n the subjects committed to them. I
found the _eastern_ States, notwithstanding their _aversion to
slavery_, were very willing to indulge the southern States, at
least with a temporary liberty to prosecute the _slave-trade_,
provided the southern States would, in their turn, gratify them,
by laying _no restrictions on navigation acts_; and after a very
little time the committee, by a great majority agreed on a
report, by which the general government was to be prohibited from
preventing the importation of slaves for a limited time, and the
restrictive clause relative to navigation acts was to be omitted.

(61) This report was adopted by a majority of the convention but
not without considerable opposition. It was said, that we had
just assumed a place among independent nations, in consequence of
our opposition to the attempts of Great Britain to _enslave us_;
that this opposition was grounded upon the preservation of _those
rights_ to which God and nature had entitled _us_, not in
_particular_, but in _common_ with _all the rest of mankind_;
that we had _appealed_ to the _Supreme Being_ for his
_assistance_, as the _God of freedom_, who could not but
_approve_ our efforts to preserve the _rights_ which he had thus
_imparted to his creatures_; that, now, when we scarcely had
risen from our _knees_, from _supplicating_ his _aid_ and
_protection_, in _forming our government_ over a _free people_, a
government formed pretendedly on the _principles_ of _liberty_
and for _its preservation_,--in _that_ government, to have a
provision not only putting it out of _its_ power to _restrain_
and _prevent_ the _slave-trade_, but _even encouraging that most
infamous traffic_, by giving the _States power_ and _influence_
in the _Union, in proportion_ as _cruelly and wantonly sport with
the rights of their fellow creatures, ought_ to be considered as
a _solemn mockery_, of an _insult to that God_ whose protection
we had then implored, and could not fail to hold us up in
_detestation_, and render us _contemptible_ to every _true
friend_ of liberty in the world. It was said, it ought to be
considered that national _crimes_ can only be, and _frequently
are punished_ in this world, by national punishments; and that
the _continuance_ of the slave-trade, and thus givi