There was nobody to do the gathering once all the slaves were emancipated.
The Constitution contained a fugitive slave clause in Art. 4, section 2, which gave slaveowners the right to demand the extradition of their escaped slaves; there was no constitutional right to own anyone. The Thirteenth Amendment superseded this clause and extinguished any property rights in slaves, so slaveowners weren’t entitled to anything.
It also appears twice in Article I - the 3/5 compromise, for example. The point is that extinguishing property rights was a taking. Not that I really give a shit about the rights of slaveowners; I’m just saying.
It’s worth noting that the UK Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 provided for compensation to slaveowners.
It wasn’t a taking either. A taking is government appropriation of private property for public use. The government didn’t take ownership of the slaves - it freed them.
But the UK had less slaves, and none of them were on mainland Britain (AFAIK). Much more workable in their case.
If they had demanded payment, I’m sure the Union Army would have given each slave owner 455 grains of metal, payable on demand.
Better yet, he thinks the 51st state should be the Moon, and has a long record of opposing statehood for Washington, DC.
For some reason I feel more drawn to him.
(a few hours later)
Okay, I’m over it.
(a few hours later)
I’m back, but what is in this warlock’s spell? He’s still fat and ugly, but not so attractive.
(a few hours later)
Again, that has passed.
[QUOTE=Ravenman]
Better yet, he thinks the 51st state should be the Moon, and has a long record of opposing statehood for Washington, DC.
[/QUOTE]
I have to wonder if this is some kind of weird dog whistle for people that don’t like the fact that we have signed treaties agreeing not to claim “celestial resources” such as the moon. Maybe this is a move intended to appeal to the type who want to abolish the UN.
Or Gingrich could just be a yogurt head. Yeah, it’s probably that.
Actually, I’d love love love to see us return to the moon, but I have a hard time believing Gingrich’s suggestion isn’t 90% self serving in some way.
A permanent colony. On the moon. So, we would have one rocket lifting off from Canaveral every ten minutes, half of them filled with water, the other half with Doritos. You just keep thinking, Newt, that’s what you’re good at.
I though Nasa had discovered that the moon contains vast underground reserves of Doritos?
I think Newt just wants to leave this sick planet for new one.
We can just send welfare recipients to work the Lunar Doritos mines.
Win-win-win!
Wouldn’t take a lot of work to decorate the moon to resemble Newt’s head, I’m thinking. He’s got bigger plans than being the fifth face on Mount Rushmore.
It’s be easier for him to lay off the Rogaine and make his head more closely resemble the moon.
It could be that he is trying to sew up the Heinlein Libritarian vote
It’s not a new obsession with him. One of his first acts as a Congressman, in 1981, was to introduce a bill defining procedures for admitting space colonies into the Union.
Tides?
And just throw away all the money we spent decorating it to look like Jackie Gleason?
I think not.
Newt is the Man in the Moon. Sorry about the eye thing.
You can’t explain that!