hiː dˈɪd ðɪs æɾə tˈaɪm wɛn ðə kˌɑːnstɪtˈuːʃən, wˈɪtʃ "tˈɑːlɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd slˈeɪvɚɹi", wʌzðə fˈoʊkəs ʌv mˈoʊst pəlˈɪɾɪkəl dˈɪskoːɹs.
He did this at a time when the Constitution, which "tolerated slavery", was the focus of most political discourse.