The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-02

/ lhDllCdn government, the Assembly pass
| al a law FOR the perpetual prohibition OF
/ the importation OF slaves ard TO remove
call restraints which inhibited GoyernIrs
1 aeseutlng TO such laws as might check
! 50 very pcrniciols a commerce" q Tuck
| cr's Blackstone. App 81 Note) Several
! other colonies sent up petitions similar TO
! those of Virginia. but Great Britain re-
/ fused TO abolish the traffic (Souihorn
/ Quarterly Review. April. .sl2) No South
crn colony nor State ever had a vessel
, engaged in the slave trade
In the convention, framing the Constltu-
tion. committee reported IN favor Of
limiting the slave trade TO 1so0. An
amendment was moved. which prevailed.
TO extend it 20 isos. Massachusetts. Con-
necticut and New Hampshire voting for
the amen}ment, and Virginia against IT,
/ GA Madison papers, 1861 The United
STATES (ld cf March,. 1901. took the initla-
tive IN abolishing the trade. Slavery. at
the time OF the declaration OF Independ-
once existed in all the States. African
slavery has shared In the evolution Of
/ public opinion and social institutions
ana tho Christian world has slowly. but
irrovccably arrived at the great truth that
70 human being with Will. conscience in
tolect. Immortality, IS entitled TO person.
80 freedom. 10 the products OF his labor
10 unrestraint upon his fullest moral and
mental development.
Tho Constitution or tho United States
adopted in 17SO recognized slavery in
three Of IT'S articles. and for many years
MP TO tho fierce abolition agitation OF later
times there was no formidable effort for
its removal.
AS TO MULTIPLICATION.
II. Nullncation--A clear mandate OF the
Constitution required slaves 20 be deliver
ed mp 20 their owners when escaping into
another State. Congress discharged IT'S
duty bv passing laws 90 carry out this
(C0nstituNonaD obligation. and evey Pres
iGent compiled with his oath TO see the
law duly executed. a sense of justice
(and OF mutual Interest," Insured the OBJ
scrvance OF the fundamental law OF the
land Such Northern oXpounders Of the
Constitution as Story. Webster. Pierce.
woodbury.. Fillmore. and Buchanan af-
nrmcd in unequIvocal phrase the duty Of
the government to carry ont this solemn
engagement. In Pugg VS. Pennsylva-
mia, 16 Peters. Justice Story. in render
iug tho decision OF the Supreme Court.
said. "FrOm 1898. the date Of the nassag
Of the Fugitive Slave Law down % the
present hour. not a doubt has been breath
cl upon the constitutionality OF the act,
and every executive in the Union has con-
stanfly acted upon and admitted iis va
Hlify" I'm later years. under the new
mode Of Interpreting orr Constitutional
compact hy the moral sense" OF the in
divldual and his Internal convictions or
"hchcr law" (sweeping away legal
and constitutional bau.cr) resistance
was made by men and families and se-
cret orranlzauonsl. This hostility was
developed in party platforms. ecclesias-
teal dclivoranccs. concre sional speech
cs. judicial dicta and legislative enact
1nenfs Imnedimcuts were thrown in
the way cf the return of fIeitives from
labor hv lawlcss mchs. The Federal gov
crnment and the owners woro subjected
to heavy expense. Ten sovereign States
interuosod to punish the owners. protect
tho thieves and confscafo the property
Of citizens ~ sister states. Ihls was
the second instance of hagnnt nulli-
f..If1u OF tta piNn ft0y'fiou or lh7
Constitution and of laws made In puf-
euance thereof Mainc. Massachusetts,
Vermont. New Hampshire Rhode IS
land Connecticut. New York. New Jersey.
p.urevfranla Ohio. Indiana, ll'lnoi 3.
Nrrhiean. Minnesota, and. beyond an
fna rosf Wisconrin. filled their tatnie
books with laws adopted ineenionsly ana
effectively for the purpose or re"nei I.5
rueltorv the express coNenents "i INC
Constitution. a. northern lawyer SAYS 'ne
decisions Of the Supreme Court "t WIS
eor.in were without a shadow OF support
in Jaw. and can only be deiended %" D Dl,F
o'uuonary grounds. 'Nii'"' A.'.
Thasa notifications were summary de-
,,.f.. revolutionary. and dissolved the
Union SO far as tine clear CONS ".'.,'.'.
mandate was concerned ,'"o-- go
-,,,5,tc" said story and others tna
Union would never have neth lu. ".'l
r.tt. rnuifcation made the ed't"i
,.,.,,, diesoluhle pro tant0 az the pleasure
r.,,. state or any Department oi 9'''o.
w., go os-, These presidents were never
s.i,,,c5 in, the south. 10 southern
e,,,. ever nulliacd a clause or the Oo"-
.nnticn. or an act Of Congress
rrrsrrRATELY PERVERTED.
u.-.,.. in n Washington Ccity) news,
- .,s frqf "When Calhoun iou"u
..c,,i1 not hc President Dee resolve"
eraifor Ilc invented nuiiinc'-
vr. ruu fcaton proposed py MI'
/ I..,..,., So, rliercurDsentcd so deluelal'-
.'..,.c,tal hv northern historians was
/ ,-,-.,. carried into effect for ihr very -
or..e which passed the force uNl 'O GOV -
| c,,tfh Carolina into submission 10 '''0
| tariffs of lN-N ana lN'-' "' ''' A.,
s,on r.ocalel those two laws anu H''
9r.v- Jackson signed the repeal anu w l.,s n.'s
49,. rr,m the statute book what SCUM
/ .,t... had declared TO be unconstlu-
/ ..r and void. South Carolina sue
l'..i.9 I'm accommodating her object ny
| 49,. acor,nroruiso 40" of Mafch, lo"''
which llr. Calhoun supported. 9"e a.
! oorfe1 the concession aud repeaieu lHo
ordinance OF Modification Inc 'o,i,e ,'.... e-'-
| ,.,, of the state had proposed terms
Of COMPROMISE after which, s"oul" ~
| GROSS compiv. the State would repeal ihe
,,,Iirr.tion ordinance The "Ioree Bill
| rendered wholly unnecessary by lne
| ..1.,,,,.r,rni.e Act" was approved by the
! President ON the same day and eNnl 90
lv ifs own limitation at the end OF the
/ ,.c,t session of Congress. tCOngtessioual
Debates. Vol. TX. part "a, Appendix ln>'
| uuchannn's Administration on the hEe
of tho Rebellion. pp. 92-1D. Jhe nul"-
| reatiou al most, was intended as hn ar
| re4t of Judgment. a suspension ol aHtAur~
ifv unfn a. convention Of the states, the
| creators of the Union, could be !eshhy
! summoned 10 decide whether they l'd
doiecafed a denied power 10 their Gov.
arnrerfsl agent. The Stale. ~ con-
| ,enffou Of the sovereign people duly ana
! locally ar4cmhif-l--fhs COnsiitution-mak k
inc mower as contra -distingu u,sned nom
fre ln,e-rnaking pOwer-declatei the pro-
fa.ffye tariff laws i0f '.S and 'a2l 10 be
| Unconstitutional. and therefore null nnd
void within her limits. This was sn APP
peal 90 the paramount power In our sys-
! fern--tle convention Of ths Statcs-tO de-
clare authortatlYely what is tie C0nsti-
| trfi.n or Old aurnd lts defects. The Ut