The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-01-03

IT the power 10 prohibit " the migration or
importation Of such persons as any Of the
States nos existing shall think proper 10 I'd
loit' "priO- 10 tho wear one thousand eight
hundred and eight
II will be seen that this restriction or the
power % Congress was confined 20 such states
only as nigh. think proper 70 admit the ia
p0rtati0n of slaves. II did not extend 10 9TH
o. States or the trade carried on abroad. ic-
Ccriin.ly. We iini that early as the 22d Of
March, l19i, Congress passed "A act lmpo-
sing severe penalties and punishments upon
citizens and residents oi the United States
who should engage III this trade between for
eign nations. The provisions O: tbs act were .
extended AMI enforced by the act OF ION 1
Nav. 1900.
Again: The states themselves had clear !
right TO waive the constitutional privilege iG- !
tended Tor their benefit, and to prohibit, 10y 1
their own laws, this trade az any time they 1
thought proper previous 10 1898. Several OF |
them exercised this right before that period, /
and among them some containing the greatest !
number Of s!av-s This gave 10 Congress the
immediate power IN act in reference to al
such states, because they themselves had "a
moved the constitutional barrier. Congress
accordingly passed an act on 18th February,
1893, ito prevent the importation of certain
persons into certain state. where, by tie laws
thereof, their admission IS prohibited In
this manner the importation Of African slaves
into The United States was, to great extent,
prohibited some years in advance Of 1905.
As the year 1908 approached, Congress de-
ternined not to suffer this trade 20 exist even
for single day after they had the power 10
abolish il. On tho 81 % March, 1907, they
passed an act to take effect e from and after
tho lst day Of January, lS0S," prohibiting
the importation OF African slaves into the
United States This was followed by Subse
gucHt acts OF similar character, TO which |
leed not specially refer. Such were the prin-
ciples and such the practice OF our ancestors
more than dtty -oa.~ asv, III regard ~ TIE
African slave trade.
1t did not occur to the reyered patriots who
had been delegates TO the convention, ard al
towards became members O!Cougress, that IN
passing these laws they had violated the
constitution which they framed with 50 much
care and deliberation. They supposed tha.
to prohibit Congress, In express terms. from
exercising specified power before az appoint
ell day, necessarily involved tho RICH, TO ex-
ercise this power after that day had arrived.
If this were not the case, the trainers Fl
the Constitution had expended much labor Ia
vain. Had they imagined that Congress
| would possess no power 10 prohibit the trade
either before or after 1903, they would no.
have taken so much care 10 protect the States
arains. the exercise of this power before that
period Nay more, they would not have at
,ached such vast importance 10 this provision
rs to have excluded it from the possibility OF
! future repeal or amendment, TO which other
! portions OF the Constitution were exposed.
! 7, would, then, have been wholly unnecessary
| to eDgrait on the filth article Of the Constitu
| ton, prescribing the mode Of its own futur,,
! amer dment, the pyoviso, that no smenc +.
| ment which may be made prior to the YEP
! one thousand eight hundred and eight shr,,o
| III any manner affect the provision IN ~
| Constitution securing to the State, the rig ~
10 admit the importation Of African sig =
| previous to that period.
! According ~ the adverse construction ~. 80 ,
| clause itself, on which 50 much caro- and his
cussion had been employed by the membr HnS :,
the convention, was an absolute nulIity 'nT "
the beginning, and all that has since ia
done under il a mere usurpatIon. .'''a
1t WIS we'll and wise 10 confer this POI " oO'
| Congress, because, had il been LETT -
;..1,;iJ, r. -, 80, 49,, S,o. whilst
have efiectualiy continued the trade o. 80
| Tor itself, but for all the other slave, '.0" :
,ho,,ci, 80 81, ,,,,o,, ooa;rs, tbair III cenc,
- p.,a.,a, .f,;.o, -, re ton
brought within tie limits Of any ontn 81 ~
| accordance with its laws, cannot pra, S-iaii
excluded from any other State wh',a. , u, {
exists. And even il all the States = ''-'
rateiy passed laws,prohibiting the al s 80
| OF slaves, these laws would have 10 ",i.''
| foe, To- van, 81 rov,lf,r O ~ the excep
- 'e' ""''' =. % force purch
/ = -. -, :,lo. . - ., tia. q
/ Congress. laFai
! These acts of Congress, il is y No. IL Is
| with very rary rare and in.iSr eAOep more
| tons, accomplished their purpC Pc nseiu
/ Rod Of more than half a cen na The
been no pcrceptiJe addition {. niov. =. sncn
our domestic slaves. During ''H nc 'Hc u
advancement in civilization hsu i'''9o" - -.
that of any other portion of i'an i"oe' -.
Tne light ard the blessings r.,uai"'s Our
have been extended TO them 'o'h 'iie.' and r
moral and physical condtioreeh great On the
ly improved. hat 0
r. opel, the trade, and il % uiincui friend
To determine whether the "ouiu pe In
more deleierious On the inr the WAS meht
ter or on those OF the natl slave ~ ''on'
the evils 20 the master, thiuost 10 oe 10. ~
dreaded would be the in'oh "i WIG tto 80
heather and ignoaDt bar aiiio"s 'ho mini.t
sober, orderly aud quiet sFiiose aices' citiz.r
tors haze been on the soil e'di eei'ei"- notwi
tions. Thi, miglt tend tsriEe' ce!hor, amoul
alize and exasperate thS mass, ana ascert
produce the most deplor1 'eq"ence'. | q
Tho af:.., ,,r,, tho a slave would, made
if possible, be still more 'oie. Al pre- the pc
.a,t r.. ;c ,rsat.1 with 5 and human the A
ty. lie is we'll fed, wied' anu hot prtpe'
cverworked. His cond incoinparsol! ~ L. |,
better than that Of the (WHICH nioue'h b,s he
na,ionssof high ciyiliZsr eElb'oyeu as rcasoI
q substituts for Atrcs''' Do'h ,"e In
philanthropy and the selst OF Tue master urged
have combined to proiis humane re- the .,
sr1- DIV ieS 'uis 'rar -. 80, opinit
what WIN tie the eiiect -, 80, |, the
! si4eraoie eStens aS on -, - OF Co
'ne ohiy spo. ho" On "a -. - ont o
save uaue - 0peuiS 80 -, il vii
eeHiice ., solefill tle' g., r. gotiat
/ execution. There tber intent upon ~
| present gain, EFFORTS he slave as much % -,
| labor as his piysicals are capable OF >. 90
| MISUNDERSTANDING TIN death comes 10 a.
/ his relief, bis pace chpplied at price CIay,
| reduced 10 the lowest by the competl- H.
/ ton OF rival Africa atraders. Should -
| this ever be III. case Country-which -
| do no deem possl9 present u>elul M, =,
| character Of TN donns.i,ution, wherein 80,
those TOO old aid too 10 work are pro- uonj
80 va ~, - - under
undergo an unbrtunsn9e The feeling 49,;
OF reciprocal iepen and attachment LIZ wi,
which now est be master snd slave -
would be convtted lutual distrust and SlHJs'
! hostility. goou
Bu, We are ob,e5 ,...;. a,s r,,r,,, the q,
ton to considerable be the effect upon OF the
unhappy Africa slf fluid rs-ouen the slave the y
| trade. This wsu giveave trade an Impulse sudde
snd extension VIII it ever had even in its In oTC
palmiest days. ,e nuas victims required 70 that
sup ~ IL would cSeTt hole slave coas, into State
| q perfect Fauhoniur which thi. country note ;
would be held resnsibkhe eyes both Of God a. va
and man. Its n trihuld then be constant - -,
~ engaged IN phtc.y. against each ether -;
for the purpose sesslaves 10 supply the gwen
American marka Ali = Of African civili,a- 'e.>
ton would thu: fpded reieTe
On the other b, wh market for African our G
slaves shall no lSr bsnishei in Cuba, and lslant
thus all the woIA elos gainst this trade We Cover
may then ind,e reasble hope Cor the grad the ts
ual improvement Afrie The hsf motive for the Ill
war among ID tts wilh.s whenever there is prove
no longer an dsnd foiare.. The resources u;tbo
Of that fertIleb4isera country might then -;,;ss
be developedov hang industry and afford - ,
.uhaofs for le>;th r,,,c "a i.,,,.,;. o.,, over