Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-15

h
Eby unmixed sood Il ndd1ixed evil, Is per
maps almost teeri and the only question
10 my view tfis FeSeuts itself to states
men is, first, vi Her the measure itself b
right, tpdePcdd Sf its conseqHeasss; 4Gl
secondly, wBeth those iconsequ ma
i ee such tas 10 nder il inexpedient, be
cause. tnhpmansin other particulars, 70 d,
1 wha, Is right. s!qf 1909 asa rs
There was nerfod In our own tim,
Whenahere was lat one opinion ufoh ID,
question Of rist. os almost but one opfu
100, upon that qlesIion. The men VIII,
toqght through 1 i Revolution, those who
survived its peFl Ind inSFea IL, ils glory
aud who were led to the oonvsntioh 6y
Whtehtbe 'Cohsti ntion OF the United Ststel
was drafted and 5sommended to the adop
lion Of the American people, dImoSt win.
out 1s pttoni tho ght that slavery was Dol
onlY 40 sHll 70 ans people among whom Il
nlgnt ekl 81, but f1atsit was an evil OF tHI
hisaes et,AeAeteI S6ieh It. 6as the duty
o. ~ 'frsiiun Ile.s if .phSsi6te fat t.
trQyt, s.. .I4rl I uas,& 7sin lns well as 3du
eVfl 20 -lfs -
al t6ink' the history Of those tines will
bear me out in the statement that If the
men by whom that Constitution was fram-
ed, aud the people by whom it WAS adopt.
ed, bad anticipated the times in Which we
live, they would have provided 'byicohsti-
tntiouai enactment that that evil aud that
sin should at some comparatively unre
mote day be removed. Without recurring
TO authority, the writings, public or pri.
Tate, OF the men of that day, il is Sufficient
for my purpose to state what the facts will
justify me in saying that every man of
them who largely shared in the dahgers of
the revolutionary struggle, aud who par.
ticipated in the deliberntIons Of the Uou-
Veution by which the Constitution was
adopted, earnestly desired, not only upon
grounds of political economy, not only
upon reasons material in their character;
but upon grounds otmoraIity aud religion,
that sooner or later the insiitutioa should
terminate. Its recognition ia the Consti
tuition, therefore, (EOr It is idle, as IsIbink,
to deny that it is there fecoguised,A the
authority given by Implication to a trade
which might lead 10 It's increase by immi-
grafton, was not because large majority
of the members of the Convention, aud a
large majority of the people OF the United
States IL the mass favored the institution,
but because they believed that without
provisions Of that description il wonld be
difficult to have a Union adopted. WbVth-
er they were right or wrong, IL is now use.
less to inquire. Judging by what was
occurring at the time, it is possible, and
perhaps even more than probable, that
they were right, but If thew made mis-
take as to that fact, If the Union conJd
have been adopted without tho reoogoi,ioni
of the Institution in the Government which
formed 1t, 1t its gradual extirpatiou could
have been provided for, no one WIN is a
spectator Of the scenes around us win now
fail to regret that il had not been dnn..p
In the con-ss ofb;. ,.Di, -. SL;.s,,..
~ y
advanced Oy Mt. DAVis,s OF hens9eky' that
Q certain Sovereignty resides in ths States,
with a power in the ueon,e 10
!. .uo,;1 ,h. co,s,;,,,;os - .,..,,,,--
~
upon eA's'lng SIaIe aasn0Elty' Ar"I"nn-
son sstd:
"Ar President, II the people OF the United
states, Whe9' tney assemoIed together In
their several States, anu adopted the Con-
sttntlon OF tue Ootea states were sn.
preme, then ~ was tnslr tlght, aud 90
oody elses right 10 proVtae neH lon the
GoVernment snoula last, whether II should
oe changea at al, ana u cnanged how
changed iney ala p!oVlde: they were
700 Wise not 10 Auo" iu "uNHnee mat tue
oiFcumstances oil inc country might
80 tu0 Ns ~ was A"eui
admirably suited 10 Ineir Judgment to the
wants OF tne people as they were, might
prove tnaasqoate 70 .its cneFisned end; aud
t3ey tnereIote Provlued' oy tue NTH arti-
cIe OF tne OonstItutlon, ioF tue amendment
oI tne lnsIEuheos lIseL, aod placed tne
"noIe InstIumens suoJset 10 tue power Of
amenumenL" - ".tn-e&sspL'ons tue exception
Ss ,soe 20 Ine aSoi'uon 400 =. tne slave trade uutil
leGe, aud Ioe- s1esPH9n, ne 70 tne taxing
Aaa tePresensa'lYe elauses; out everything
eLse was maae saolest 10 amendment am IN
!4e "ay poinLsu gu. oy me artlste' and
1ne a5uGie goes ou 70 oeclSEe tnAt When
amenaeu 10 lne noae SO pointed out the
aanaa ~ sl " ~ 81 .n.sAts anu PIE,
posss "s par tn, ~ .ue S9hsutni'on' ana OF
LS oe G.s;,.; SS as instead o. coming
a.son5@sS' aGSo !, 14s ;ssn es,tet y way OF
.Cns.,i..,;n. ,,.I't aueoEpoEa'eu u I9e ,'