ng it a
_national sanction_ and _encouragement_, ought to be considered
as _justly exposing_ us to the _displeasure_ and _vengeance_ of
_Him_, who is equally Lord of all, and who views with equal eye
the poor _African slave_ and his _American master_.

(62) It was urged, that, by this system, we were giving the
general government full and absolute power to regulate commerce,
under which general power it would have a right to _restrain_, or
_totally prohibit_, the _slave-trade_; it must, therefore, appear
to the world absurd and disgraceful to the last degree, that we
should _except_ from the exercise of that power, the _only
branch_ of _commerce_ which is _unjustifiable in its nature_, and
_contrary_ to the rights of _mankind_; that, on the contrary, we
ought _rather to prohibit expressly_ in our _constitution_, the
_further importation of slaves_; and to _authorize_ the general
government, from time to time, to make such regulations as should
be thought most advantageous for the _gradual abolition of
slavery_, and the _emancipation_ of the _slaves_ which are
already in the States: That _slavery_ is _inconsistent_ with the
_genius_ of _republicanism_, and has a tendency to _destroy_
those _principles_ on which it is _supported_, as it _lessens_
the _sense_ of the _equal rights of mankind_, and habituates us
to _tyranny_ and _oppression_.

(63) It was further urged that, by this system of government,
every State is to be protected both from _foreign invasion_ and
from _domestic insurrections_; that, from this consideration, it
was of the _utmost importance_ it should have a power to restrain
the importation of slaves; since in _proportion_ as the number of
slaves are increased in any State, in the _same_ proportion the
State is _weakened_, and _exposed_ to foreign invasion or
domestic insurrection, and _by so much less_ will it be able to
protect itself against _either_; and, therefore will by so much
the more want aid from, and be a burden to the Union. It was
further said, that as, in this system, we were giving the general
government a power under the idea of national character, or
national interest, to regulate even our _weights_ and
_measures_, and have prohibited all possibility of _emitting
paper money_, and _passing instalment la