Washington telegraph., 1862-09-10
The Confederate Constitution-No. 8

lhe o!u anu uc" cpuolll utiOns, uOt Ohiy
ectine expressly the powers Of congress,
but impose also certain restrictions upon
the exercise Of the powers s. granted.
Even whilst ex eicisiug thuse legitimate
powers, sumo of the great principles VI
civil liberty might otherwise be Invaded
10y improper modes Of procedure, or i'm
proper provisions concur ing Legitimate
subject matter. Hence series of clauses
are inserted in each constitution in the
nature cfs bill of rights. Although alb
solutc i'll their nature, thcy have been
judicial!y declared applicable to congress
ioual legislation alone- The States ara
not bound by these, aud the legislation of
any state may pass laws in contTaveution
Of them, when not prohibited BY it. own
State Constitution. There are certain re-
sirictlons upon the powers vi State legis-
latlon, but they are expressly declared to
be so. Beyond them 10 state il bou4 d
BY the bill Of rights of the Confederate
Government
The first restriction of the old cOnsti
tuition was with REGARD to the slave trHde.
1t Was Que of those miserable cOmproui-
ses which false philanthropy often makes
with self interest. Slave trading Is not
mentioned, but timoursiy avoided A. usual.
1t is nevertheless fully protected against
Congressional Interference for time sutil
GENTLY long to suit the purposes Of all
avaricUus slave traders Of that generation
The Constitution Of the Uuiled States de-
clarcd that '-the migration Or importation
Of such persons Us any of the States now
existing shall think proper 70 admit, shall
not &c prohibited By congress prior ~ the
year 1905" This euured chiefly 10
the benefit Of tie North, wh Csc citizens
composed large majority If tile owners
Of slave ships. RHODE Island especially
had accumalatcd immense wealth by tile
importation Of slaves from Africa tO tile
South 1t constituted grea. Interest
there, aud in other ports.
The Constitution Of the United Siatea;
which the north rn fanatics profess {"
hold in such vencra ton, a tp induce
them to seek to perpetuate il hy force ot
arns over al unwilling people; i the only
one on the face Of the globe, which Has
made it fundamental article. that the
-Iavc trade shall be protected from legis-
laiise interference. The acgis OF the cot
slituiun wus thrown over II Gur a period
Of twenty. che years, (from 1887 ID 1909
during which no impediment was to be
thrown in the way of hosc who were thus
fattcuing on human blood; after that Pc
Rod it Was permitted to Congress t1 ios-
ter the ira &C as much longer a. il might
deem fit.
~ bright contrast with this spectacle,
our own constitution framed hy people
who openly proclaim that the relation Of
master aud slave as il exists is ia fall ac-
cordance with the laws Of God, has never
theless forbidden the barbarous and iuhG-
man practice by which new victims of
mans avarcc are torn from their homes
aud placed in that condition II u larcs
that 1.-The importation of negroes NJ IT
rcan race frow any foreign country other
than the slaveholding States or Territories
of the United States IF America, is hrre
by forbidden, aud Congress i re2aired u
pass such laws as shall cfFoctually prevent
the same"
The next section provides, that ''Cun-
gress shall also have power to prohibit
the introduction of slaves from any state
not a member Of, or Territory not belOn-
ri"g tn, this Confederacy.'
Tie rcas"n of the prohibition would
not sc IN at first glance to apply to the
importation of slaves already held 10 9TH
er countries such as Cuba. 10 allow tlat
however would be only to opcn the slave
trade Indirectly through foreign ports.
Indeed 1t may yet be apprehended consi-
dering the sordid aud avaricious charac-
ter Of our northern nciglbors, and that
they will be cut off from the sources of
wealth which has heretofore flown upon
them from the South, that they may them
selves restore the slave trade ia Delaware.
Nothing in their constitution prevents it
If not prohibited by some law of Con-
gress, they may thence sell them iutv the
Confederate States. The privilege Of i'm
porting slaves from the United States and
and Territories was. DO doubt, reserve ed
for the benefit of such Shareholders in
those states as might sympathize with the
South and wish to immgrate to the Con-
federate Statos.
The cid constitution prohibits the pas
sage of any 'bill of attainde., or CT posi-
tacto law, We add to that ''or law de
nying or impairing the right Of property