How did the Constitution of 1787 handle the issue of slavery? Despite protests from Southern delegates, the document permanently freed runaway slaves who made it to the North. The Constitution declared that all territories of the United States would be "free soil" where slavery would not be permitted. The Constitution provided for half of a state’s slave population to be counted in determining its membership in the House of Representatives. Although never using the word "slavery," the document protected several aspects of the institution.