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Show 458 The ftfassachusells Proposilionfor Abolislting the Slave Representation. {AUGUST, does not prove that all are therefore entitled to the denial of representa.tinn will not ele\·atc or equal political power. lt would be unreasonable to impro,·e their condition. The refusal uf reprcsenexpect that rigl1ts, resulting from and recognized tat ion for them, or the continuance of the existing by Government, should be controlled by abstract arrangement, will not disturb those se lf-e,·ident principles, applir:able to a state of things exist- truths, for which Messrs. Atlams and Giddings ing anterinr to the formation of government. The profess a veneration so sndden and superlative, right of TPpresentation is no more a nalUral right Tire withdrawal of the sla\'e reprf'sentation would than the right of snffrage. The friends of what increase agit<:~tion, nnd subject the Southern p11oplc is called universal sufl'rage, those who talk longest to another and undese n ·eJ imputation. The aboJi. and loudest in favor of natural rights, when thE>}' t innists would ascribe tht: act to a desi re to de,(!'rade come to apply their principles take care to prohibit th" slaves still more . They would then exclaim, femalf's, ndnors, paupers and corwicts from exer. "formerly you eonsidrred sla \·es as inferior to frr.e. cising the right of snfi"rage. Political rig-hts exist, men, but in establishing the go\'Crnment you renot in a state of nature, but when go\'emments cognized them as human beings, as well as pro· have been instituted. The members of the Fede- perty, nnd yon allowf'd r.epresentation fo r more than ral Convemion n·ere not ignorant of the Declara- half of their number; instead of advancing, you lion of Independence and its principles, but they have retreat ed, and by withdrawing the representafelt themselves under no oblig-ation and had no au- tion heretofore existing, you have omitted to have thori ty to carry out those principles to their fullest them recognized in the Constitution as pf'rsong extent. 1t is proposed to abolish the slave repre- entitled to repre sen tJ.tion, and by that omission SPot at ion upon the ground, that it is repug-nant to have manifested a determination to regHd th em in the self-e\'ident truths of the Declaration of l ode- no other light than as me re property." Sud1 is pendence. By what process of reasoning can it the language which the abolitionists would probn . be demonstratetl, that the representation of nnne of bly use for tiJe twofold pr1rpose of e:.:citing ill-will the sla\'es. will be less repugnant to the same against the slave-holder and sympathy fur the truths! Is 11 not more consonant with tlre self-evi- slave. dent t_n~ths, to allow a qualified representation for 'Ve are told, by l\"lessrs. Adams and Giddings, 2! mtlltnns of slaves, than to withhold representa- that the sla.\'e re presentation must be abandoued, tion entire!~ 1 I_f th_e rrpresentatinn of three-fifths because it is repugn:wt "to the liberties nf the f;H'ors the sm plrcatwn that the slave is divested of wltnle penple of alltlte free Stales!" So self-evitwo- fifths of the freeman, the withdrawal of rep- 1lent diJ they deem this proposition, that they deresentation, far from elenting the slave, wou!J clined any argument in its support. Parturiunt have the opposite effect. Denying as Messrs. montes, nascitur Tidiculus mus. The liberties of Adams and Giddings do, th::tt tlrt:: Constitution ac- the people of the free States Ucing now in irnrni· know ledges slaves to he prnperty,conceding, as <~II nent peril, owing to the s lave representation, must, that sla1·es arc persons, it would seem, that l\lessrs. Adams <:~nd Giddings believe, that the said upon the very principles assumed by Messrs, A. liberties can be effectually secured in no other way and G., they ought to adrocate such a change of than by refusing representation for a class of penthe Constitution, as would afl'ord representation for ple, the most of whorn are living hundreds of miles the whole number of slaves, instead of seeking to distant from the free States! The representation withdraw the qur~/ified representation no\\" existing. of a large portion of our population, from the or. If the slaves sum~r, in an.v way, in consequence ganizatinn of the government down to the present of t.hrec-fifths of their number being represented; day, in obedience to one of the plainest provisions of the Constitution, in compliance with the nation al offering sla,·es for sale in 1780, funr ye~rs after the pro- expeetcr.tion and the natiuncr.l will, during all the \'iciJSmulgation of she Dct"laraLion of lnd rpcudcncc. situdes of time and of party, must now be dispensed The Dcdaratwn of Rrghts, adopted Uy J\lassaehusetts 111 wills altogether, because, after a lapse of more than March 1780, declares that all men arc bom fru tnd t!f!UJ/, half a century, it has been discovered that the power 11~d hue cert,ml es~cntral, .1nd wahen tblc nghts," &c which has been thus exercised, is repu.gnant to the " _hat was the commentary npor_11hat text? By her Con- l1berties of the people of the free States. The" self.. st1lntron of 17~. Massachuseus hmitl'd the right ofsuff"r.tge C\'i{lent truths''-" the letter and s irit of the Con-to pe rsons uwnHI(! a freehold estate worth $10 a ye<~r, or . . , ,, . P. . property to the ndJlll of 8200. Probably one third of her Stllullon - the first and vsta! pnnctp!es of repadult male popul:1tion was thus denied rhe right of suffr~gc, rcsent:llion," and '' th~ liberties of tire people of This Con><tirurion w~~ coutinued forty ~ears, in opj!osition the free States ''to he thus shr~meful!y oil! raged to her Ol'.n Bill of Rrgh rs, 1'. hu~h procbumcrlrhat_ "all mt'n for nearly sixty years, and no one to know any (~j::~e~rnnr~r~J:t:~n~e~q·:~~·;Jre~:!~~dir~!~h~-.~~;(~1:11~11~~:v;1~11:~ tl,1ing ahout this alarmiJ~.~ poSillre -~f affitirs, 111~til tice pursued 11y Massar·husctts? As Mf•ssa("hUSt'tts held 1\lessrs. Adams and Gtddwgs, Uoshng over with the d()("Jrine of equal rights, "ill he exl'lain ,..],y sllf', in patriotism and philanthropy, condescended to en. 1786, prohibitl'd the intermarriage of white perllons and lighten the public mind and thereby rescue tire nl',groes under H penally of fifty pounds! Republic! How can the country forget such bene- 1845.] The Jl{assachusetts Proposition fur Abolishing tile Slave Representation. 459 factors as th('se 1 In what manner adequately evince hy auending to lrer own concerns, aud by ende:n·or· its ~ratitude 1 ing to acquire a more conciliatory temper anti \Ve supposed, \\·hen looking O\'Cr the elaborate charitallle spirit towards lrer sister States, ami by Report made by Messrs. Adams and Giddings, that stri\•ing earuestly to "emaneipr~te herself" from they would not have \'entured to recommen1l to the pernicious influence of df'luded agitators and Cong-ress so g-reat and radic:tl an innovation upon visionary philanthi"Opists. The ''exterminating the Clln s titotion, without being able to assign some war'' with wlriclr se ~r ile infatuation thrcateus \Tir .. reasons which would furni sh to ourselves and to giuia, in the event of her refusal to accept the post erity a tolerable excuse for tearing down one Q"ralliitous advi ce of Mas.!lachusells, will not be of the main pillars of tlrat temple, which was con- undertaken. •· Break the galling fetters''-" c·lass secrated by the good and the wise, to the penna- them no longer with the brutes that perish"-" alnent union of these States. The reasons assigned low them tire !Jlessings of Cll!IIHrhial union, of pa· are snphistical and unsatisfactory. Tbey refer to rental and fili<li a!Tcctinll," are the terms used in no real grievance, wlrich the experience and ob- descriUiug Virginia slavery. II ere is the madness servution of an inqui sitive and sa~acinrrs people, nf poetry without its in s piration, or its Oeauty. sensitive in respect to \\'Tnng, have enahled them The desc ription given is such as might he expect· to point ont. The reasons given were such, as ed, not from a. suber statesman, brrt a quo11dam l\lessrs. Adams arrd Giddings flattered themselves. professor of Hheto ric. The portrait t!Xposes the wvnld suffice as a decent veil to conceal ulterior bung-ling dauber , but the resemblance bet ween the desigus. There are m:my passages in the report. pnrtrait and the original cannot be recog nized. wh ich prove incoutcstihly, that it had its orig-in in \\'herl men of age, iullue1we and learning. who a di stempered philanthropy in behalf of the Afri- have filled the highest stati1Jns, and enjoyed adcan race, and a desire to inte rfere improperly nnd 111ir:.~hle opportunities of ac(]uiring correct mfvrmaunjustly \\"ith the rescn'ed rights of the States. tion, alluw their passions thus to obscure their pf'r· If not influenced by sueh feelings, why did they ception of truth, or their hearts to become insenattempt to prove that sla\·ery was condemned by sihle to its high obligations, what can be expected the Christian religion~ and why usc the following from their friends anJ folltm·ers l h must Ue diffiJanguagc1 "\Vhy is it, that \'irgini<l, with her cult, under such circumstances, to eulighten and font upon the nec k oi a tyrant, and calling upon all cnnvince the coustituent body, wlren politicians mankind to follow her example, should not , with thus shamefully abuse the high trusts committed he r own hand, break the galling fetters of her own to them. slaves, and cast them away fure\'Cr! Uy this pro- The proposition of J\[ass.:tchusetts i•n·oh·es a position of 1\las:oachusetts, she in\·ites her sister chang-e of the Constitution . so ra(lical, and one so Commonwealth thus, by abolishing sla1.:ery. to obnoxious to the Sla\'e-hulding States. that they emancipate herself. She says, in subst;ulCe, to uever will agree lO it. Tire people of the Sla\'e· her, make your slaves free, and you shall have holding States are co ntent tn abide by the Consti· eighteen votes in the H.epresentativc llal!. * • • tution as it C:'l.ists, in the sense in \\hich it w:~.s You can accept this proposal without e\"en impair- rntifieJ by the States, and the spirit in which it was ing the right of property, which your wealthy plan- recei1·ecl by the whole country. They desire not tcrs claim in their slaves. Mnke them free, as to impose additional ohligations upon the other Pennsylvania and New York have done. • • • States, or toohtain additional rights fur themselves. Allow them the hlessings of connubial union; of They find that the sla\·e represeutation is clearly parental and filial a!lection. Class them no longer authorized by tire Constitution, and hence they aswith the brutes that perish, or with inanimate mat- sert and maintain tlreir ri~lrt to the exercise of the ter, insensible to human suffering. • • • So shall lJO\Ioer. They know that the powers nut delegated you no longer ha\·e in prospect, rnpidly appronch- are reserved to the States or people: that the pow. ing upon you, an exterminating war, in which the ersgranted to the Federal Government are defiued, Almiglrty has no attribute that ea.n take ynur side.'' limited, and few in number; an rl they maintain, It is here a\·owed, that the abolition of slavery is that the Federal Go\·ernmcnt has uo co nstitutional the e nd contemplated by l\lassachuseus in her effort authority to interfere wrth sla\·ery in the several to dcstro_v the s la\'C rrpresentatio n. The views States. In deuying the constitutional right of the shadowed forth Oy the son, are openly proelaimed l''ederal Governmeut to interfere with slavery in by the fnther. The aholition of the sla \·e rrpre- tire JiO""crent States, they ha\'e the concurrent tes. sentation was intended to be used as the lever of timony of the most illustrious men who !rave ever Archimedf's. "B_v lhis proposition of the Legis- served in the public councils. Tirey find, that in lature of 1\fassachnsells, she invites he r sister March 1700, the House of Representatives adopt· Commonwealth thus. by abolishing sla\·ery, to emnn- e1l and entered upon its journal, the followiug reso. cipate herself." \Vhen Virginia needs the advice lution, reported by a select committee, compo::reJ. of Massachusetts, it wiH be asked for, and uiJtil l with a single exception <•f Northern men. that period arri\·es, Massachusells would act wisely "Resolved, That Congress have no authority to |