manity and true
policy require.

"That congress have authority to restrain the citizens of
the United States from carrying on the African slave-trade
for the purpose of supplying foreigners with slaves, and of
providing by proper regulations for the humane treatment,
during their passage, of slaves imported by the said
citizens into the said states admitting such importation.

"That congress have also authority to prohibit foreigners
from fitting out vessels in any port of the United States
for transporting persons from Africa to any foreign port."

The census of 1790 gave the slave population of the States as
follows:--

SLAVE POPULATION.--CENSUS OF 1790.

Connecticut 2,759
Delaware 8,887
Georgia 29,264
Kentucky 11,830
Maryland 103,036
New Hampshire 158
New Jersey 11,423
New York 21,324
North Carolina 100,572
Pennsylvania 3,737
Rhode Island 952
South Carolina 107,094
Vermont 17
Virginia 293,427
Territory south of Ohio 3,417

Aggregate, 697,897.

Vermont was admitted into the Union on the 18th of February, 1791; and
the first article of the Bill of Rights declared that "no male person
born in this country, or brought from over sea, ought to be bound by
law to serve any person as a servant, slave, or apprentice after he
arrives at the age of twenty-one years, nor female, in like manner,
after she arrives at the age of twenty-one years, unless they are
bound by their own consent after they arrive at such age, or are bound
by law for the payment of debts, damages, fines, costs, or the like."
This provision was contained in the first Constitution of that State,
and, therefore, it was the first one to abolish and prohibit slavery
in North America.

On the 4th of February, 1791, Kentucky was admitted into the Union by
Act of Congress, though it had no Constitution. But the next year a
Constitution was framed. By it the Legislature was denied the right to
emancipate slaves without the consent of the owner, nor without paying
the full price of the slaves before emancipating them; nor could any