The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-01-03


ployed and shall continue to be employed to execute
the laws against the African slave-trade. After a
most carful and rigorous examination OF our coasts
and thorough investigation of the subject. we have
not been able to discover that any slaves have been
imported into the United States except the cargo by
the Wanderer. numbering between three and four
hundred Those engaged in this unlawful enter
prise have been vigorously prosecuted; but not with
as much success their crimes have deserved.
a number of them still under prosecution.
Our history proves that the Fathers of the Repub
lic in advance of all other nations, condemned the
African slave trade 1t was notwithstanding, deem
ed expedien BY the trainers of the Constitution to de-
prive Congress of the power to prohibit " the mi
I ton or importation of such persons any of the
States now existing shall think proper to admit
prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and
eight"
1t will be seen that this restriction on the power
of Congress was confined to such States only as
might think proper to admit the importation of
slaves. 1t did not extend TO other States or to the
trade carried abroad. Accordingly, we find that
early the :12d March, 1894, Congress passed an
act imposing severe penalties and punishments upon
citizens and residents of the United States who
should engage in this trade between foreign nations
The provisions ofths act were extended and enforc-
ed by the act of 10Th May. 1900.
Again: The States themselves had clear right
to waive the constitutional privilege intended for
their benefit and to prohibit. by their own laws this
trade at any time they thought proper previous to
1908. Several of them exercised this right before
!
greatest number of slaves. This gave TO Congress
! the immediate power to act in regard TO all such
States because they themselves had removed the
constitutional barrier. Congress accordingly passed
act on the 2Sth of Feb'y, 1868, "to prevent the
importation of certain persons into certain States
where, by the laws thereof, their admission is pro-
hibited. In this manner the importation of Afr-
can slaves into the United States 70 CREST ex
| tent, prohibited some years in advance of 1903
| As tho year 1903 approached, Congress determined
not to suffer this trade to exist for single day
after they had the power to abolish it. On the I'd
! of March, 1907. they passed act to take effect
- from and after the lst day of January. 1903"
prohibiting the importation of African slaves into the
| United States. This followed by subsequent
acts of II similar character. to which I need not
! specially refer. Such were the principles and
such the practice of our ancestors 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 be-
came members of Congress. that in passing these
laws they had violated the Constitution which they
had framed with much and delberatiOn.
They supposed that to prohibit Congress, in express
terms, from exercising specified power before an
appointed day, necessarily involved the right to
exercise this power after that day had arrived.
If this were not the case, the trainers of the Con-
stitution expended much labor i'll vain, Had they
imagined that Congress would possess power
to prohibit the trade either before after 1903,
! they would not have taken much care to protect
the States against the exercise of this power before
! that period. Nay more thPywOuld not have attach
ed such vast Importance tn this provision to have
excluded it from the possibility of future repeal or
amendment, to which other portions of the Consti-
tuition were exposed. 1t would, then. been wholly
unnecessary to engraft the fifth article of the
Constitution, prescribing the mode of its future
amendments, the prnviso. ''that no amendment which
may be made pI t" the year thousand eight
hundred and eight shall in any manner effect the
Constitution securing to the States the right to ad-
nit the importation of African slaves previous to
that period.
According to the adverse construction. the clause
itself. on which much and discussion
had been employed by the members of the conven-
ton, an absolute nuity from the beginning and
all that has snce been done under it usurpation.
1t web and wise to confer this power on Con-
gress, because, had it been left for the States its eff
| ficient exercise would have been impossible. In
that event any State could have effectuay con-
tnuPd tie trade not only for itself but Tor all
other slave States, though never much against
their will. And why ! Because African slaves,
when once brought within the limits of any one
State, in accordance with its laws. cannot practical
y be excluded from any other state where slavery
exists. And even if all the States had passed laws
prohibiting the importation of slaves, these laws
would have failed of erct for want of naval force
to capture the slavers and to guard the Such
a force State employ in time of peace with
out the consent of Congress.
These acts of Congress. it is believed, have. with
very rare and insignificant exceptions, accomplished
| their purpose. For period of more than half Il
century there has been no perceptible addition to
the number of our domestic slaves. During this pc
| Rod their advancement in civilization has far
passed that of any other portion of the African
| The light and the blessings of Christianity have
been extended to them, and both their moral and
their physical condition have been greatly improved
Reopen the trade, and it would be- diff cult to de-
termno whether the effect would be more deleteri
Gus the interests of the master those of the
native born slave. OF the evils to the master, the
most to be dreaded would be the introduction of
wild, heather, and ignorant barbarans among the
sober, orderly, and quiet slaves, whose ancestors
have been the soil for several generations. This
might tend to Darbarize, demuralize, and exaspprate
| the whole mass. and produce most deplorabe conse-
QuenceS.
| The effect upon the existing slave would if pos
sible, he still more deplornbIe. At present he i
treated with kindness and humanity. He is we'll fed
| well clothed. and not overworked. His condition
is comparatively better than that of the coolies
| which modern nations of high civilization have
| employed for a substitute for African slaves. Both
the philanthropy and the self interest of the master
have combined to produce this human result. But
let this trade be reopened. and what will be the eff
| feet! The same, to a considerable extent, a
| neighboring i>land-thc only spot on earth
where the African slave trade is openly tulerated
and this in defiance of solemn treaties with power
/ ubundantly able at any moment tn enforce their
| execution. There. the masters intent upon present
gain. EFFORTS from the slave much labor his
| physical powers are capable of enduring-know-
ing that. when death comes to his relief, his place
can be supplied at price reduced to the lowest
point by the competition of rival African slave trad
crs. Should this ever be the case in our country
which do not deem possible-the present useful
character of the domestic institution, wherein those