI; tJ, ,,o a
s, N. s, III h,s go
aJ s. = 4 ss p,i ~ ,;Ps ~ ~ m T. s aauaA
Az e Iii - Ss.rs. ~ y ~
~ y w
s az NC "a
t wv, II s .nsn 9c
,sy;t;ass sara;rn anj dasa.;