| The U.S.Constitution does not directly define the legal form of slavery.Before the outbreak of the Civil War,the debate over the nature of property right in slaves became a central issue of ideological conflict.The 1787 Constitution did not clearly state the specific meaning of "citizen," "slave," and other identities,leading to ambiguity and political uncertainty for the black slave population.This uncertainty was influenced by the emergence of the concept of free labor,which slave owners used to assert their property right in slaves.In1856,the Republican platform aimed to address the issue of property right in slaves by expanding the Northern understanding of freedom,while the South sought to preserve the prosperity of the cotton economy.The loss of certainty in property right concerning slaves was unacceptable to the Democratic Party,who believed that the constitutional protection of property right served as the legal basis for slavery,and they saw the Republican Party’s intervention as a violation of individual property right safeguarded by the Constitution.The fundamental principles of the United States,rooted in the recognition and protection of private property and individual rights,including "life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness," were at the core of this debate.From 1856 onwards,the political discourse surrounding property right in slaves redefined the nation-state character of federalism.By incorporating "non-white" ethnic groups into the national identity encapsulated in "We the People," a more inclusive interpretation of the Constitution’s freedoms and rights emerged.The closed labor system of slavery undermined property right in the expanding Northern markets and devalued the significance of labor.In the eyes of the North,the concept of free labor represented the protection of property right enshrined in the U.S.Constitution,while the humanitarian sympathy of the Northern public towards black slaves originated from the societal call for "free labor."With the outbreak of war,slavery faced disintegration in areas controlled by the Union Army.Legislators recognized the impossibility of returning to pre-war conditions while simultaneously declaring slavery to be outlawed.Thus,they addressed slavery through the "Confiscation of Contraband," which was a confiscation act that supported the military and served as a political security measure.In the early days of the war,the handling of the issue of fugitive slaves often depended on the requirements of the ongoing battles and the personal inclinations of army commanders.In comparison to the Scott Case,the Emancipation Proclamation resolved the slavery issue through military orders,which became a necessary means to reinterpret the founding principles of the United States in response to the ideological conflicts that arose during the Civil War era and transitioned into military action.Understanding property right in slaves is not only related to defining the legal nature of the slave group but also depends on how property right are intertwined with the concept of freedom.For the Union,the legality of the war shifted from "For the Union" to "For Freedom," which shaped the debate over slavery’s property right through government intervention.This ultimately led to permanent changes in subsequent constitutional amendments,paving the way for the abolition of slavery and the recognition of black slaves as citizens of the United States.This transformation elevated the Civil War’s political significance,embodying the idea of abolitionism: that people cannot be treated as property.This concept holds broader ethical and political value in the modern world.To achieve true "liberation," it is necessary to reflect on the narrative of global capitalist history and reemphasize the central role of "labor." The concept of "free labor" in the North replaced the brutal exploitation of slave labor in the South.The restoration of labor status protected the historical standing of black slaves in the context of the American Civil War.This change in identity shattered the control that slavery had over the black slave population,the labor exploitation tied to property right in slaves,and its impact on white society as a whole,despite the relatively small number of slave owners.From 1856 to 1863,American society experienced a fierce conflict between freedom and slavery,revolving around property right.This conflict provided political resources for the transformation and liberation of various political concepts such as freedom,race,ethnicity,equality,and region in the United States.The intensification of regional politics exacerbated the inherent contradiction between "slavery" and "freedom," ultimately leading to the secession of the Southern slave states from the Union.Ultimately,the issue of property right in slaves was reshaped through the means of war,with the concept of free labor replacing slave labor in practice. |
