Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-05-16

framed the Constitution of the United
States.
Senator Hunter, of Virginia, in the same
debate. admitted the same fact as to the
state of public opinion in the earlier days
of the Republic, and that public opinion IN i.
the South had undergone change. Hon
Orable Alexander Stephens, of Georgia one
of the ablest men of the South, in a speech
delivered to his constituents after his return
from the last Congress, admitted the same
fact The Republican party, then, has the
opipion of the fathers of the Republic on
its side, that slavery is an evil more to be
deplored than to be fostered; but the
gentleman from Alabama says, "these were
but mere speculatiOns. and were not ingraft-
ed upon the organic laws, and actual re-
suhs are safer standard by which to
measure abstract principles" The Con-
qress of the Confederation gave practical
effect to its sentiment of hostility to slave
ry, by prohibiting it in all the territory
Congress then had jurisdiction over ny the
ordinance of 1877. The first session OF
the First Congress, in order that the pro-
visions of the ordinance might continue
and have full effect, adopted it, and enacted
provisions to adapt it to the Constitution
of the United States.
These 'were actual results ingrafted up
on the legislation of the country. The
fathers of the Republic, before and after
the adoption of the Constitution, by opinion
and action, treated slavery as cOntraband
wherever they could without violation OF
existing relations and arrangements. At
the second session of the First Congress an
act was passed for the government OF the
territory of the United States south OF the
Ohio river. This act was passed May 20
1870, and extended over this Territory the
ordinance of 1877, except so far as Il
otherwise provided in the conditions ex
= pressed in an act of Congress of that ses-
sion accepting cessiOn of the claims o
the State of North Carolina to that terrific
~" The conditions of that act, so far Al
the same related to slaves, were as follows
"Prorided always, That no regulation
: made, or to be made by Congress, shal
, tend to emaneipate slaves"
/ 1 refer to these acts for two purposes
first, to show that Congress- extending owe
: this southern territory the ordinance
S 1877, except the anti-slavery prOvisO, wOul
probably have extended the entire ord
b nence, had it not been for the proviso' Il
i the act of cession of North Carolina; an
' second, to show that the Legislature
: North Carolina supposed Congress had tn
J, power, under the Constitution, to prohibi
e slavery in the Territory. This act of ces
= sion was passed in December, 1870. III
!, first session of the First Congress CONNER
e ced March +, 1879; so that the COnstitl
n ton was in full force when this act of ce
Y sion was passed; and the State of Mort
Y Carolina had but recently ratified it, an
! her statesmen who composed her Legisl'
, ture in 1870 were presumed to know SOM
d thing about the provisions of the COnstit'
y ton; and if they had not supposed tn;
it Congress possessed the power to abOlis
y slavery in Territory, they would not hay
le inserted this prOviso.
lie Following up the distractions of Il
t. fathers, that slavery was an evil more
be dcplored than to be fostered and
r show, by actual results, that they intendt
N to prohibit and restrict it wherever the
is legally could, 1 refer to the act of Marc
%, 1874. The object Of this law was
IN prohibit any citizen or resident of the Tn
ted States from equipping vessels, With
the United States, carrying on trade
s, traffic in slaves to any foreign country.
ic Wash. C. c. R. 522.) The next act to Il
d same purport was passed May 10, 1900
!, !. This act extends the prohibitions of the al
,s of 1874 to citizens of the United States
d. any manner concerned in this kind of ira
il fc, either by personal service on board
u American or foreign vessels, wherever equi
= ped, or to the owners of such vessels, eli
an zens of the United States.
It's Next in the order of time was the act
y February %. 1903. The object of ii
~ act was to prohibit the importation Of n
1t groes, mulattoes. or other persons of colo
Its into any State which by law had prOhit
en- ted or should prohibit the admissi
N' or importation of such persons of color
n- The object of Congress seemed to be to a
the States in getting rid of the evil
tie slavery.
ss- The next action of Congress bearing u
on the subject was the act providing for t
lly temporary government of the LOuisial
ed Territory, ccded by France to the Unit
ID ID States, passed March 26, 1904. invi
70 special examination of the tenth section
ay this act. The first clause of this secti
on prohibits the importation or bringing in
II the Territory, from any port or place wit
20 in the limits Of the United States, a
Iif- slaves. The second clause prohibits t
oss importation or bringing into the TerritOl
no. from any port or place within the limits
.,,. ~. the United States, any slaves which sh
have been imported since the lst of NJ;
III 1898, into any port or place within
the United States, or which may hereafter