Juneteenth End of Slavery
Celebrating Juneteenth as the end of slavery also fulfills the aspirations of delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The founders could not abolish slavery but came closer than often believed. Slavery was retained, but the Constitution only provided to suspend Congressional initiatives until 1808. They expected it to vanish as a matter of moral obligation.
The philosophical doctrines consulted for founding this country already placed master and slave on the same natural plane of existence and only postponed the free exercise of conscience. It was reasonably believed planters would no longer be satisfied with luxuries, indolence, and cruelties, but aspire to the profit, energy, and incentives found in Northern methods of enterprise.
In reading James Madison’s notes, you find no defense of slavery, but two firm denunciations during debates that abhorred the institution. Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania said, “It was a nefarious institution. It was the curse of heaven on states where it prevailed. Compare Middle States where a rich and noble civilization marks prosperity and happiness with….great regions of slaves presenting a desert increasing in proportion to these retched beings”. George Mason of Virginia said, “This infernal traffic originated in the avarice of British merchants…. Slavery discourages arts and manufactures….Every master of slaves is born a petty tyrant….They bring the judgement of heaven on a country. As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this”.
As an economically dying institution when the Constitution was approved, it seemed a not intractable problem to settle.
Excellent letter!