The Constitution Is Pro-slavery, And Therefore Ought To Be A...

Mr. J. M. ís nformed tlínt Mr. F Joca not take ' theground thrat tlte moani)? f eeriain olauáes ís to be cíetcriiíirted by a compromise snicl to hn-e been efiected by the íramers oí the Conatitution." Whntvcr Mr. F. has wriiwu concernin the proviona of the Corwtitution, has reference to the pnnted Constítutiun. and not lo tbe Compromieed one, ho never had any knowledge of such bh instrument. Mr. J. M. in hia communicaiion ol J-ily 26, a'ppenrs to aBsume, tbat becauao ího ennctmentsof alavory are conlrary to naturn liyhts, and are morhlly of no buiding forcé upon the conduce of" (that i's, becnuso no mnn ia un fier i.ny obligntion to obey auch lawa.) ihey are nunrory, a nonentiiy, in other words, that al sueh nwg are not Jaws; in other words, thore are not now and never were riy sitch things asílavery Ihws. 7'ha; no man iar under any jnornl obligntion toobey ouch laws, I reudiry and heartily concede: bvH this fact dota nut pronro that ïuch lavTs do not exúst. Mr. J. M. aays, "lf tt State enact a lnw pro-, tective of mobocracy, it can be of no binding forcé, I. Becouse it conflíetsr whh naiánl jnatice. 2. Bécause the Consiiuiion, cbnforri)ablj to natura] juanee, guáranteos proteetton to tn 'peopla from the operatíons or bruto orce." The l-nter part of this clause ia an arr nssumption by Mr. J. M.' of the whole subject. The gronnd I tnUe is. ihat tbéconathiition tolerares and ..nciions the aubjection-of npbrtion öf trfepeople to iho perarions oí brute foice (tavery. ) Mí. J M. saya, -'The Cooatitution is wrilten in.the langunge of the common law which iu cludeanoidea o! Inyery in its eignification.- Therefore the law of slr.very is not tho luvr oftho Constitution." Now the mot í ehalUay to this assenion ie. that I hare reod the consti-ution a grent many tunea and always thouglu it wat wrif.en in pluin English. same portions of wliicli establidh iba principies uf v common law, while other annetion pTÍni-iplea and practices emirély at Taíienoe with ihe common law. The iruth i8 this, the people ín ;do a Constitution containing provisioits to maintain the liberty of a portion of ihe peopln, aud proviaiona pvhich-snction the enslavement ol" another portioR. Tire moai important oí these are the lol, lowing:' 1. The privücgo oft í.'.Mnking slaveojhe' the wru oí habeus cor Baitóor taxation in cjPus- -es of diifíct tiixcs. 2. Theciíizc-nsofeicu 2. Making slaves the SlHie snuif be enriffed u.asís of - represfciuniion all the privipge8and im u tbe Congres of the munitits of citizens o 'J. Siate. tbe severa] States. 3. The gunrnniy oí : Reliijio'js Liberty he Africnn íJlave trade 4. Liberty of speech or iwenty years. and the presS. 4. Return oflugitive Right to bear arme Slaves. 6. Trial by Jury.All fheee provfsioiitf aré éofitniñed in the constnuiion, and if tho8B that sanction slavery ar contrary fo natural right, and bare thcreiore n morollj' binding force npon the conduct öl men hnt is one :lun; but if they are not purt o( tii consiitution, ihat is another tiiíng. The ñrst o these posiitions I admit; the last 1 deuy. The constituiion declares that ft was ordained and es lablishedby the ifeople or the United Siates nna ihat it is the supreme la of the land. These ure impurtaiit provigions, and the fact.ti'int it wae made ly the pèople invoJves all ihe people in the guilt of its wicked provisions, and the fact that it is the suprema law of the land precludes the hope ot removing these provisions by ony other meaiis than an' nmejid'ient of the Conslitution. Art. 1. sec. 2, paragrnph 3. '"Represen toti ves :ind direct tnxes -shnll le upporii'ined Rniong the seveml 6taics 'hicli m;iy fie included wilhin this Ofliím nceoVdinír to fheir respective (umhers. which ehiWI be dt-ietmwieri by ndiünü to the 'hole nuiiibèr of fré perawis inciading thoèi iiound ta service lor a of' ye;irs. anti erfcliffiirig Jndi ■ns not tased, thrce filth of all othèr j.ersons.: Uere are many words ised to spook the word ■alavés, but notvviihstanding it is phiinly spoken. Th is paragraph not onljr reeogniv.ea' nv.ú smc tioria the exiffience oj slavery; 6ut t ombodies t in ihe very essence of tlieNntional Governmetu. It inviies ít to come inio the Kiitiaiinl Coiigrcss with iis 25 Represematnes and maku laws Tor the-whole country. Dothe6e2ó Representaiivc conip inio Corigrés8 in ncoordnnce with the pro visiüus'af the Constittuiuii.' No one deiv t. Then is the paragraph jüt. cfuotcd part oí he Cotisiitution. or is ü "nugatory," "a ]..-r;j] lonentjiy?" Let the free States who have suf 'ored for the last twenty yenrs underthe domina ion of the slave power the National Governïeiït ansvfer tliis quesiion. 'Art. l,sec. 9. purnerapli J. The migrntion r iniponatioii uf sueii persons as any f thetates now eiistinj slm!( (hink proper to ndmit, mil not Le prohibitcd 'y ihe Conresa prior lo the year mie ihóusnnd ciLÍit hiindred aud eight. L ta t a tax or diüy inny be impoeed on sueh imporlation. not exeeeding ten dollara ior each perS'lll."The hrasco!óLy of ihis paragraph dcscrves irticulnr attention. Migration and i m porta t ion oí persons are both distinci!y recognized at the option of the Suites. JYI'gration is tho (erm used to desígnate the act of persons coming nao a country witfj intern to make it tlieir home. lmponation iathe term us' d to di'signate the act o! Iiringing into a country such things as have atmclicd i thetn the chis ra eter of property; henee the term Hiportaiion applied to perao is; it sliowg cicarlv that persons SUppoöed to have the charauter of property attached 10 them vrere e.tpectcd (o bfi brought hito the country. The languifge sas comprehensive na itcould be made, and w.-is -uüicicnt to protect the alnvc tíactó ('rom all the nrth. Bui this is not all: provisión iu mnde for i tiix or duty to be imposed on "such importatioii iot c.xceeciing ten dollars for each person.'1 N'olhing is said of any ta.t or duty on ';such 'migralion." This shows also ihat the persons weré e.xpected to be hnpofted" were at the 'ption of Congress to be mude the objeUs on tvhicb'to raise levcnue as on other property mlortod. This-provisioh of tho Constituiion tnado 1 -HaMai i lie lave nade law'ui cummerce, and threw over i (lie proteetion of th$ supremo law p'f ihe land; equally with oiher brnnchcs of conimerco un;, I i he year 1 8M Mmy vea] werc employed and uiuny sIstcs imponed. Art. 4, sec. 2 pararapb 3. "No person held io aorvioe or Interí in one State, uniièr he law llieroof, eaeapinií uto nnother, shall, m consequence oJ nny Jnw o. rc'iilutn iherein, l,e ñwhargerf (rom ucli Bervice or_labor, but ehall l.ó dclrvored np oocIa'irfi.ófrWe pahy to whom such crvice or labor rnoy be due." Thie provisión clearly eanctioná all thé lawa irí olí iheSiaies ihat hald p.er8iín8 to écrvíce. Ii ia proper to observe thaí ihe worda '-held to service" ars lused hora fnstead of "bound to eervice" rhl is thecomnion prhnse whe--e persona -iré bound for o term of years, and is the phraso ued in anoiher part öf the constiiuiion to desígnale euch pereons. Thís clause embraces all persont who escape, without disiinction, and i( H Mieant apprentíces. elavea wouW hnve been e.xcepted. fljie provisión binci? all ihe peoplé ín a 1 ihe Smteslo delivcr up fugitivo slavesao faras ino constitution could nnposc any such obligation, or in other words not to hinder i'heir beiig returned to sin ver?. Tho facf. ihnt thís provisión a eontrary to natural right does not prové ibat u sno pirt ofthe Constitaiion, but it tliow vcry dcnrly thot h is o bíid part, and that h ought (o be ninotKÍecí. Theaeaerei.,1 prorisions íanction and sustaih1 lovery, uf they úo ii.n mean nny tüing. Their l.mguage is so clenr and comprehcnsive that it cannot boonsíiiivíd to men any thing eUe.- Vhe coneúiution haasusiained Iibertyand alavery boih fot 57 years. and bo:h hoye grown ürapg under la p,atcctin. Tire ihree-fiñh íeprescnianon Una uivcn t a pmvcr in ,he Government wlnch has fluía far succesaiirHy dtíficd the eíToru bf Libeny to orenliroAv; tfnd the present adminstrution, which, tbrough i[,3 .epreseiuation, has alln under lts control, is now usíng the whole eneigy ofihe goyermnent to increase ita etrenéih; wh.le one of the great political panies, embracing nearly half of thapolítrcal power of tho Umon, have distinct.'y embracetl in ita party creedmu accompiianmem of most imponant object of tlu Blare inierest. The olher great politiN Pany aro 60 far under tbe coutrol of the tílave Power ihat there can be no safety for the Ubou.es of ihe peoe wiih u,o eovemraem ia heir hands. Slnrery ],oa obtained ihis immen.e power 0 recüy from iheeuppon it received originally from iheconsiiiaiion, d.iefly irom the three-fiiih repicMiuaiiün which gave it power iïi ihe govern"ieni, this power gave ft control of the governn.ent, the control of tJie govemmtm gave it coniroJoveriíite .„portan t nffórs; whích all togeihrhavo given it almbüt unliniiiedpovterover che üeuiniea of the narion. Wiih these factsbeTore ua, together with .he plain provieions of th conaututio, we ors-tülcfby aome that the constiBauon- ia an anitfntry instrument, and Mr. J.. M. compares theee provisious iu favor of Slavery 10 a conven.ional conspiracy. a legal nonentuy, and asks lï ihC8ö overturn the u!u,je structure of theconsiilniion nntT" desiroy iho lwbeas corpusuna tne rigiuof inai by jury f Thnr the inscrtion uf these provisión ín favoiof elawy wnaa cuuvehiiunal cunspírqcy, I readjlfadmit. ' It was t ronsprrtcy 6 a large por. tiori of the peonía oí the Üórted States against tb ' libante oftii&tá poriion of the same people. This waaa conspiracy againat nnturil right, but t.üt againsi hunan lawe. The conspiwtore wer tbemserycq the }aw mafcer8: they Weí(S that por, tiJB of the people of the Unired States who adopted the Conátiiution, anü theroby rendo (hls act of conspiracjiheeupremclawüf the land; and the present mhabiionta are riow guihy ofdjis same act of conspfrncy, and will eonfiírtué to be. so tong as they aupport these proVisione of the constitulion.Theee provisions n favor of slavery Jonot necwsariry interfere with the privilege at' the writ of babeas corpus. Jf a eíave fafig the quéslion of h ïifaCrt_y before a Judge oft babeaa corpus, tl,e Judge wil] decide Whether he is a slave by the lawa of the country; and if so, remand him back lo slovery- if no!, sel liim at liberiy.These provisions in fator of síavery do not nocessariJy interfere with the r.ght of trial by ury.Bofar as t.'mt right ia secured by tho Constilotion, Art. 8 of amendinente Scores hjs rig-ht in criminal cases; the slave is un uubiedly éniitied to it when.lried for crime. Art. 7, of amendmí-nfsíecurfea the right of trial byjnry ut eui's ut corümon law, whefe tho value ra controversy exceeds tweiïiy dollara. ]f slnves couid bii PUit3 or besued at common luw for moiiey, they would betitleö io a jury trial, and tiiu would not interfere With ijose provisions of ihe Con6tiiution wljicfi support slavery. I pcrccivc that Rev. R. B. Beraent take8 the ground ttót tbe consntuüon does not saneturn -or önj.port tiavery, because, as hé ys, ihe States ihemselvw Imve „o convcniionaf rtght to hüld slaves, these righis hrine be come obsoíeie at the Ume ui the American Revolulion. It appears to uie riiat even if these conventiönd righte (or more proprly Bpeaking, conventional vvrongs.) did becomeüb(!e;e, atiy comnwiiity could re-estabJiehí i hem ai ony tJÜie, throngh eonvcmíona that Iramed the State Coiwtitutions, or by legialaUve enactmeut. JB couutries whcre síavery has cisted by law, it has oñgimüed by Jegis. lative enact mente, or been sanctioned and proteo led by them. Any State can esUblwh stavery in tins way at any time, where the State Constitution does not prubibit it; and convenliona! powers bestowed upon individuals i thÍB way, receive the greatest amount oí conventiona) aolhofity that can fae embodied iir them. If Great Britain could at any former time jr rant to her subjects the ccnventionaJ power tu hold men in sUvery, any independent S-ate csn grant tbs same thiag now t& hercitizens. s. y. yoSTER. Scio, Ancr. 17, 1344. Tho PhJa.Iflpbm U. S. Gazette says the Ro-c rder hns íssued thirly-seven warrants for persona engaged in ihe late rióte. Of eigüt ' areinpnéon, one dearfof wounds rece i vod fio tu hi9 fellow rioters before bis arrcst.sixieen are under bail for trial, soyeti have fled, and fburara ncf taken, but supposcd 10 bc in tho ncighbüiJwud Of i he ciiy.