JUNE 17—IMPORTATION OF SLAVES.
Mr. Madison replied, that even the southern states, who
were most affected, were perfectly satisfied with this provision,
and dreaded no danger to the property they now hold.
It appeared to him, that the general government would not
intermeddle with that property for twenty years, but to lay
a tax on every slave imported, not exceeding ten dollars; and
that after the expiration of that period, they might prohibit
the traffic altogether. The census in the constitution was
intended to introduce equality in the burdens to be laid on
the community. No gentleman objected to laying duties,
imposts, and excises, uniformly. But uniformity of taxes
would be subversive to the principles of equality: for that it
was not possible to select any article which would be easy
for one state, but what would be heavy for another. That
the proportion of each state being ascertained, it would be
raised by the general government in the most convenient
manner for the people, and not by the selection of any one
particular object. That there must be some degree of confidence
put in agents, or else we must reject a state of civil
society altogether. Another great security to this property,
which he mentioned, was, that five states were greatly interested
in that species of property; and there were other
states which had some slaves, and had made no attempt, or
taken any step to take them from the people. There were a
few slaves in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut: these
states would, probably, oppose any attempts to annihilate this
species of property. He concluded, by observing, that he
would be glad to leave the decision of this to the committee.
