n. This feeling displayed itself
in the South as well as in the North. Some of the present
slaveholding States thought that the power to abolish, not
only the African slave trade, but slavery in the States,
ought to be given to the Federal Government; and that the
Constitution did not take this shape, was made one of the
most prominent objections to it by LUTHER MARTIN, a
distinguished member of the Convention from Maryland; and
Mr. MASON, of Virginia, was not far behind him in his
emancipation principles. Mr. MADISON sympathized to a great
extent. Anti-slavery feelings were extensively indulged in
by many members of the Convention, both from the
slaveholding and the non-slaveholding States."

Mr. MADISON'S testimony is important here. He was a member of the old
Congress in New York, until the assembling of the Constitutional
Convention, and took his seat as a member of that body.

The History of the Ordinance of 1787, by Hon. EDWARD COLES, contains
the following statement, as made to him by Mr. MADISON:

"The old Congress held its sessions, in 1787, in New York,
while at the same time the Convention which framed the
Constitution of the United States held its sessions in
Philadelphia. Many individuals were members of both bodies,
and thus were enabled to know what was passing in each--both
sitting with closed doors and in secret sessions. The
distracting question of slavery was agitating and retarding
the labors of both, and led to conferences of
intercommunications of the members."

I quote this testimony now, to show that Conferences were held between
the members of Congress and the Federal Convention, upon the subject
of slavery. I shall quote farther from it on another point, after
turning for a moment to the proceedings of Congress.

On the 9th July, 1787, the Convention having been in session about two
months, the ordinance for the government of the Western Territory,
which had been reported in a new draft on the 26th of the preceding
April, and ordered to a third reading on the 10th May, and then
postponed, was referred to a new committee, consisting of Messrs.
CARRINGTON, of Virginia; DANE, of Massachusetts; R.H. LEE, of
Virginia; KEAN, of North Carolina; and SMITH, of New York. Two days
afterwards, July 11th, Mr. CARRINGTON reported what has since been
known as the "Ordinance of 1787," with the except