and in the mean time to impose a duty of ten dollars a head on such blacks as should be imported before that period.  Besides, by the new Constitution, every particular State is left to its own option totally to prohibit the introduction of slaves into its own territories.  What could the convention do more?  The members of the southern States, like ourselves, have their prejudices.  It would not do to abolish slavery, by an act of Congress, in a moment, and so destroy what our southern brethren consider as property.  But we may say, that although slavery is not smitten by an apoplexy, yet it has received a mortal wound and will die of a consumption.

Mr. Neal (from Kittery,) went over the ground of objection to this section on the idea that the slave trade was allowed to be continued for 20 years.  His profession, he said, obliged him to bear witness against any thing that should favor the making merchandise of the bodies of men, and unless his objection was removed, he could not put his hand to the Constitution.  Other gentlemen said, in addition to this idea, that there was not even a proposition that the negroes ever shall be free, and Gen. Thompson exclaimed: 

Mr. President, shall it be said, that after we have established our own independence and freedom, we make slaves of others?  Oh!  Washington, what a name has he had!  How he has immortalized himself! but he holds those in slavery who have a good right to be free as he has—­he is still for self; and, in my opinion, his character has sunk 50 per cent.

On the other side, gentlemen said, that the step taken in this article, towards the abolition of slavery, was one of the beauties of the Constitution.  They observed, that in the confederation there was no provision whatever for its ever being abolished; but this Constitution provides, that Congress may, after 20 years, totally annihilate the slave trade; and that, as all the States, except two, have passed laws to this effect, it might reasonably be expected, that it would then be done.  In the interim, all the States were at liberty to prohibit it.

Saturday, January 26.—­[The debate on the 9th section still continued desultory—­and consisted of similar objections, and answers thereto, as had before been used.  Both sides deprecated the slave trade in the most pointed terms; on one side it was pathetically lamented, by Mr. Nason, Major Lusk, Mr. Neal, and others, that this Constitution provided for the continuation of the slave trade for 20 years.  On the other, the honorable Judge Dana, Mr. Adams and others, rejoiced that a door was now to be opened for the annihilation of this odious, abhorrent practice, in a certain time.]