Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-03-14

enjoy an equal suffrage with themselves
From these sources arose a delicate anC
difficult contest. 1t became necessary
therefore, to compromise; or the eonven
ton must have dissolved without effect
ing anything.
The Convention were obliged TO appoin
q Committee for accommodation. II
this committee the arrangement wa.
formed as it now stands and their re
port was accepted
The population Of the large States,
including three fifths OF the slaves, theI
was, according TO the most accurate ac,
counts that could be obtained Virginia
10000; Massachusetts, $3.50, 600; Penn.
syIvauis, 800, 600. Next comes New
York, 233, 600; Maryland, us, coo; Con,
aecticut, 10000, and North Carolina
zoo, 900. South Carolina had 49, 600
New Jersey, 3 5000; New Hampshire,
l02 OG0; Georgia, 1900; Rhode Island
50, 0C0, and Delaware, 1850.
South Carolina and Georgia, with
North Carolina, adhered to the three
larger States: and to secure their adhe.
sion provision was made for continuing
the slave trade. Mr.. Spaight said, IL
the North Carolina Convention there
Was a contest between the Northern and
| Southern States. The Southern States,
hose principal support depended on the
labour Of slaves, would not consent e.
the desire Of the Northern States to ex
clude the importation of slaves abso-
lutely. South Carolina and Georgia in
sisted on this clause, as they were now
in want Of hands to cultivate their lands.
In the course Of twenty years they would
be fully supplied. Then the trade would
be abolished. and in the meantime some
tax or duty might be laid on Mr.. Ire.
dell said the same, aud further, that the
Eastern States having long before abol-
ished slavery, aid not approve Of the ex-
precision " slaves" n therefore used
another that answered the same purpose.
And afterwards, speaking of the prOvis-
ions for the delivery Up of fugitives, be
said "Tbe Northern delegates, owing
10 their peculiar scruples on the subject
of slavery, did not choose the word slUUe
10 be mentioned And Mr.. c. G. PiBck-
ney, in the South Carolina convention,
said that the Middle States and Virginia
were for the immediate prohibition OF the
slave trade. 1t was the Eastern States
whose delegates were willing to endeavoT
to restrain the religious ard political
p~reJudices o. their people on that subject.
" On this point" he said, "yCur dele
gates had 70 contend with the religious
and political prejudices Of the Eastern
aud Middle States, and with the inter-
ested opinion Of Virginia, who was
warmly opposed 70 our importing mere
slaves"
Thus New England, 70 secure a mo-
nopoly Of The carrying trade, as a means
Of pe04aary profit, consented TO waive
her conscientious convictions . as to
the enormity Of the slave trade, and con-
tiBue it for twenty years, with a capita
ton duty Of ten dollars on each slave
imported, which, of course, became so
much Of the price paid by the home pur-
chaser; and South Carolina and GeOr-
gia, to secure this supply Of negroes,
were willing 10 agree to the monopoly,
as well As to assist the larger States in
securing r representation according to
numbers IN the National Legislature ;
aud, TO do this, consented to conniye at,
IN the language of Hamilton, " eradicat-
ing and discarding the fundamental prin-
cipls Of the old Confederation !" at the
establishment of a National Govern
ment," and at the virtual annihilation
Of the sovereignty Of the States: as well
As at the exclusion of the word /" slave "
from the Constitution. Il is no wonder
the Union so created by the balancing of
seitishnesses proved as rotten as a rope Of
sand -
NOTE 3.
The Resolutions of the State of Vir-
GINA, adopted on the 21st OF December,
l79S, (only ten years after the Constitu-
ton was made, declared
as. That this Assembly doth expli-
city and peremptoTily declare that it
views the powers Of the Federal Gov
eminent as resulting from the compact,
70 which the States are parties, as Imi-
ted by the plain sense and intention Of
the instrument constituting that com
pact; as no further valid than they are
authorized by the grants enumerated in
that compact and that in case Of a de-
lIberate, palpable and dangerous exercise
Of other powers not granted by the said
compact, the States, who are the parties
thereto, have the right, and are 10 duty
bound, to interpose for arresting the pro-
gress Of the evil, and for maintaining,
within their respective limits, the au-
thoriues, rights and liberties appertain-
ing 20 them.
"a That the General Assembly doth
also express its deep regret that a spirit
has IN sundry instances been manifested
by The Federal Government, to enlarge
its powers by forced constructions Of the
Caa'AAAeAAtAsAA LLaAAEG huaEl 4ElIEH
them and that indications have aD-
peared Of a design TO expound certain
general phrases (which having been
copied from the very limited grant of
powers Ia the former articles Of cOnfede-
ration, were the less liable to be miscOn-
strued, SO as to destroy the meaning and
effect Of the particular enumeration,
which necessarily explains and limits
the general phrases, and so as to consOli
date the States by degrees into one SOW
ereignty, the obvious tendency and
inevitable result Of which would be to
transform the present republican system
OF the United States into an absolute, or
at best a mixed monarchy"
And the Report Of 1893, upon these
Resolutions and the action of other
States Ia regard to them, written by Mr..
MADISON, said, of the third Resolution /:
1.-The other position involved in this
branch OF the resolution, namely, 8 that
the States are parties to the Constitution
or compact Is, in the judgment Of the
committee, equally free from objection.
Il is indeed true, that the term States
is sometimes Used in a vague sense, and
sometimes 10 different senses, according
n the subject to which IL is applied.
Thus, il sometimes means the separate
sections Of territory occupied by the
POLITICAL societies within each
times the particular governments, estab-
hshed by those societies sometimes
those societies AS organized into
those particular governments; and,
lastly, il means the people COM
posing those political societies in
their highest sovereign capacity.
Although It might he wished hat the
perfection Of language admitted less
diversity In the Specification Of the same
words, we little i-neOnveniency is pro-
duced By it, where the true sense can be
collected with certainty from the differ
ent applications. In the present instance,
Whatever different construction Of the
term Estates" in the resolution, may
have been entertained, all will at least
concur in that last mentioned; because,
in that sense, the Constitution was sub
mitted to the States in that sense
the "Ststesh ratified it, and, in
that sense Of the term States"
they are consequently parties to the