ABSTRACT
The natural law concept has been used in many ways and for many purposes. In both the speculative and controversial writings of the Revolutionary generation natural law continued to hold a place of importance. In the one great political controversy since the passing of the Revolutionary generation, that over slavery, natural law was of great importance. With both sides it was the principal theoretical weapon, the anti-slavery men discoursing of the rights of men, the pro-slavery men of the natural laws which ordain inequality. In the lesser controversies of the period 1790-1860, with the exception of certain of the state constitutional convention debates, there were fewer references to natural law. Again, "natural law" has often meant principles of right, partly because they measured up to a given standard or norm, partly because they were developed by use of the moral sense, conscience.
