the writings-5-第26章

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improper　to　vote　for　it。



In　1787；　still　before　the　Constitution；　but　while　the　convention　was

in　session　framing　it；　and　while　the　Northwestern　Territory　still　was

the　only　Territory　owned　by　the　United　States；　the　same　question　of

prohibiting　slavery　in　the　Territory　again　came　before　the　Congress

of　the　Confederation；　and　two　more　of　the　〃thirty…nine〃　who　afterward

signed　the　Constitution　were　in　that　Congress；　and　voted　on　the

question。　They　were　William　Blount　and　William　Few；　and　they　both

voted　for　the　prohibition　thus　showing　that；　in　their　understanding；

no　line　dividing　local　from　Federal　authority；　nor　anything　else；

properly　forbade　the　Federal　Government　to　control　as　to　slavery　in

Federal　territory。　This　time　the　prohibition　became　a　law；　being　part

of　what　is　now　well　known　as　the　Ordinance　of　'87。



The　question　of　Federal　control　of　slavery　in　the　Territories　seems

not　to　have　been　directly　before　the　convention　which　framed　the

original　Constitution；　and　hence　it　is　not　recorded　that　the

〃thirty…nine；〃　or　any　of　them；　while　engaged　on　that　instrument；

expressed　any　opinion　on　that　precise　question。



In　1789；　by　the　first　Congress　which　sat　under　the　Constitution；　an

act　was　passed　to　enforce　the　Ordinance　of　'87；　including　the

prohibition　of　slavery　in　the　Northwestern　Territory。　　The　bill　for

this　act　was　reported　by　one　of　the　〃thirty…nine；〃　Thomas

Fitzsimmons；　then　a　member　of　the　House　of　Representatives　from

Pennsylvania。　　It　went　through　all　its　stages　without　a　word　of

opposition；　and　finally　passed　both　branches　without　yeas　and　nays；

which　is　equivalent　to　a　unanimous　passage。　　In　this　Congress　there

were　sixteen　of　the　thirty…nine　fathers　who　framed　the　original

Constitution。　　They　were　John　Langdon；　Nicholas　Gilman；　Wm。　S。

Johnnson；　Roger　Sherman；　Robert　Morris；　Thos。　Fitzsimmons；　William

Few；　Abraham　Baldwin；　Rufus　King；　William　Paterson；　George　Claimer；

Richard　Bassett；　George　Read；　Pierce　Butler；　Daniel　Carroll；　James

Madison。



This　shows　that；　in　their　understanding；　no　line　dividing　local　from

Federal　authority；　nor　anything　in　the　Constitution；　properly　forbade

Congress　to　prohibit　slavery　in　the　Federal　territory；　else　both

their　fidelity　to　correct　principles　and　their　oath　to　support　the

Constitution　would　have　constrained　them　to　oppose　the　prohibition。



Again：　George　Washington；　another　of　the　〃thirty　nine；〃　was　then

President　of　the　United　States；　and；　as　such；　approved　and　signed　the

bill；　thus　completing　its　validity　as　a　law；　and　thus　showing　that；

in　his　understanding；　no　line　dividing　local　from　Federal　authority；

nor　anything　in　the　Constitution；　forbade　the　Federal　Government　to

control　as　to　slavery　in　Federal　territory。



No　great　while　after　the　adoption　of　the　original　Constitution；　North

Carolina　ceded　to　the　Federal　Government　the　country　now　constituting

the　State　of　Tennessee；　and；　a　few　years　later；　Georgia　ceded　that

which　now　constitutes　the　States　of　Mississippi　and　Alabama。　　In　both

deeds　of　cession　it　was　made　a　condition　by　the　ceding　States　that

the　Federal　Government　should　not　prohibit　slavery　in　the　ceded

country。　　Besides　this；　slavery　was　then　actually　in　the　ceded

country。　　Under　these　circumstances；　Congress；　on　taking　charge　of

these　countries；　did　not　absolutely　prohibit　slavery　within　them。

But　they　did　interfere　with　ittake　control　of　iteven　there；　to　a

certain　extent。　　In　1798；　Congress　organized　the　Territory　of

Mississippi：　In　the　act　of　organization　they　prohibited　the　bringing

of　slaves　into　the　Territory　from　any　place　without　the　United

States；　by　fine　and　giving　freedom　to　slaves　so　brought。　　This　act

passed　both　branches　of　Congress　without　yeas　and　nays。　　In　that

Congress　were　three　of　the　〃thirty…nine〃　who　framed　the　original

Constitution。　They　were　John　Langdon；　George　Read；　and　Abraham

Baldwin。　　They　all；　probably；　voted　for　it。　Certainly　they　would　have

placed　their　opposition　to　it　upon　record；　if；　in　their

understanding；　any　line　dividing　local　from　Federal　authority；　or

anything　in　the　Constitution；　properly　forbade　the　Federal　Government

to　control　as　to　slavery　in　Federal　territory。



In　1803；　the　Federal　Government　purchased　the　Louisiana　country。　　Our

former　territorial　acquisitions　came　from　certain　of　our　own　States；

but　this　Louisiana　country　was　acquired　from　a　foreign　nation。　　In

1804；　Congress　gave　a　territorial　organization　to　that　part　of　it

which　now　constitutes　the　State　of　Lousiana。　　New　Orleans；　lying

within　that　part；　was　an　old　and　comparatively　large　city。　　There

were　other　considerable　towns　and　settlements；　and　slavery　was

extensively　and　thoroughly　intermingled　with　the　people。　　Congress

did　not；　in　the　Territorial　Act；　prohibit　slavery；　but　they　did

interfere　with　it　take　control　of　itin　a　more　marked　and　extensive

way　than　they　did　in　the　case　of　Mississippi。　　The　substance　of　the

provision　therein　made　in　relation　to　slaves　was：



First。　That　no　slave　should　be　imported　into　the　Territory　from

foreign　parts。



Second。　That　no　slave　should　be　carried　into　it　who　had　been　imported

into　the　United　States　since　the　first　day　of　May；　1798。



Third。　That　no　slave　should　be　carried　into　it　except　by　the　owner；

and　for　his　own　use　as　a　settler；　the　penalty　in　all　the　cases　being

a　fine　upon　the　violator　of　the　law；　and　freedom　to　the　slave。



This　act　also　was　passed　without　yeas　and　nays。　In　the　Congress　which

passed　it　there　were　two　of　the　〃thirty…nine。〃　　They　were　Abraham

Baldwin　and　Jonathan　Dayton。　　As　stated　in　the　case　of　Mississippi；

it　is　probable　they　both　voted　for　it。　They　would　not　have　allowed　it

to　pass　without　recording　their　opposition　to　it；　if；　in　their

understanding；　it　violated　either　the　line　properly　dividing　local

from　Federal　authority；　or　any　provision　of　the　Constitution。



In　1819…20　came　and　passed　the　Missouri　question。　　Many　votes　were

taken；　by　yeas　and　nays；　in　both　branches　of　Congress；　upon　the

various　phases　of　the　general　question。　Two　of　the　〃thirty…nine〃…

…Rufus　King　and　Charles　Pinckney　were　members　of　that　Congress。　　Mr。

King　steadily　voted　for　slavery　prohibition　and　against　all

compromises；　while　Mr。　Pinckney　as　steadily　voted　against　slavery

prohibition；　and　against　all　compromises。　　By　this；　Mr。　King　showed

that；　in　his　understanding；　no　line　dividing　local　from　Federal

authority；　nor　anything　in　the　Constitution；　was　violated　by　Congress

prohibiting　slavery　in　Federal　territory；　while　Mr。　Pinckney；　by　his

vote；　showed　that　in　his　understanding　there　was　some　sufficient

reason　for　opposing　such　prohibition　in　that　case。



The　cases　I　have　mentioned　are　the　only　acts　of　the　〃thirty…nine；〃　or

of　any　of　them；　upon　the　direct　issue；　which　I　have　been　able　to

discover。



To　enumerate　the　persons　who　thus　acted；　as　being　four　in　1784；　two

in　1787；　seventeen　in　1789；　three　in　1798；　two　in　1804；　and　two　in

1819…20there　would　be　thirty　of　them。　　But　this　would　be　counting；

John　Langdon；　Roger　Sherman；　William　Few；　Rufus　King；　and　George

Read；　each　twice；　and　Abraham　Baldwin　three　times。　　The　true　number

of　those　of　the　〃thirty…nine〃　whom　I　have　shown　to　have　acted　upon

the　question　which；　by　the　text；　they　understood　better　than　we；　is

twenty…three；　leaving　sixteen　not　shown　to　have　acted　upon　it　in　any

way。



Here；　then；　we　have　twenty…three　out　of　our　thirty…nine　fathers　〃who

framed　the　Government　under　which　we　live；〃　who　have；　upon　their

official　responsibility　and　their　corporal　oaths；　acted　upon　the　very

question　which　the　text　affirms　they　〃understood　just　as　well；　and

even　better　than　we　do　now〃；　and　twenty…one　of　thema　clear　majority

of　the　whole　〃thirty…nine〃so　acting　upon　it　as　to　make　them　guilty

of　gross　political　impropriety　and　wilful　perjury；　if；　in　their

understanding；　any　proper　division　between　local　and　Federal。

authority；　or　anything　in　the　Constitution　they　had　made　themse