Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/378

 7 2 RECOKDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Wednesday MADISON August 22 like other imports, but should consider a rejection of the clause as an exclusion of S. Carola from the Union. Mr. Baldwin had conceived national objects alone to be before the Convention, not such as like the present were of a local nature. Georgia was decided on this point. That State has always hitherto supposed a Genl Governmt to be the pursuit of the central States who wished to have a vortex for every thing--that her distance would preclude her from equal advantage--& that she could not prudently purchase it by yielding national powers. From this it might be under- stood in what light she would view an attempt to abridge one of her favorite prerogatives. If left to herself, she may probably put a stop to the evil. As one ground for this con- jecture, he took notice of the sect of which he said was a respectable class of people, who carryed their ethics beyond the mere equality of men, extending their humanity to the claims of the whole animal creation. Mr. Wilson observed that if S.C. & Georgia were them- selves disposed to get rid of the importation of slaves in a short time as had been suggested they would never refuse to Unite because the importation might be prohibited. As the Section now stands all articles imported are to be taxed. Slaves alone are exempt. This is in fact a bounty on that article. Mr. Gerry thought we had nothing to do with the conduct of the States as to Slave% but ought to be careful not to give any sanction to it. Mr. Dickenson considered it as inadmissible on every prin- ciple of honor & safety that the importation of slaves should be authorized to the States by the Constitution. The true question was whether the national happiness would be pro- moted or impeded by the importation, and this question ought to be left to the National Govt. not to the States particularly interested. If Engd. & France permit slavery, slaves are at the same time excluded from both those Kingdoms. Greece and Rome were made unhappy by their slaves. He could not believe that the Southn. States would refuse to confeder- ate on the account apprehended; especially as the power was

�