ade? Some do it from sentiment and principle; some from
interest; but there is a controlling motive with each and all of them.
It is safe enough to leave it where it stood, giving Congress the
power merely. Here you make it their duty. Suppose this case: the
States that have left us have set up another Government, another
Confederation; under this clause you forbid us to buy their slaves, to
interchange and trade in slaves with them: what will be the
consequence? They will exclude us from selling our slaves in their
territory, and where then do we stand? If you should think it prudent,
if you should think it politic, you would have no means, under this
proposed amendment, of allowing that to be done between these two
coterminous countries. Though it would be to the advantage of both
Confederacies that there should be this interchange, you preclude
Congress from allowing it; and then where would that place the border
slave States? They would not be able to sell their slaves in the
States further South; and if they carried them there, they would have
to emigrate with them. You would thus prevent Congress from adopting a
regulation which would make it possible for them to remain in this
Union with safety, with advantage, to themselves. Why was this put in?
Why not have left it where it stood, giving Congress the power, when
we all know that there is no State in the present Confederation that
would not exercise that power for the purpose of suppressing the
slave-trade from Africa? This probably would constitute the only
exception. Why shut ourselves out from allowing the exception?

But, Mr. President, my desire is to be brief; I do not want to consume
the time of the Senate; I am merely endeavoring to state the points of
objection as briefly as I can. Here is, at the close of it, another
provision which, it seems to me, contains the seeds of civil war; and
that is this: "Congress shall provide by law for securing to the
citizens of each State the privileges and immunities of citizens in
the several States;" that is to say, Congress shall have power to pass
laws to force the States to receive those persons whom they have
excluded from police considerations--considerations of domestic
safety. Yes, sir, to force the States to receive persons who would be
dangerous to their peace; to force upon them, if you will, abolition
lecturers; to force upon them persons whom they regard as the most
dangerous emissaries that could be sen