The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12

late and averted the advent OF the twin evils,
secession and coercion.
In the fulnlment OF her purpose Mrs. Dixon
has been led to portray the extraordinary met
am%orphoses in opinion and sentiment thattook
place within the period between 1920 and 1854
in both the Northern and Southern sections OF
the republic. The North, from being in earlier
days an advocate OF secession and disunion.
became the champion Of the Union. while
the South. which. viewed collectively. had
been for many years most passionately
devoted t. the Union. became. ultimately. a
most strenuous advocate Of secession, not only
in theory but in practice. giving her best blood
TO disrupt the compact. to defend which she
had fought in 1872. when New England re-
fused to do so. Stress is also laid in these
pages upon the fact that the majority Of the
Southern States desired to stop the slave trade
in 1887. and that the Northeastern States en-
tered into a combination with a minority Of
the Southern States 10 prevent q prohibit
ton of the traffic by Congress for a Pc
riod Of twenty years. even putting this
provision into the Federal Constitution
itself. Yet. eventually. we lind the North in
favor OF freeing the slaves of the South. many
of whom had been brought by Northern slave
dealers into the Southern States under this
very provision. while the South. from having
regarded slavery rs q most dangerous element
OF society. came, in the end, to defend 1t as the
bulwark of its institutions. Mrs. Dixon says
truly that in the events and causes leading up
to the Missouri Compromise and to its repeal
is to be found the only solution OF the enigma
presented by the singular transformations.
There is no doubt whatever that the per-
petuation OF the slave trade for twenty years
after the adoption OF the Constitution was due
TO a bargain made between the three New
England States. viz. Massachusetts New
HAMPSHIRE and Connecticut on the one side.
and South Carolina and Georgia on the other.
in opposition to the views Of the other South
ern States. Upon this point, Mrs. Dixon cites
Gen. Washington's statement. as reported by
Mr.. Jeffer'NN IN his "Anas." 1t was on Sept.
30. 1Nb2, IT, Washington, who had been. it
will be reca.rd. President of the Philadelphia
Convention. told Mr.. jefferson: "The Consti-
tuition agreed to til a fortnight before the
Convention arose was such a one as he would
have set his hand and heart to. First, the
President was to be elected for seven years;
second, rotation in the Senate: third. a vote of
two-thirds in the Legislature on particular
subjects. and expressly on that OF navigation"
Washington went on to say that the three
New England States were constantly with us
In all questions tRhode Island not there and
New York not seldom. so that It wasthese three
States with the five Southern ones, against
Pennsylvania. New Jersey and Delaware
With respect to the importation of slaves
1t was left to Congress. This disturbed
Che two southernmost States South Caro-
lima and Georgia. who knew that Congress
would Immediately suppress the Importation
OF slaves. These two States. therefore, struck
up a bargain with the three New England
States. If the latter would join to admit slaves
for some years. the southernmost States would
Join in changing the clause which required
two-thirds OF the Legislature in any vote. 1t
was done. These articles were changed 40
cordingly. and from that moment the two
southernmost States and these three Northern
ones Joined Pennsylvania. New Jersey and Della
ware. and made the majority 8 to 3 against us.
instead OF & Ito 3 for us. as 1t had been through
the whole convention. Under this coalition
the great principles of tho Constitution were
changed in the last days OF the convention"
Washington'S statement to Jefferson is fully |
borne out by Madison's record of the votes and
proceedings OF the convention. New England
was especially interested in navigation, and |
for the sake of gaining some CONNER
clal advantages for herself. advantages
which PENNSYLVANIA. New Jersey and Del
aware might. to a minor extent, share,
she Joined hands with South Carolina and
Georgia in fastening upon tho country for
e"'ANy y'teAo aip ava llllGlllullOnN Oh Sl1NATY. |
which was to grow in that period to such
colossal proportions and to become so inter-
woven with the interests. the affections and
the prejudices Of a great part of the American
people as to make 1t n difficult and dangerous
question for any man to touch.
There are now few persons on either side OF
Mason and Dixon's line who do not concur
with the author OF this book in regarding the
compromise. which Washington
nFnN al IA Ins IA ne LA..- fN -, ..l
sacrifice OF principle on both sides. The North
ern majority in the convention. which by it's
votes imposed the continuance OF the slave
trade on the country for twenty years, pro-
fessed to he opposed to slavery, and often de-
nounced 1t and the Shareholders in most violent
terms; yet it voted the clause into the
Constitution forbidding Congress to prohibit
the importation OF slaves into this country for
twenty years. The two Southern States that
made the bargain with them were equally
guilty Of a sacrifice OF principle to what thew
mistakenly imagined to be their intercsta.
They had been in favor OF requiring in the pro-
posed Federal legislature a two-thirds vote
for the enactment of laws on particular sub
Jects. and they were opposed to granting to the
North that power over the South which its
would give to the former section un-
less II were controlled 10y such a restriction
as the two-thIris provision in regard to
legislation. But the two most south
ernmost states like the three New england
States, were tempted 10y the prospect of addi-
tional wealth. ana, reckless Of the consequences
10 the other Southern States, and to them
selves as well. they entered into the accursed
bargain, which not only made all subsequent
attempts To rid the country OF slavery failure.
but also placed the South at the mercy of
Northern majority, so far as the House Of Rep
r. sentatives should be concerned.
Mrs. Dixon draws attention 10 the intimate
connection between the prohibition Of slavery