The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-02-02

Philosophical Prophecy.
George Mason Of Virginis, grandfather Of
Senator J. M. Macon Of that State, made a
speech in .he Convention for the formation
Of the Constitution Of the United States. re-.
ported in Eliots Debates, from which We
nakeau extract. Speaking upon the clause
OF the Constitution in regard to the prohibi.
ton Of tho African slave trade he said:
This Internal traffic originated in the ava.
rice OF British merchants. The British Gov.
ernment constantly checked tho attempts Of
Virginia TO put . stop to it. The present
question soooerns not the importing States
alone, but the whole Union. The evil OF
having slaves was experienced during the
last war. Had slaves been treated az thew
might have been by the enemy, they would
have proved dangerous Instruments ia their
hands. But their folly dealt by the slaves
% u did BY the tories. He mentioned thu
dangerous insurrections Of slaves ia Greece
and Sicily; and the instructions given BY
Cromwell to the commissioners sent 10 Vir-
ginla to arm the servants and slaves 10 case
other means OF obtaining its submission
should fail. MARYLAND and Virginia, he said,
had expressly prohibited the importation OF
slaves. North Carolina had done the same
10 substance. All this would be in vain II
South Carolina and Georgia be Ct liberty to
import. The Western people are already
calling out for slaves for their new lands,
and will Ill that country with slaves If they
can be got through South Carolina and
Gsorgia.
Slavery discouragcs arts and manufac.
tures The poo. despise labor when per.
formed BY slaves. They prevent the emf
grafton OF whites, who really enrich and
strengthen . country. They produce the
most pernicious effects on manners. Every
master OF slaves is born q petty tyrant.-
They bring the judgment Of Heaven on
country. As nations cannot be rewarded or
punished ia the next world, they must be in
this. BY an inevitable chain Of causes and
enecte, Providence Furnishes national Sins BY
national salamities. lie lsmented that some
OF our Eastern brethren had, from lust Of
gain, embarked in this nefarious traffic. As
to the States being in possession OF the right
50 import, this was .he case with many other
rights now given up. He held it essential,
IN every point OF view, that the General Gov
eminent should have power TO prevent the
increase Of slavery.
10 those remarks George Mason expressed
the opinions Of the statesmen and the people
generally Of this country, North and South,
- the period OF the formation OF the Con.
stitution. Slavery was regarded as great
national evil, great Gin, which under Prov
idence would bring great national calam-
NY on the country il means were not taken
80 get rid OF it. Its effects were represented
as pernicious on the character OF masters as
well - slaves.
Jefferson, it will be remembered, express I'D
she same opinions, and said it degraded the
slaves to the level Of tho brute and trained
the masters to lawless tyranny. And he
concluded an eloquent aenanciation OF slave
~ with the remark-"l tremble for my coun-
Try when reflect that God 10 just and that
bis vengeance will not always sleep"
ourrevolutionary forefathers apprehended
thaL"by an Inevitable chain Of causes and
effects, Providence would punish our nation
81 Gin OF slavery with national calanities. -
They, therefore, refused 10 recognize slaves
- property under tho Constitution; they
provided for the prohibition OF the African
slave trade; they ca..snly excluded IL,
term "slavs" from the Constitution, because
they "shought il wrong to admit the idea
shat there could be property 10 man, and
then they prohibited the introduction Of
slavery ia oil the territory over which Con.
gress had exclusive jurisdiction.
But the spirit 10 which our fathers deal,
with slavery was soon reversed; the spri. Of
msmmon displaced sentiments Of sympathy
and justice; tho value Of slaves Was soon
quintupled; slavery became cherished in-
terest and institution under the fostering
care Of the General Government, and tho
number Of slaves has increased from TOO. 600
10 4,000,000.
And now the day Of Gods vengeance seems
impending; the chain Of causes and effects