A Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, An Essay on SlaveryWoodward, A.
History
A Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, An Essay on Slavery
Woodward, A.
Slavery -- United States; Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896. Uncle Tom's cabin; Uncle Tom (Fictitious character)
In order that I may be clearly understood, I will reiterate tho
foregoing argument. Before the adoption of the Federal constitution,
the states were to a great extent sovereign and independent, and of
course were in a condition to settle terms on which to form a more
perfect union. The North and the South, otherwise, the slave-holding
and the non-slaveholding states met in convention to settle those
_terms_. The North in convention conceded to the South the right to
hold slave property; and the sole right of making all laws necessary
for the regulation of slavery. It was thus, we see, by a solemn
contract or agreement, that the South acquired exclusive right to
control domestic slavery within her borders. What right then, have the
citizens of free states, to intermeddle with it? They have none, as
long as the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The
union of these states is based on that instrument, and whenever we
cease faithfully to observe its provisions, the Union must necessarily
cease to exist. All interference then on the part of the North,
endangering the rights or injuriously affecting the interests of the
South in slave property, is a violation of the supreme law of the
nation. I need not say more; the argument must be clear to every one;
and I think the duty of all concerned equally clear.
Ralfe, referring to the adoption of the Federal Constitution, says,
"It was no easy task to reconcile the local interests and discordant
prepossessions of different sections of the United States, but it was
accomplished by acts of concession." Madison says, "Mutual deference
and concession were absolutely necessary," and that the Southern
States never would have entered the Union, without concession as to
slave property. And Governor Randolph informs us, "That the Southern
States conceived their property in slaves to be secured by this
arrangement?"
We are also informed by Patrick Henry, Chief Justice Tiglman,
Chancellor Kent, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Justice Shaw, Chief
Justice Parker, Edward Everett and others, that no union of these
states ever could have taken place, had not the right to hold slave
property, and the sole right to control that property been conceded to
the southern States. And, Edward Everett, moreover, tells us that the
northern States "deemed it a point of the highest policy, to enter
with the slave states into the present Union." The reader will
observe, that a majority of the authorities referred to, are northern
men of the highest distinction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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