The bill, however, became a law, and by continuations
remained on the statute-books until 1809. Even at that distance the
nightmare of the Haytian insurrection continued to haunt the South, and
a proposal to reopen trade with the island caused wild John Randolph to
point out the "dreadful evil" of a "direct trade betwixt the town of
Charleston and the ports of the island of St. Domingo."[90]
Of the twenty years from 1787 to 1807 it can only be said that they
were, on the whole, a period of disappointment so far as the suppression
of the slave-trade was concerned. Fear, interest, and philanthropy
united for a time in an effort which bade fair to suppress the trade;
then the real weakness of the constitutional compromise appeared, and
the interests of the few overcame the fears and the humanity of the
many.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Prince, _Digest of the Laws of Georgia_, p. 786; Marbury
and Crawford, _Digest of the Laws of Georgia_, pp. 440, 442.
The exact text of this act appears not to be extant. Section
I. is stated to have been "re-enacted by the constitution."
Possibly this act prohibited slaves also, although this is not
certain. Georgia passed several regulative acts between 1755
and 1793. Cf. Renne, _Colonial Acts of Georgia_, pp. 73-4,
164, note.
[2] Marbury and Crawford, _Digest_, p.
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