that the General
Government should have power to prevent the increase of
slavery.

"Mr. ELLSWORTH, as he had never owned a slave, could not
judge of the effects of slavery on character. He said,
however, that, if it was to be considered in a moral light,
we ought to go further, and free those already in the
country. As slaves also multiply so fast in Virginia and
Maryland, that it is cheaper to raise than import them,
whilst in the sickly rice-swamps foreign supplies are
necessary, if we go no further than is urged, we shall be
unjust towards South Carolina and Georgia. Let us not
intermeddle. As population increases, poor laborers will be
so plenty as to render slaves useless. _Slavery, in time,
will not be a speck in our county_. Provision is already
made in Connecticut for abolishing it; and the abolition has
already taken place in Massachusetts. As to the danger of
insurrections from foreign influence, that will become a
motive to kind treatment of the slaves.

"Gen. PINCKNEY declared it to be his firm opinion, that if
himself and all his colleagues were to sign the
Constitution, and use their personal influence, it would be
of no avail towards obtaining the assent of their
constituents. South Carolina and Georgia cannot do without
slaves. As to Virginia, she will gain more by stopping the
importations. Her slaves will rise in value, and she has
more than she wants. It would be unequal to require South
Carolina and Georgia to confederate on such unequal terms.
He said, the royal assent, before the Revolution, had never
been refused to South Carolina as to Virginia. He contended,
that the importation of slaves would be for the interest of
the whole Union. The more slaves, the more produce to employ
the carrying-trade: the more consumption also; and, the more
of this, the more revenue for the common treasury. He
admitted it to be reasonable, that slaves should be dutied
like other imports; but should consider a rejection of the
clause as an exclusion of South Carolina 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 General Government to