Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-03-28
RICHMOND WHIG.
SPEECH OF HON. G. w. SUMMERS,

|
The PREsDENr-The pending question is upon the ro-
ference of the report of the Commissioners from Virgin
ia 10 the Pesce Conference Washington, 10 the Com
mittee on Federal Relations and upon that question, the
gentleman from Kauawha is entitled to the floor
| Mr. SUMMERS of Kanawha-Mr President, feel that
owe on apology 10 the Convention far its indulgence
and ts attention. certainly expected to have conclud-
cd the remarks which felt called upon to submit during
the sitting Of yesterday but wishing to comply with the
pleasure Of others, yielded to motion for adjourn
ment
In the review of the adjustment agreed upon by the
Peace Conference at Washington had reached the fifth
article in the series designing as had done IN regard 70
the other sections express my opinions on those which
remain 10 be examined, and which were intended, TO-
gether to constitute if adopted, the thirteenth amend
men of the Constitution OF the United States Will pro-
ceed to express my view in regard the remaining parts
| The fifth section, as prepared is in these words:
"The foreign slave trade is hereby forever prohbltec
and it shall be the duty of Congress TO pass laws to pre-
rent the Importation of slaves coolies or persons held
TO service labor into the United States and the Terr
| tories from places beyond the limits thereof"
remark Mr. President u the first place that the vote
of the Commissioners from Virginia cast as unit
against this section. 1t is not my purpose, nor indeed
am d epared if il were proper to state the motives
governing the several gentlemen composing the Commis
sion from Virginia. in regard TO that vote 1t Is sufficient
hat say for myself tina Ientirey concur in the state
men found in the explanatory letter OF my late colleague,
Judge BRoCEENBROUGH. In speaking OF this secuon ne
| says:
The section prohibiting the foreign slave trade, by
| constitutional amendments is Of ,ctionabe, simply
cause wholly unnecessary. Even the Confederate
| States OF the South, constituting an independent
Government of slave States, de Jdet0 not Ge re nave
| prohibited this traffic"
THE advocates for re-openng il in any Of the border
slave States are very few and there no sort of ne
cessity for interposting this provision which had no
| connection with the pending controversy into this
| scheme OF ar justment"
| We do mt
ment at Montgomery towards the African slave trade
The newspapers tell of a veto by the President on
some bill relating 10 that sutjec have not seen the
grounds of the veto, do know what was the exact
| character of the bill.
IL will be remembered Mr.. President, that the Cons
titution of the United States, itself contains no inhio
tion of the foreign sve trade The only provision re-
lang 10 the subject is this The migration or impor-
tlon of sach any OF the States now existing
shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by
Congress prior to the year thousand and eight hun
dred and eight" We all know that after the arrival OF
The period at which they might legiimately act, Con-
gress did prohtx the slave trade made 1t piracy TO en-
gage in it and that it remains prohibited traffic from
thst time this was of opinion m salt, that II was
matter to be left Congressional regulation as hereto
fore left under the provisions OF the Constitution
have however, heard objections made 10 this Sec
,iou which do net strike well founded. IL seems
TO be supposed by gentlemen that in the event the
seeded S.a still continue of the Union, and their
independence shall be recognized by the remaining Gov
ernmeut this provision might in some form, operate
against the transfer of slave property from those seeded
States into the Slave States still within the limits OF the
Union.
MIR President it must be quite obvious that in devils
ing amendments the Constitution, l1okug 70 the set
tenent OF aay Of the questions OF difficulty aud conrO
| versy which now disturb Us, the Conference was con
strained 70 look the Government unbroken one;
that it was compelled propose amendments to the Con.
sution of the country it now Is without change OF
boundary and that it would have been incompetent as
il would have beer ueXpcGicut and improper 10 pfoVe
a proposed amendment the Constitution OF the United
Stst,s based upon tie hypothesis that already
was soon to be- tsiutegra.ed. What mean 10 say s,
that in proposing amendments to the Constitution, as
matter course the Conference vas bound to look 10
the whole country n s aud not a. Il possibly may De-
But again sr-my understanding Of this section was
at the time aud is now, thai it is prohibition directed
AGAINST the tOrcgR S{aUe rdde-he African slave trace
as a ;rsii; not hereafter TO be allowed The provision
il that he foreign slave trade hereby forever pFoho-
tied and it shall be the duy of Congress TO pass awso
prevent the importation Ct slaves coolies or persons
held TO service or labor into the United States and the
territories from places beyond the limits thereof NOW,
ia il not the fair mode Of construction is not the Ie-
gitimate and only mode Of construction TO take every
part and portion Of this paragraph together and al Pdr
material When il is made tie duty OF Congress- to pass
laws prohibiting the importation OF slaves from beyond
the limits of the United States, tits the importation from
foreign countries which is denounced 1t Is directed
AGAINST the African the foreign slave trade This, u--
ouesionably was the purpose in the minds Of those
who framed and supported the amendment in the Con-
ference.
Now Mr. President so far as the obi 'cton upon
the idea that in the event Of the recognition OF
m, iudcp.nden of these Southern States which
have sececed from the Union that the limits and oouu-
daries of the United States then changed aud that
this constitutional amendment looking not to the hour
of its enactment its ratification, but speaking az the
moment of its execution might be construed TO prevent
the bringing of slaves from South Carolina Georgia,
Louisiana and other Southern States into virginia and
other slave States coming from beyond the limits oil
the United States have this remark TO make: In the
first pace the course OF trade in slaves has been and al
ways will be- from the cotton and sugar States to the
agricultural slave States Of the Unon but, eonUsrSo
from the border States the cotton the sugar. and the
rice States There has BEEN there is no reason to
suspect there will be system OF slave trade by
which of the border slave States are TO receive slaves
from that region We all very well know that the pro-
ducous of slave labor in that region Of the country
greatly more profitable than with u.s. and that by conse
guende the price OF negroes is always higher in the cot
ton and sugar States than it is in the border States
But again, sir--the objection that Virginia owners
working slaves on a cotton ard sugar plantation in tfe
Southern States that have seeded might perhaps not
be permitted to bring them back 10 Virginia. | do not
think valid one Take the case of gentleman re7id
inc in Virginia and working portion OF bis slaves on
cotton plantation in Mississippi on sugar plantation
in Louisiana and who might find 1t convenient to ex'
change the point labor for these hands from time TO
time rendering it necessary to pass back and forth with
them from tie State Of his plantation TO Nirgni1 lu
my ouiuion this section would not apply 10 any such
case think in the first place that 1t applies alone to
the foreign slave trade and in the second place. that the
removal of hands by Virginia owner under the cir
cumsances supposed would not be an importation OF
slaves into tue United States in the OF this section
By way of an il.ustfatoj, suppose that a Virginia
contractor upon some public work in Brazil, which
slave country-t2ke the Don Pedro Railroad now ID
course OF construction n the Empire of Braz-sav that
| q Vrginian takes with him fifty or hundred OF nus
slaves 10 work upon at railroad and that he retains
them there in his own service aud upon that work one
year two years or until the completion OF the contract
whatever time il may be; would the bringing back TO
Virginia OF bis own slaves carried there and employed
in his own service subj him the penalties Of he
foreign slave trade Would il be piracy his part TO
bring them back? Would t be imp0ytd!oa OF slaves
from beyond the limits Of the United States within the
meaning of this amendmeng II would only be bringing
back his own property IL would in be "siAye
trade" or an importation" 1t would be upon tie
same pracple that American visitor in Europe,
foreign ambassador if you choose might take bis house
hold servants with him if the laws of the country per
mirted it. and having retsiaed them in his service
the period of his absence bring them back with him
his return This would be neither the "oreign slave
trade" or an importation OF say,s."
Besides all this if the seeded States shall remain out
aud become foreign nation, all these questions OF in
tercourse with slave property can be arranged by treaty
stpulations.
But Mr. President let us see how this matter would
work if we had attempted another orp. Suppose this
section had been so framed TO provide that 1.-The I'M
portaon of slaves coolies persons held to service or
labor into the United States and the Territories from
places beyond the present limits thereof shall be pro-
hibited Suppose had assumed that shape-"from be-
yond the present limits thereof" In that case, in the
event of the recognition Of the independence oil these