en place in
Massachusetts. As to the danger of insurrection from foreign
influence, that will become a motive to kind treatment of the
slaves.

Mr. Pinkney--If slavery be wrong, it is justified by the example
of the world. He cited the case of Greece, Rome & other ancient
States; the sanction given by France, England, Holland & other
modern States. In all ages one half of mankind have been slaves.
If the S. States were let alone they will probably of themselves
stop importations. He wd. himself as a Citizen of S. Carolina
vote for it. An attempt to take away the right as proposed will
produce serious objections to the Constitution which he wished to
see adopted.

General Pinkney declared it to be his firm opinion that if
himself & all his colleagues were to sign the Constitution & use
their personal influence, it would be of no avail towards
obtaining the assent of their Constituents. S. Carolina & Georgia
cannot do without slaves. As to Virginia she will gain by
stopping the importations. Her slaves will rise in value, & she
has more than she wants. It would be unequal to require S. C. &
Georgia to confederate on such unequal terms. He said the Royal
assent before the Revolution had never been refused to S.
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 of 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 S. Carola from the
Union.

Mr. Baldwin had conceived national object 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 Genl Government to be the pursuit of the central
States who wished to have a vortex for every thing--that her
distance would preclude her from equal advantage--& that she
could not prudently purchase it by yielding national powers. From
this it might be understood in what light she would view an
attempt to abridge one of her favorite prerogatives. If left to
herself, she may prob