country other than the slaveholding States or Territories of the
United States of America, is hereby forbidden; and Congress is
required to pass such laws as shall effectually prevent the
same.

Congress shall also have power to prohibit the introduction of
slaves from any State not a member of, or Territory not
belonging to, this Confederacy.[87]

The attitude of the Confederate government toward this article is best
illustrated by its circular of instructions to its foreign ministers:--

It has been suggested to this Government, from a source of
unquestioned authenticity, that, after the recognition of our
independence by the European Powers, an expectation is generally
entertained by them that in our treaties of amity and commerce a
clause will be introduced making stipulations against the
African slave trade. It is even thought that neutral Powers may
be inclined to insist upon the insertion of such a clause as a
_sine qua non_.

You are well aware how firmly fixed in our Constitution is the
policy of this Confederacy against the opening of that trade,
but we are informed that false and insidious suggestions have
been made by the agents of the United States at European Courts
of our intention to change our constitution as soon as peace is
restored, and of authorizing the importation of slaves from
Africa. If, therefore, you should find, in your intercourse with
the Cabinet to which you are accredited, that any such
impressions are entertained, you will use every proper effort to
remove them, and if an attempt is made to introduce into any
treaty which you may be charged with negotiating stipulations on
the subject just mentioned, you will assume, in behalf of your
Government, the position which, under the direction of the
President, I now proceed to develop.

The Constitution of the Confederate States is an agreement made
between independent States. By its terms all the powers of
Government are separated into classes as follows, viz.:--

1st. Such powers as the States delegate to the General
Government.

2d. Such powers as the States agree to refrain from exercising,
although they do not delegate them to the General Government.

3d. Such powers as the States, without delegating them to the
General Government, thought proper to exercise by direct
agre