The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-31


the subject of African slavery, showing con-
clusively that Virginia always considered
this as one oil. the questions affecting her
internal polity," over which she, in COM
mon with the other colonies, claimed the
right of exclusive legislation in their pro-
vincial legislatures within their respective
limits. Some of these acts, particularly
those which were enacted prior to the year
1899, were evidently intended to foster and
encourage, as well as to regulate and con-
troll African slavery, as one of the domestic
institutions of the colony. The act OF 1899,
and most of the enactments subsequent to
that date, were as obviously designed to re-
strain and check the growth of the institu-
ton with the view of combining it within the
limit of the actual necessities of the COM
munity, or its ultimate extinction as might
be deemed most conducive to the public in
terests, by a system ofunfriendly legislation,
such as imposing a tax on all slaves intro
duced into the colony, which was increased
and renewed from time to time, as occasion
required, until the period of the Revolution.
Many of these acts never took effect, in
consequence of the king Withholding his
assent, even after the governor had approx
ed the enactment, in cases where it contain
ed clause suspending its operation until
his Majesty's pleasure should be made known
in the premises.
In l772 the provincial legislature of Vir-
ginia, after imposing another tax of five
per cent. on all slaves imported into the COL
ony, petitioned the king to remove all those
restraints which inhibited his Ma(esty's gov
ernors asserting to such laws as might
check so very pernicious commerce as
slavery. Of this petition, Judge Tucker
says:
"The following extract from petition to the
throne, presented from the house of Burgesses
of Virginia, April l, l772, will show the sense of
the people of Virginia on the subject of slavery
at that period:
from the coast of Africa hath long been cOnsid.
cred as a trade of great inhumanity and under
its present encouragement we have too much
reason to fear will endanger the very existence
of your Majesty's American dominions.
Mark the ominous words! Virginia tells
the King Of England in l772, four years
prior to the Declaration of Independence,
that his Majesty's American domlnions are
in danger: not because OF the stamp duties
not because of the tax on tea-not because
of his attempts to collect revenue in Amer
lea! These have since been deemed sufi-
cient to Justify rebellion and revolution.
But none of these are referred to by Vir-
ginia in her address to the throne there
being another wrong which, in magnitude
and enormity, so far exceeded these and all
other causes of complaint that the very ex-
istence of his Majesty's American domin-
ions depended upon it! That wrong con-
sisted in forcing African slavery upon de-
pendent colony without her consent and in
opposition to the wishes of her own people
The people Of Virginia at that day did
not appreciate the force of the argument
used by the British merchants who were en-
gagged in the African slave trade and which
was afterwards endorsed, at least by impli-
cation, by the king and his ministers that
the colonies were the common property OF
the empire-acqured by the common blood
and treasure-and therefore all British sub
iects had the right to carry their slaves into
the colonies and hold them in defiance of the
local law and in contempt of the wishes and
safety of the colonies.
The people of Virginia not being con-
WINGED by this process of reasoning, still ad-
hered to the doctrine which they held Ill
common with their sister colonies, that it
was the birthright of all freemen-inalien-
able when formed into political communities
to exercise exclusive legislation in respect
to all matters pertaining to their internal
polity- slavery not excepted; and rather
than surrender this great right they were
prepared to withdraw their allegiance from
the crown.
Again referring to this petition to the
king, the same learned Judge adds:
''This petition produced no effect, as appears
from the first clause of our [Virginia] cOnstitu.
ton, where, among other acts of misrule, the
inhuman use of the royal negative in refusing
us 1.-THE people of Virginia. permission to ex-
clude slavery from US by law, is enumerated
among the reasons for separating from Great
Britain"
This clause in the constitution of Virginia,
referring to the inhuman use of the royal
neg ative, IN refusing the colony of Virginia
permission to exclude slavery from their
limits by law as one of the reasons for sepa-
rating from Great Britain, was adopted on
the 18th day of June, l776, three weeks
and one day previous to the Declaration of
Independence by the Continental Congress ;
and after remaining in force as part of the
constitution for period of fitty-four years,
was re- adopted without alteration, by the
convention which framed the new constitu-
ton in 1880, and then ratified by the peo.
pie as a part Of the new constitution; and was
again re-adopted by the convention which
amended the constitution in l850-and again
ratified by the people .as a part of the
amended constitution, and at this day
remains a portion of the fundamental law of
Virginia-proclaiming to the world and to
posterity that one of the reasons for sepa-
rating from Great Britain was "the inhuman
use Of the royal negative in refusing us 1.-THE
colony of Virginia. permission to exclude
slavery from us by law!" a IS a..as
The legislation Of Virginia on this subject
may be taken as fair sample of the legisla-
tive enactments of each of the thirteen
colonies, showing conclusively that slavery
was regarded by them all as domestic
question to be regulated and determined by
each colony to suit itself, without the inter-
vention of the British Parliament or the
inhuman use of the royal negative" Each
colony passed series of enactments, begin
ming at an early period of its history and
running down to the commencement of the
revolution, either protecting, regulating, or
-,,& ;r;rcr fricon clio uovx, xusth;n stc ro.