Plain commandments are broken; and are we not told
that "Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall
teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven"?
As it is for the public weal that there should be an end of suits, so by
the consent of civilized nations these must be instituted within fixed
limitations of time; but this Act, exalting Slavery above even this
practical principle of universal justice, ordains proceedings against
Freedom without any reference to the lapse of time.
Glancing only at these points, and not stopping for argument,
vindication, or illustration, I come at once upon two chief radical
objections to this Act, identical in principle with those triumphantly
urged by our fathers against the British Stamp Act; first, that it is a
usurpation by Congress of powers not granted by the Constitution, and an
infraction of rights secured to the States; and, secondly, that it
takes away Trial by Jury in a question of Personal Liberty and a suit
at Common Law.
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