The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1860-01-07
ESTABLISHEDl

II
cr to prohibit migration or importation Of sue
persons as any of the States now existing sha
think proper to admit prior to the year ON
thousand eight hundred and eight
II will be seen that this retriction on the nov
cr Of Congress WAS confined to such States onl,
as might think proper to admit the importation
of slaves II did not extend to ofhes States. o.
| to the trade carried on abroad Accordingly
we find that so early as the 22d OF March, 1894
Congress passed an act imposing severe penal
Ties ana punishments upon citizens and resident,
OF the United States who should engage in thi,
trade between foreign nations The provision.
OF this act were extended and enforced by thu
act of 10th May, $780,
Again: the States themselves had clear RICH,
TO waive the constitutional privilege intended fol
their benefit, and to prohibit, by their own laws
TINS trade at any time they thought proper pre-
vlous to 1908. Several Of-thehl exercised thi.
right before that period, and among them some
containing the greatest number OF slaves. This
gave to Congress the immediate power to act in
regard to all such States, because they themseye.
mad removed the constitutional barrier Con
gress accordingly passed an act on 2Sth February
1908, ITO 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 prohibi
ted some wears in advance OF 1905.
As the year 1903 approached, Congress de-
terinined not TO suffer this trade to exist even
for single day after they had the power to
abolish il. On the I'd Of March, -lSO7, they
passed an act to take effect from and after the
lst day of January, lsos," prohibiting the i'm
portaton OF African slaves into the United States
This was followed by subsequent acts of simi-
lar character to which Ineed not specially refer.
Nt.h f1,s,r nr,lsa nj tho
Of our ancestors more than fifty years ago in re-
gard to the African slave trade
1t did not occur to the revered patriots who
had been delegates to the convention, and after
wards became members of Congress that in
passing these laws they had violated the Consti-
tuition which they had framed with 50 much care
and deliberation. They supposed that to prohib-
IT Congress, III express terms, from exercising a
specified power before an appointed day, neces-
sarily involved the right to exercise 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 wDud possess
no power to prohibit the trade either before or
after lSoS, 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 import
ance to this provision TO have excluded it
from the possibility of future repeal or amend
ment to which other portions ot the Constitution
were exposed. 1t would, then, have been Who'll
iy unnecessary to engrat on the fifth article of
the Constitution, prescribing the mode of its
own future amendment, the proviso, that no
amendment which may b. made prior 10 the
year 1908 shall ;p any manner affect" the provis-
ion in the constitution securing to the States the
right to admit the importation of African slaves
previous to that period.
According to the adverse construction, the
olause itself, on which 50 much care and discus
sion had been employed by the members of the
convention, was an absolute nullity from the be-
ginning, and all that has eince been done under
it mere usurpation.
Ii 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 that event any one State would have effect
ually continued the trade not only for itself but
for all the other slave States, though never so
much against their will. And phyS Because
African slaves, when once brought within the
limits of any one State, in accordance with its
laws, cannot practically be excluded from any
other State ALere slavery exists And even if
all the States had separately passed laws prohib-
iting the importation of slaves, these laws would
have failed of effect for want of Glyal force to
capture the savers and to guard the coasts
Such a force no 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, ae-
complished their purpose. For period OF more
than half century there has been no perceptible
addition TO the number OF Our domestic slaves.
During tt,is kegiod their advancement in civiliza
ton has far surpassed that of any other portion
of the African race The light aud the blessings
of Christianity have been extended to them. an.
both their moral and physical condition has been
greatly improved
Reopen the trade and it would he difficult to
determine whether the effect would he more del
eterious l.. tta interests of the master or on
those of the naIive bora srye. Of the evils t.
the MASTER the one To he most Dreaded would be
the introduction of wild. heather and ;gnoraat
barbarians among the sober, orderly and qu'eI
slaves, whose ancestors have been on the soil for
several generations This might tend to barbar-
ize, denoralize and exasperate the whole mass,
and produce the most deplorable consequences.
The effect upon the existing slave would, II
possible. he still more leplorable. AT present he
is treated with kindness and humanity. He rs
well treated, well clothed, and not over aGrked
His condition is mcomparably better than that
OF the coolies which modern nations Of high civ
ilization have employed substitute for Afri
can slaves. Doth the philanthropy and the self
Interest ol the master HaNr C9ihDintu W iouucs
this humane result But let this trade be re
opened, and what win be the result The same
to considerable extent, ON neighboriDg is
land--tha only spot now ON earth where ih'
African slave trade j. openly tolerated; and thi
in defiance of solemn treaties with power abun
d,ntlr able at any momcnt to eifvfce their exc
cutim. There master, intent upon present gam
extorts from the slave much labor AZ his phys
ies, powers are capable of enduring-knowin;
that si.Sn death comes to his relief, his plac'
can be supplied al price reduced to the loves
point by the competition of rv-! African slave
traders Should this ever be the case III ou
country--which I do not deem possble--th'
vresent useful character of the domestic instltu
lion. wherein those too old and too young t
work are provided f.r with care and humanit,
and those capable of lal'or ara rot ovcr-tasked
would undergo an unfortunate change. Th
feeling OF reciprocal dependence and attachmen
which now exists between master and slas
would bp converted into mutual distrust aud hos
tilitv.
But we are Obliged IA a Christian and mora
nation to consider what would be tue effect upo
unhappy Africa itself, ii we should reopen th
slave trade. This would give the trade an iinpe
tus and extension which il has never had even
its palmiest days The numerous victims f'
qured to supply it would convert the whole say
! coast into a perfect faileHoh,ii, ioi VIZ,
this country would be held Responsible IN "a
ewes of both God and man. Its petty tribes Hoai
| then he constantly engaged in predatory Wal
| AGAINST each other for the purpose OF seizin
slaves TO supply the American market
hopes OF African civilization would thus =
| ended .e..
| On the other hand. when market for Africa
slaves shall no longer be furnished IN Cuba, aii
thus ali the world be closed against tins .raa
| we may then indulge reasonable nope .or U
gradual Improvement Of Africa. The chiei IN
IN. ~ war among the tribes vii! ceas, w'ie
ever there Is 10 longer any demand ior siase'.-
the resources Of thai fertile but miserable coa
try might then be developed by the hand o. !
dstry and afford subjects for legitimate 'orsi.
| and ,iomestic commerce. In this manner 'hf'
| iianity and civilization may gradually pet'eHA
the existing gloom.
fkkAry WITH CHINA. ,
The wisdom OF the course pursued by "
government towards China has bseE yindcat
hv the event. Whilst We sustained neutral ?
sition in the war waged by Great Britain al A.
Fraace against the Chinese empire, our late NJ
istsr in ohedience to his instructions, Judicions
co.operated With the Ministers OF these rowe
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