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Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: Slavery Unconstit...

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: Slavery Unconstit... image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
January
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Ifthe cnnstitution of the U. S. A. contradirts fsolf, slavery cnnnnt bc sustained by it, nnless it confains more statpmcnts, in fnvor ol .Invery tliaii cpainst it. Ifthcsamo number are fonnd on each side, for fc nsríiinst.íliey rxnctiy nputralizo eali othWj hut if thore is i preponderance on ono side, thon the constilu;ion must be considerrd on thatBide. Let us sio linw tlie mntfnr fitnnds. .Ivthoiity of the Cnrsfitution of the U. S. A. T. For Si.avkry. 1. [Ari. 1. fpc. 2. cl. 3.] "Three fifths of nl oflior pnrsons:" ncliid:nLr opprenticn?, nnd oxcliiiiinir Tnd:nns not foxed, nre fo be added te tlie free population, as the basis of representation. This coninin? nn allusion to Sla very. 2. [ Art. 4. ere. 2 cl. S.j "No per?on held f o service or Inbor in oue si af e tindor t lie Jawp thereof, mlo another, shall in con.pqnonce of nny Imv or reffujatioii therein, be disdinrjred from such l.ihor or service; but shal] be delivcrd p, on olnim of t!e partv. f o u-hom such service or Inbor may be die." Wero t not for the Iiistory nf !ie time?, in wliich this instrument was formed, we slmuld not Kmow thnt filaves ate mennf. We ahould think oniy of npprcntTes. Two statementf, tht;n, are fomd in the constituí ion, (hal on the whole; nre pro-slavery. Let vs i?ow see, vhat enn be found on tlic otherside. II. Against it.1. The Prcamhlo bpgins thup: :Wc, the poopl-? ofthoU. S. A. in order to form a moro porfect unión." Slavery is ngainst a porfoct uninn, Or nny uwon. Wbat union is there, orean thore bf between freemen, slaveliolfl-j ers, and slaves? None at all. Tt is eterna] diíoord. us all tius nation mny witness. 2. "Esfablish jnstice." Had it snid to establish justice and injnstico, tius siatcment would have done for slavery, for justice and slavery enn rever njrree torjetlipr. 3. "Ensuredomesiic tranqnility." Sfayary is forever opposod to the peace of familips and countries. V herever it exist, tho slaveholders ure oblied to gjiord themselves with dpgat wlupe, clmin?, nnd guns. It hos diPturbed tlie peare of tiio wh n e nntion inore thnn onre. 4. "Pmvide tor the cnmmon dcfence."- Slavery is níruinst it. Two anda halfmillionsofenomir?, are by it, raised tip ag-ainst is. They would join our foes for the sake of freedom, and Beek our overihrow. 5. "Promotn the freneral wolfare." Slavery prodiicps the reverse of thL, bolh (p the] nnster and the slave. IIow can the penerol welfare be promoted by renderinfr a part misf.'rable, and trouting them hke the brutes that perish? 6. "And secure the blessinjrs of Iiberty lo onrselves and our postenty." Slavery is the very opposite of this, in its principies and teiiflencies. It is a reproach to any people. ' Liberty and Slavery are opposites, andina country where slnvery exiety, the blessings of lilierty ctnnot be secured or enjoyed.1 hese comments fbmv, tiiat thefunrlamenlal principies ofihe consütution.oreail against slavery, and utterly irrecomvlable to it. 7. [Ait. 1. scc. 3.] "Conress shaJl havo power to p.-ovitle tor the comnion dofence." 8. "Anti general welfare of the U. S. A.1' Tho?e claims iiave been olroady aulicipated, in the fo-jrtl) and fifth items of the preamb'e, and , pliown fo be irreconcilablo with slnvery. 0. [Ari. S. sec. 2.] "The jiiúicM power ' [of the Conrts of the U. S. A.] shall xtend to I :!1 oasfi.-? in liivvand cq.uy, Qjï[ng ündcr tlii.s constiui ion-:' This high conrt in all its ! branches, tijen, is required to judge accordingto ]aw and equity, not uccording1 to law o equity. But what equity is there,in one man' being the property ofnnother? None at al! This ïfj not equity or equaliiy, but injr.stice and robbery. In every caee, tlion, when'a man sues for a human being as bis property, bcfore the U. S. A. court, the constitution ro quitos that coort, to judg-e accordijijj to the law of freodom, in union witfi equity or moral obligatioii, since the law of slavcry conflicts willi it; and so dismiss the slavc, by prouuuncing him free, as far as its authority 3 concerned. 10. [Art. 4. sec. l .] "TheU. S. A. shnll guarantee to every etate in the union. a republica n Torm of gov.ernment.'' Wliat repul)licanism is tliere in tlavcry? If any, thon kings and their subjecis are stil! more republican; for kinrs do nof buy imd sell their peop!e, and lord it over ttiem, to the extern thnt 6lavcholi!ors do over their slaves. Our southern shves are not repubücnns, for they have nothïng lo do with government. The slavehoiders nnd their drivcrs are not, for the snme reason thnt kinjs and nobles are not. Tliose classes comnose the soutliern popu]ation,tlicrefore a elaveholding stale has not a republicon form of government. This section is clearly opposed lo slavery. 11. [ Art. 1. of the amendments.]íítuss biiiui mane no ja w respect ing nn establishment of religión, or prohibiting Ihe free oxr rci.c thereuf.1' Bnt slavery has mnde one to all intente, and purposes. It is made in this way, every prcicher at the sonth, has libort} to prendí in favor of shvery, but vo to the man, that preaohes against it. Thcy have committoes nnd arrangements, for these purposes, and in ihis woy, they have virtuaüv cstabh'shed a slnve religión by civil Imv, contrary to tho conslilution; nor can flavery long exis ■ without Bucb ai: establishment. 12 [Art. 1. sec. 4. cl. 17.] Congres shnll have ppwer, lo muke a!l laws which shn' be neepísary and proper, for carrvingr into rxeention the forpnroinnr power?, and nll cthe powers vesrod by fhi.s consliiution in thegov ernmont of tho U.S. A." I have shown that tbo preceodinc: rlevou , itoms are a'l in fa vor of liberty, and no-ninst elavery; then thi ia oqually eo, for il empowera Conffress. t Ipffislateaccordinir lo the constitutinn, nnd no nsrninst it. And if it he mnrle ouf, that thr is more in it, in favor of loierty than nirnin= if, Uien confrreps is hfiind hy thi?, to make nl the lawp, that arp necessary, fnrthe overthrov of slavery; which is evidently shown to be tho case. 13. [Art. 6. sec. 3.] "All officors of the U. S. A. and of the Fpvoral ttates, ehall be houivl by oaïh or afilrmntion, to support thip constitntion."' Every ofiicpr of the mtion thnn, of pverv kind, is bound by hrs solnmn oatfi or niFirmation, to oppose and put doivn sl.ivory, for there is more flian bíx times as much, for liberty as nrrninst it, as shown ahovp. Tf all this be trp, whih is the most extensive amoncr tho official chnrncters of this n.ition. in-norance of constituticn, or a dispositionnot fo live up 'o ït.ï It npnenrs c'.earlv thfln f Int siavery exisfs by virtna of sfnfo nnd not by U. S. A, Inu', ntu] tbnt i" nny slnvr pot his font over the line ntn n froc slale. ho is Béyond the law of slnvory, nnd i'iinfht to be freo: ótíd if any mnn en?flfifn in forcibly tokin? liim back,that mnn is n kidnnpper, and f1ioii11 lio dcnlt with !v Jaw ns pucb.Loclurer frotn Virginia.Plymonth, Jan. L, 1343.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News