The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America: 1638-1870Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
History
The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America: 1638-1870
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
Slave trade -- United States -- History
The following year the "Examination" of Tench Coxe said: "The temporary
reservation of any particular matter must ever be deemed an admission
that it should be done away. This appears to have been well understood.
In addition to the arguments drawn from liberty, justice and religion,
opinions against this practice [i.e., of slave-trading], founded in
sound policy, have no doubt been urged. Regard was necessarily paid to
the peculiar situation of our southern fellow-citizens; but they, on the
other hand, have not been insensible of the delicate situation of our
national character on this subject."[28]
From quite different motives Southern men defended this section. For
instance, Dr. David Ramsay, a South Carolina member of the Convention,
wrote in his "Address": "It is farther objected, that they have
stipulated for a right to prohibit the importation of negroes after 21
years. On this subject observe, as they are bound to protect us from
domestic violence, they think we ought not to increase our exposure to
that evil, by an unlimited importation of slaves. Though Congress may
forbid the importation of negroes after 21 years, it does not follow
that they will. On the other hand, it is probable that they will not.
The more rice we make, the more business will be for their shipping;
their interest will therefore coincide with ours. Besides, we have other
sources of supply--the importation of the ensuing 20 years, added to the
natural increase of those we already have, and the influx from our
northern neighbours who are desirous of getting rid of their slaves,
will afford a sufficient number for cultivating all the lands in this
state."[29]
Finally, _The Federalist_, No. 41, written by James Madison, commented
as follows: "It were doubtless to be wished, that the power of
prohibiting the importation of slaves had not been postponed until the
year 1808, or rather, that it had been suffered to have immediate
operation. But it is not difficult to account, either for this
restriction on the General Government, or for the manner in which the
whole clause is expressed. It ought to be considered as a great point
gained in favor of humanity, that a period of twenty years may terminate
forever, within these States, a traffic which has so long and so loudly
upbraided the barbarism of modern policy; that within that period, it
will receive a considerable discouragement from the Federal Government,
and may be totally abolished, by a concurrence of the few States which
continue the unnatural traffic, in the prohibitory example which has
been given by so great a majority of the Union. Happy would it be for
the unfortunate Africans, if an equal prospect lay before them of being
redeemed from the oppressions of their European brethren!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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