Year: 1860

extent, prohibited some years in advance
Of 1908.


As the year 1908 approached, Congress
determined not to suffer this trade to ex-
ist even for single day after they had
the power to abolish it. On the ID OF
March, 1907, they passed an act to take
effect "from and after the first day OF
January, 1S0S," prohibiting the importa-
ton of African slaves into the United
States. This was followed by subsequent
acts of similar character, to which /
need not specially refer. Such were the
principles and such the practice of our
ancestors more than fifty years ago, in
regard to the African slave trade.


1t did not occur to the revered patriots
who had been delegates to the conven-
ton, and afterwards became members of
Congress, that in passing these laws they
had violated the constitution which they
framed with so much care and delibera-
ton They supposed that to prohibit
Congress, in express terms, from eXercis-
ing specified power before an appoint
ell day, necessarily involved the right to
exercise this power after 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 pro-
hibit the trade either before or after 1908,
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 attached such
vast importance to this provision a 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 engrait on the
ing the mode of its own future amend
mcnt the proviso, "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 securing to the States
the right 10 admit the importation Of
African slaves previous to that period.


According to the adverse construction
the clause itself, on which so much care
and discussion had been employed 10y the
members of the convention, was an abso-
lutte nullitv from the beginning, and all
that has since been done under it mere
usurpation.


1t was well and wise to confer this
power on Congress, because, had it been
left to the States, its efficient exercise
would have been impossible. In that
event any one State could have cffrctual-
lv 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 its laws, cannot
practically he excluded from any other
State where slavery exists. And even if
all the States had separately passed laws
prohibiting the importation of slaves,
these laws would have failed of effect for
want Of n naval force to capture the
savers and to guard the coasts. Such a
force no State can employ without the
consent or congress.


These acts Of Congress, it is believed
have, with very rare and insignificant ex-
ceptions, accomplished their purpose. For
period of more than half century
there has been no pcrceptible addition to
the number Of our domestic slaves. Dur
ing this period their Advancement in civ
ilzation has far surpassed that of any
other portion Of the African race. The
light and the blessings of Christianity
have been extended to them. and both
their moral and physical condition have
been greatly improved.


Reopen the trade, and il would be diff
6cult to determine whether the effect
would he more delcterious on the inter.
ests of the master or on those Of the ma
tivc-born slave. OF the evils to the mas
ter, the one most to be- dreaded would be
the introduction of wild, heathen and ig-
norant barbarians among the sober, or.
derly and quiet slaves, whose ancestors
have been on the soil for several genera
tons. This might tend to barbarize, de-
moralize, and exasperate the whole mass,
and produce the most deplorable conse-
quences.


The effect upon the existing slave
would, if possible, be still more deplora-
BILE. At present he is treated with kind
ness and humanity. He is well fed, well
clothed, and not overworked. His condi-
ton is iucomparably better than that of
the coolies which modern nations Of high
civilization have employed as substitute
for African slaves. Both the philanthro.
ny and the self interest of the master
have combined to produce this humane
result. But let this trade be re-opencd,
and what will he the effect ? The same,
TO a considerable extent, as on neigh.
boring iSland--the only spot now on earth
where the African slave trade is openly
tolerated. and this in defiance of solemn
treaties with a power abundantly able at
any moment to enforce their execution.
There the master, intent upon present
rain, EFFORTS from the slave rs much Ia
Dor as his physical powers are capable Of
enduring = knowing that when death
comes to his relief, his place can be sup
piled at a price reduced to the lowest
point by the competition Of rival African
slave-traders. Should this ever be the
case in our country-which l do not
deem possiblc-the present useful char
acter Of the domestic institution, wherein
/ 80 i. a u n ~.