Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Michigan Bowhunter
By the way, without that stubborn Constitution, we could never have gotten rid of that stench which was slavery.

I'm having a hard time understanding what you are saying here. The US constitution had a clause in it requiring freed slaves to be returned to their masters. (Article IV, Section 2) It prohibited banning the slave trade until 1808.

Lincoln and his Republican allies even tried to amend the US constitution to protect slavery indefinitely. This was the Corwin Amendment.

The US Constitution had nothing to do with eradicating slavery.

62 posted on 02/03/2023 8:36:15 PM PST by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies ]


To: DiogenesLamp

Madison and others made clear that the Slave Trade Clause (among others) was included to help ensure support of the drafted Constitution by our Southern brothers. Although Jefferson was not a participant, prior to 1808 his writing makes clear (to me) that the intent was all along for the Federal government to ban the importation of slaves at the earliest possible time. Madison said the same thing - in twenty years the importation of slavery could be prohibited, which it was.

So the US Constitution did not eradicate slavery at its inception but contained the mechanism to limit it, and eradicate it via the Amendment process.


87 posted on 02/04/2023 4:15:55 AM PST by Fury
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson