The South
would not submit to a general emancipation without "civil war." The
commitment would "blow the trumpet of sedition in the Southern States,"
echoed his colleague, Burke. The Pennsylvania men spoke just as boldly.
Scott declared the petition constitutional, and was sorry that the
Constitution did not interdict this "most abominable" traffic. "Perhaps,
in our Legislative capacity," he said, "we can go no further than to
impose a duty of ten dollars, but I do not know how far I might go if I
was one of the Judges of the United States, and those people were to
come before me and claim their emancipation; but I am sure I would go as
far as I could." Jackson of Georgia rejoined in true Southern spirit,
boldly defending slavery in the light of religion and history, and
asking if it was "good policy to bring forward a business at this moment
likely to light up the flame of civil discord; for the people of the
Southern States will resist one tyranny as soon as another. The other
parts of the Continent may bear them down by force of arms, but they
will never suffer themselves to be divested of their property without a
struggle. The gentleman says, if he was a Federal Judge, he does not
know to what length he would go in emancipating these people; but I
believe his judgment would be of short duration in Georgia, perhaps even
the existence of such a Judge might be in danger.
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