Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/228

 222 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Wednesday MADISON .4ugust 8 regions of slaves, presents a desert increasing with ye increas- ing proportion of these wretched beings.)t, Upon what principle is it that the slaves shall be computed in the representation? Are they men? Then make them Citi- zens & let them vote? Are they propert7? Why then is no other property included ? The Houses in this City (Philada.) are worth more than all the wretched slaves which cover the rice swamps of South Carolina. The admission of slaves into the Representation when fairly explained comes to this: that the inhabitant of Georgia and S.C. who goes to the Coast of Africa, and in defiance of the most sacred laws of humanity tears away his fellow creatures from their dearest connections & dam(n)s them to the most cruel bondages, shall have more votes in a Govt. instituted for protection of the rights of man- kind, than the Citizen of Pa or N. Jersey who views with a laudable horror, so nefarious a practice. Domestic slavery is the most prominent tooratio countenance of the proposed vassalage of the poor has ever been the He would add that feature in the aris- Constitution. The favorite offspring of Aristocracy. And What is the proposed compensation to the Northern States for a sacrifice of every principle of right, of every impulse of humanity. They are to bind themselves to march their militia for the defence of the S. States; for their defence agst those very slaves of whom they complain. They must supply vessels & seamen, in case of foreign Attack. The Legislature will have indefinite power to tax them by excises, and duties on imports: both of which will fall heavier on them than on the Southern inhabitants; for the bohea tea used by a Northern freeman, will pay more tax than the whole consumption of the miserable slave, which consists of nothing more than his physical subsistence and the rag that covers his nakedness. On the other side the Southern States are not to be restrained from importing fresh supplies of wretched Africans, at once to increase' the danger of attack, and the difficulty of defence; nay they are to be encouraged to it by an assurance of having their votes in the Natl Govt increased  It is difficult to account for this passage. The MS. seems to show fairly cer- atlnly that it was a later insertion.

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