A Paragraph Or Two

Ok, so I took the plunge, and bought a Kindle. I'm going through the ebooks classics - THE FREE BOOKS - and snagging the ones that look interesting. I found one this morning that I loaded, I don't remember if I paid 99c for it or not - or if it was free - anyway, if it was, it's definitely worth the 99c. Its an anti-slavery pamphlet, from Britain, written in 1812.

Here is the title: "American Slave Trade; or, An Account off the Manner in which the Slave Dealers take Free People from some of the United States of America, and carry them away, and sell them as Slaves in other of the States; and of the horrible Cruelties practised in the carrying on of this most infamous Traffic: WITH Reflections on the Project for forming a Colony of American Blacks in Africa, and certain Documents respecting that Project" by Jesse Torrey, Jun. Physician

From part of it, where it describes the locations of each state, and then it goes on to talk about the states in their governance:

This territory is divided into States, each of which is independent of all the rest. Each has its Chief Magistrate, its Legislature, its Judiciary, and its own Code of Laws. It raises its own internal taxes; has its own Militia; and is, in fact, an independent State, with the following exceptions; namely, that it has nothing to do, and can have no particular connextion, with any Foreign Nation; can make no laws with regard to external commerce; can make neither peace nor war; and is bound to join the other States in case of war or peace,, These matters are all left to the Congress, which is composed of a President, a Senate, and a House of Representatives. This body manages the affairs of the whole Country as far as relates to peace and war, and as far as relates to external Commerce, and to all connextions with Foreign Nations.

So that the Congress can make no Law touching the internal economy and jurisdiction of any of the States, each of which, may pass what laws it pleases, so that those laws do not contravene the common compact, contained in the document, or, act of Congress, usually denominated the Constitution of the United States.


Look how different it is from 1812 till now. It was something that I had to email to friends, and put on here for you guys to read. How far this country has fallen from its ideals, and a Constitutional government. The Constitution is specific on what Congress can do - and if it's not in there, it's LEFT TO THE INDIVIDUAL STATES. Hence the 10th Amendment. Later on today, or tomorrow (as there is a football game tonight to attend) I'll put some quotations from The Law, by Frederic Bastiat.