, 1860-02-03


ing the greatest number Of slaves. This
gave to Congress the immediate power to
act In regard 10 all such States, because
they themselves had removed the Constitu.
tional barrier Congress- accordingly,
passed an act on the 2Slh day of February,
1908, TO prevent the importation Of certain
persons into certain States where, by the
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 1908,
As the year 1908 approached, Congress
determined not TO suffer this trade to exist
even for a single day after they had the
power to abolish it, On the I'd Of March,
1907, they passed an act to take effect from
and after the lst day of January, 1908,
prohibiting the Importation Of African
slaves into the United States This was
followed by subsequent acts Of a similar
character, to which / need moi specially
refer. Such were the principles, and such
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 delegated ID the
Convention, and afterwards became mem
bers Of Congress, that in passing these laws
they had violated the Constitution which
they had framed with so much care and
deliberation, They supposed that to pro-
hibit Congress, 10 express terms, from exer-
cising a specified power before an appointed
day, necessarily involved the right to exer-
else this power after that day had arrived.
II this were not the case, the trainers Of the
Constitution had expended much labor in
vain. Had they imagined that Congress
would possess no power to prohibit the trade
either before or after 1908, they would not
have taken so much care to protect the
States against the exercise Of this power
before that period. Nay, more; they would
not have attached such vast Importance to
this provision as to have excluded it from
the possibility Of future repeal or amend.
ment, to which other portions of the Con.
stitutions were exposed It would then
have been wholly unnecessary to engraft
on the fifth article of the Constitution, pre-
senting the mode of its own future amend
mem, the pyoviso that no amendment which
may be made prior to the year 1908, shall
in any manner affect the provision in the
Consultation securing to the States the
right TO admit the importation Of African
slaves, previous to that period.
According to the adverse construction,
the clauses 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 a mere usurpation.
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 this Fespect-uthat any one
State could have efeetually 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 when once brought within the limits
Of any one State in accordance with its
law, cannot practically be excluded from
any other State where slavery exists; and
even II oil the States separately passed laws
prohibiting the Importation Of slaves, these
laws would have failed Of effect for want Of
naval force to capture the slaves aud to
guard the coasts Such force no State
can employ in time Of peace without the
consent OF Congress. si Zig
THE PRESIDENT CONSIDERS THE PHILANTHROPY
OF OUR SLAVE TRADE LAWS.
These acts Of Congress, it is believed,
have, with very rare and Insignificant ex-
ceptions, accomplished their purpose, for a
period Of more the half century. There
has been no perceivable 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 aud bless
ings Of Christianity have been extended 10
them, and both their moral and physical
condition has been greatly improved. Re-
open the trade, aud il would be difficult to
determine whether the effect would be more
deleterious on the interests of the master, or
| on those Of the native-born slave. Evils to
the master the most to be dreaded, would
be the introduction Of wild heathen and ig.
norant barbarians among the sober, orderly
aud quiet slaves, whose ancestors have been
on the soil for several generations. This
might tend to barbarize, demOralize and
exasperute the whole mass, and produce
most deplorable consequences The effect
upon the existing slave would, Il possible
be still more deplorable. At present he il
treated with kindness and humanity; be i.
well fed, well clothed, and not overworked
bis condition is incOmparably better thar
that Of the coolies which modern nations o.
high civilization have employed as spbsti
tutes for African slaves. Both the philan
thropy aud the self interest of the master
have combined To produce this humane re
suit But let this trade be opened, aut
what will be the effect2 The same, to
], considerable extent, as on a neighbOrinC
islaud-the only spot now on earth whert
the African slave trade is openly tolerated
and this'in defiance Of solemn treaties with
power abuudantly able at any moment K
enforce their execution. There, the mas
ter, intent upon present gain, extorts from
the slave as much labor as his physioa
II noWera arR canable of endurino EpoVvinr