The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1860-01-05

ishments upon citizens and residents oftbe United
n States who should engage in this trade between
\ foreign nations. The provisions of this act were
g 1900
Again: the states themselves had clear right
% oWalve the constitutional privilege intending for
70 their benefit and to prohibit, by their own laws
TINS trade at any time they thought proper previ-
Gus 10 1903. Several of them exercised this right
Deiole enat period, and among them some contain
ing the greatest number Of slaves. This gave to
congress Tue lmmed1Ate power to act in regard to
a. u such States, because they themselves had re-
: mo vsd tne constitutional oa.Sier Congress ac-
: cor dngy passed an act on 26th Rebr,1arv 1903
''t0 NeVent the importation of certain tarsons in
to eel tain States where by the laws there's ther
admis ZION is prohibited" In this manner the -,
portati On Of Africa slaves into the United States
was, to q eat extent, prohibited some years il
advance of Uses.
As the ye ar 1903 approached, Congress deter
} mined not te suffer this trade to exist even for
single day fter they had the power to abolish it
On the I'd OF March, 1907, they passed an act tc
take effect 'fn and after the 1st day of January
= $685." prohI biting the importation of African
: slaves into the United States. This was followed
by subsequenta ,cts of similar character to which
need not spec tally refer. Such were the princi
pies and such tn 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 delsRatev to ths convention, and afterwards
became memb,>rs OF Congress, that in passing these
laws they had ioaA cd the Constitution which they
had framed with SO much care aud elaboration
They supposed t. NAt to prohibit Congress, in
press terms, from exercising spSclhed power pc
fore an appointed lay, necessarily Involved the
right to exercise thil power after that day had ar
! rived.
If this were not the ease, the trainers of the Con-
stitution had expended much labor in vain Had
they imagined that Co Ugress would possess no
IN T,HOhi D. ~ oft
1903, they would not hay "a taken so much care to
protect the States against he exercise OF this pow
er before that period. Nay Rore they would not
have attached such vast i'm 'rtance to this pro
vision as to have excluded it rom the possibility
of future repeal or amendment to which other por-
tons of the Constitution were ca posed. 1t would
then have been wholly unnecessa ry to engraft on
the fifth article of the Constitutions prescribing the
mode of its own futur amendment, the proviso,
| that no amendment 'Fhich may be made prior TO
the year 1908 shall in no manner affect the pro-
vision III the Constitu ton securing to the States
the rightto admit the importation of Afric an slaves
previous to that period
According to the adverse construction the clause
itself on which so much care and dis cussion had
been employed by the members of the convention,
was an absolute llullity from the begin ming, and
all that has since been done under it M hTe usar-
| patton.
1t was well and wise to confer this pow 'er on
Congress- beCause had it been left to the stat es its
eihclent exercise would have been impossible. In
that event any one state could have effectui ily
continued the r;ade not only for itself but for VI
the other slave states, though never so much
against their will And why? Because African
slaves whep once brought within the limits of any
one state, in accordance with its laws, cannot
practically be excluded from any other state where
slavery exists And even ifall the states had sep
aratey passed laws prohibiting the importation Of
slaves, these laws would have failed of effect for
want OF q naval force to capture the savers and
to guard the coasts. Such force 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 perceptibe addition
/ to the number of domestic slaves. During
this period their advancement in civilization has
tar surpassed that Of any other portion of the At
rican race The light and the blessings of Chris
tlanlty have been extended to them, and both
their moral and physical condition has been great
| ly improved ...
| Reopen the trade, and it would be difficult to
determine whether the effort would be moro deleter-
lous to the interests Of the masters or those of
the native born slave. Of the evils to the masters
tue one most to be dreaded would be the introduce
| ton of wild heather and ignorant barbarians
| among the sober, orderly and quiet slaves, whose
ancestors have been the soil for several genera
TONS This might tend to barbarize, demorsl ize
and exasperate the whole mass, and produce the
most deplorable 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
led, well clothed, and not oyerWorked His con-
dltlon is incomparably better than that of the
coolies which modern nations of high civilization
i have employed as substitute for African slaves.
Both the philanthropy and finterest of the mas
ter have combined to produce this humane result.
But let this trade be reopene and what will be the
effect The same, to considerable extent, on
nelghborlng isiand-the only spot earth
where the African slave trade is openly tolerated
and this in defiance of solemn tresties with a Pow
er abundantiy able st any m0mentto enforce their
execution. There the master, intent upon the
present gal o, EFFORTS from the slave as much labor
as his physical powers capable of enduring
knowing tn at, when death comes to his relief bis
| place can be supplied at price reduced to the
lowest point by the competition of rival African
slave traders Should tits ever be the case in our
| country-Which do not deem possible-the pros
ent useful character of the domestic institution,
wherein chose too old G;ud too young to work are
provided for with care and humanity, and those
capable oflabor are not overtasked, would under
| go an unfortunate change. The feeling of re-
| clprocal dependence and attachment which now
eGlsts between master and slave would be con-
yerted into mutual district and hostility
But we obliged Christian and moral ma
ton to consider what would be the effect upon un
happy Africa itself if We should reopen the slave
trade. This would give the trade an impulse and
extension which it has never had even in its pal
miest days The numerous victims required to
supply 1t would convert the whole slave coast into
| perfect Pandemonium, for which this country |
would be held responsible in the eyes both of God
and man. Its petty tribes would then be con !
stantly engaged in predatory wars against each !
other for the purpose Of Selling slaves to supply
| the American market All hopes of African civil |
ization would thus be ended.
On the other hand, when market for African |
slaves shall no longer be furnished in Cuba, and
thus all the world will be closed against this |
trade, we may then indulge in reasonable hope |
| Tor the gradual improvement of Africa. The |
chief motive Of war among the tribes will cease |
whenever there is no longer any demand for
slaves. The resources of that fertile but miser-
able country, might then be developed by the
hand OF industry and afford objects for legitimate
foreign and domestic commerce. In this manner |
Christianity and civilization may gradually pene-
/ trate the existing gloom.
OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA.
The wisdom Of the course pursued by this gov
4 crnment towards China has been INDICATED by the
event. Whilst we sustained q neutral position in
the war #agcd by Great Britain and France a.
ganst the Chinese Empire our late Minister
in obedience to his instructions, judiciously CO.
operated with the Ministers of these Powers in all
peaceful measures to by treaty the just
cessions demanded by the interests offoreign &C M
merce The result is, that satisfactory treaties
hive been concluded with China by the resp &C.
tive Ministers Of the United States, Grcat Brit
ain France and Russia. Our "treaty, or ger ,er-
al convention Of peace amity and commerce."
with that Empire was concluded at Mientsin on
F the 18th June, 1858, and was ratified by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, the 21st December following.
On the 18th December 1858, John e. Ward
distinguished citizen of Georgia, vas duly cora
missioned as envoy extraordinary and mi MISTER
plenipotentiary to China. He left the United
States for the place Of his destination on the 5th
of February, 1859, bearing with him the ratified
copy Of this treaty, and arrived at Shanehaye on
the 2Sth May. From thence he proceeded to
Peking, on the 18th June, but did not arri ve at
t that city sntl the 17th July, According to the
terms OF the treaty the notifications were to be ex
changed before the 18th of June $50.