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Show ) 136 THE ::l'I'A'l'E CO.NVEN'1'10NS. that persons hcl<l to labor in one state, escaping into another,, hull uo delivered up. 'l'lli only m ant lha.t runa. way slaves should not be protected in othC'r SL::ttcR. As to tbc e.xclu ion of l'X }J08l facto lawH, iL cou1 <1 not uc saiLl to cr ate any security in this ca e; for laying a tax on slaves would not be ex pot~l facio. 1\f r. Madison replied, that even the Son LlH'rn Stalrs, whit:h were most affected, were perfcC'Lly satiHrtrd with thiH provi ion, aud dreaded no danger to the property lh 'Y now hold. It appeared to him that the general government woulo not intermeddle with thnt properLy for t.w nty years, })Ill to lay a tax 011 every slave imported, not ex ·ceding trn <loll an;; and thnt, aftct' the expir:lllon of that period, they 111ight prohibit. the traflic a.lto~rcther. The ecnsuH in the Uon ·tiLution was intended to introdHcc equality in the bur< lcns to be laid Oil the comlllllllity. No gentleman objcctcc1 to laying duties, impostR, a11d excises uniformly. But Hniformily of tuxes woul<l he suhverRive of the principles of equality; for il wns 11ot possible to . elect any article which would be en. y for one State but what would be heavy for another; tha.t the proportion of each Slate being nsccrlnincd, it would be raised by the general government in the most convenient manner for the people, and not by the selection of any one particular object; that there must be some degree of coufiucnce put in agents, or else we must reject a state of civil society altogether. Another great secnrity to this property, which he men· tioncd, was, that five States were greatly interested in that species of property, and th rc were other St n.tcs which had some slaves, and had made no at tempt, or taken any step, to take them from the people. There were n few : Ia vcs in N cw York, N cw Jersey, and Connecticut; these States would, probably, oppose any at· tempts to annihilate this species of property. TH JC f:> 'I .A 'J' J•~ CO:'-/ V E :-i'l' l 0 .'(~. 137 Tic concltHlcd hy observin g- that he should he glnd to leavr. lhc de ·ision of thiH to the C'Olllnlitt<'e. ~1r. Uenry. As lli\H'h m; I (l<'plore ~ilnvPry, l t-H'C thnt prud nee forbid:-; its ui>Oiition. I deny thaL the p;enPr:d govcmmcnt ought to scL th '111 fr<'c, lH•eau ·c n. dt'<'itkd majority of the tales have not Lh' ti('s of' sympathy and f"C'Ilow- f'e ling for those whose int<·re~L would be afl'c ·te(l by their emancipation. 'rhc mnj ori ty of' Congrei3s is to the North, and Lhe slavcH n,re to Lhc ~outh. In this situation, I sec a grcnL deal of the property of tho people of Virginia in jropnr<ly, and th('ir peace nncl trnnf) ltillity gone. I repent iL ngain, that it woulcl n'joiec my very soul that every one of' my f'cllow-ucing-s were cmancip ~tted. As we onp;ht with gratitude Lo admire 1hat dcerrc of Heaven which has numurrcd us among the free, we ought to lament and deplore the necessity of holding our fellowmen in bondage. Bnt is it practicable, by any hnmn.n mcnns, to liberate them without producing the most drcnclful and ruinous conscqu nccs? \V c ought to posses. them in Lh mann r we inhcrilc<l them from our ancestorH as their manumi~sion is I incompatible with the :C,Iicity of our country. But we ought to soften, as much as possible, the rigor of their unhappy fate. I know, that in a variety of particular instances, the legislature, lisl ning to complaints, have admiLLed their emancipation. LeL me not dwell on this subject.. I will only add, that this, as well as every other property of the people of Virginia, is in j opardy, and put in tho ha11d: of tho:c \vho have no simil arity of sit11ntion with us. 'l'his is a loen l mrtLLcr, and I ean sec no pro pricty in subjecting · it to Congrc:s. Gov. Randolph. Mr. Chairman: Once more, sir, I address you, and perhaps it will be the last time I shall speak |