Year: 1860

I
from exercising specified power before an ap-
pointed day, necessarily involved the right to
exercise this power utter that day had arrived


If this were not the case, the trainers OF
the Constitution had expended much labor in
vain. Had they imagined that Congress would
possess no power to prohibit the trade either
before or after 1903, they would not have
taken so much care to protect the States
against the exercise Of this power before that
period. Nay more, they would not have at.
tached such vast Importance TO this provision
as to have excluded it from the possibility of
future repeal or amendment, to which other
portions of the Constitution were exposed 1t
would, then, have been wholly unnecessary to
eIgraft on the fifth article of the Constitution,
prescribing the mode of its own future amend
ment, the profiSo, Z" that no amendment which
may be made prior to the year one thousand
eight hundred and eight shall in any manner
affect the provision in the Constitution Sc
curing t. the States the right to admit the i'm
pOrtation Of African slaves previous to that
period.


According to the adverse construction. the
clause itself on which so much care aud dis.
cussion had been employed 10y the members of





the beginning, aud all that has since been done
under it a mere uSurDatlon.


1t was well and wise to confer this power on
Congress, because, had it been left to the
States, its eff lent exercise would have been
impossible. In that event any one State could
have effectuallv continued the trade not only
for itself but for all the other slave States,
though never SO much against their will. And
why ? Because African slaves, when once
brought within the limits of any one State in
accordance with the laws, cannot practically
be excluded from any other State where Slave
ry exists And even if all the States had
separately passed laws prohibiting the impor-
tation OF slaves. these laws would have failed
of effect for want of "A naval force to capture
the siavcrS aud to guard the coasts. Such q
force no State can employ in time Of peace
without the consent of Congress.


These acts of Congress, il is believed, have,
with very rare and insignificant exceptions, ac-
complished their purpose. For a period 70
more than halt century there has been no
pcrcrptible addition to the number of our do
mc<tic slaves During this period their ad
vancement ip cvIizition has far surpassed that
os any other portion of the African race. -





kave been extended to them, and both their
moral aud physical condition has been greatly
improved.


Reopen the trade, aud it would lac difficult
to determine whether the effect won.d he more
drleteriouS on the interests OF the master or
those of the uativc-born slave Of the evils
10 the master the one most to he dreaded
would be the introduction of wild, heather,
and ignorant harbaranS amoag the sober,
orderly, and quiet slaves. whose ancestors have
been Oh the soil for several generations. This
might tend to barbariz', demorulze, aud eX.
a>perate the whole mass, and produce most
deplOrahe consequences.


The effect upon the existing slave would, If
possible, be still more deplorahle. At present
he is treated with kindness and humanity He
is well fed, well clothed, and not overworked.
HIS condition is incomparably better than that
OF the coolies which modern nations OF high
civilization have employed as substitute for
African slaves. Both the philanthropy and
the seIf-intercSt of the master have combined
to produce this humane rrSut. But let this
trade be reopened, and what will be the effect?
The same. 10 a considerable extent, as on a
neiyhboring island-the only spot now on
earth where the African slave trade is openly
tolerated aud this in defiance of solemn
treaties with a power abnndanty able at any
moment 10 enforce their extension. There the
master, intent upon present gain, extOrtS from
the slave as much labor as bis physical powers
are capable Of enduring-knowng :hat when
death comes TO his reef his place can be sup
piled at price reduced to the lowest point by
the competition Of the African SlavetraderS
Should this ever he the case in onr country
which DO not deem poS>ible-thc present
useful character Of the domestic institution,
wherein those too old or too young to work
are provided for with care and humanity and
those capable of labor are not oyertasked
would undergo an unfortunate change. The
feeling of reciprocal dependence and attach
mcnt which now exists between master and
slave would be converted into mutual distrust
and hostility.


But we are obliged, rs Christian and moral
nation, to consider what would be the effect
upon unhappy Africa itself if we should re
open the Slave-trade. This would give the
trade an impulse and extension which it has
never had even in its palmiest days The M
merouS victims required TO supply II would
convert the whole slave coast into perfect
! Pandemonium, for which this country would
I be held responsible in the eyes beth of God
and man. Its petty tribes would then be con
stantly engaged in predatory wars against each
other for the purpose of sezing slaves TO sup
| ply the American market All hopes OF Afri
can civilization would thus be ended.


/ On the other hand, when market for Afri
can slaves shall no longer be furnished in Cuba
and thus all the world be closed against hi,
trade, we may then indulge a reasonable hope
/ for the gradual Improvement Of Africa. The
chief motive Of war among the tribes vii
cease whenever there is no longer any demand
| for slaves The resources of that fertile bu
miserable country might then be developed by
the hand of industry and afford subjects To-