Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-09-03


and detestable mania from MR. SpRAGuE's
eoquen, speech at the great meeting in Fan
euil Hall, August 2lst. Mr.. s. was recent
ly distinguished Senator in Congress from
the State Of Maine but is now a very promis
neDt lawyer in Boston.
"If then these abolitionists shall go on, if
their associations shall continue to Increase
If their doctrines shall spread and their meas
ures be adopted, until they become the gen.
eral sentiment and action Of Il majority OF the
people of The North, and this shall be known,
as known it will be, at tire South, the fate of
our Government Is sealed--the day that sees
that consummatlon will look only OH the bro
ken fragments of our Union. And who viii
attempt To fathom the immeasurable abyss of
"a dissolution OF the Union? Draw the lines
Of the new coniederacies where you will
war-bitter and almost incessunt war, will
be the inevitable consequence. All history,
and human nature itseli, teach us this.
| "rell the abolitonists this; present to them
in full array the terrific consequences of their
attempts at immediate emancipation, and
they meet all by cold abstraction. They
answer, We must do right regardless Of con-
sequences. AS it, in human action, PRACTICAL
.
fects and consequences were to be of no ac-
count in forming a Judgment Of what IS right.
AS if they were not indispensable elements
in the formation OF correct views Of right and
duty. They assume that such course is
right, when that is the very point in contro-
versy, and when inevitable consequences de-
monstrate that it must be wrong. 1t is a
iallacy which they themselves discard when
home
insist that it is right that they should urge
their doctrines for the conviction OF the South.
Ask them why they do not 60 on and preach
them there, where they most desire to make
converts They reply, Why. we should be
in danger Of our lives! Then they begin TO
think of consequences. So that the practical
result of that proposition, which sounds as
well in the abstract, is that they are to go on
regardless OF consequences to Others but not
without due regard to MemSelres.
Il They insist upon immediate, insta ntancous
emancipation. Represent to them the pres
ent ignorance of the slaves, understanding
! neither the rights nor duties of ireemen, and
that, possessing all the violent passions OF
/ man, but without moral or intellectual dis
! cipine, if they should be Ioosed at once from
all restraint it would bring misery and de-
! struction alike upon themselves and others
the reply Is, in general propositions. No
man, say they, can be rlghtIully restrained
! of his liberty except for crime. The COM
mencement of slavery, the original depriving
! of the blacks OF their liberty, was theft and
robbery and sin, and therefore every continu-
alton of it, hoUeUer changed tie circumstances,
is theft, and robbery and sin, and that all sin
| should be immediately abandoned. Now, sir,
to meet these propositions, insisted upon as
! universal moral truths from which there can
be no exception, let me put a case not alto
| gether inaglnary-let me suppose that a free
man, good citizen, in the full possession OF
his faculties, is kidnapped, represented as a
lunatc for the purpose of deprlylng him OF
the control OF hs property, aud kept III con-
! tinement in private mad house, until from
the horrors Of his situation, his n.lnd is really
alienated reason is driven from her throne
| and lie actually becomes a furious nladnan.
Would you release him then? Why not?-
! He has committed no erime---he las ouly
suffered excrutiating agony, bodily and NEIL
! tai, by the crimes OF others. The original re-
straint upon his liberty was sin-why not
| then every continuation of it, and why not
leave SHINING Instantly by setting him at
| large? The answer is obvious he Is not in a
condition TO be liberated-he would do nlls-
chief to himself and others. And so of the
! slaves; if they are not in mental condition
! to receive unrestralned freedom-if they
| would do mischief to themselves and others
the safety of society, humanity ITSELF de-
| mands that they should not at once be loosed
from all restraint.
H
"Sir, these doctrines and that language to
which have felt it my duty to advert, tend
! ing as they do to the disruption CT the Union,
! the prostration of Government and all the
| horrors of u civil and servle war, have at
tanned their greatest prevalence and intensl-
ty within the past year, since certain noto-
rlous foreign agent first landed upon ouT
! shores who comes here, not 10 unite his fate
| with ours, not as other foreigners who would
| make this their home, and whom we cordially
receive to the participation Of all the immea-
surabe blessings Of free institutions; but he
comes here an avowed enliSSaIy sustained by
foreign funds, a prottsSed dgitator, upon
,uest,ons deeply, profoundly political, which
! ay at the very foundation vi our Union, anC
! in " hich the very existence of this nation /:
involved. lie comes here from the dark ant
cor. upt institutions of Europe to enlighter
Us upon the rights OF man and the moral du
ties of our own condition. Received by YOU
hospitality, he stands here upon our soil, pro-
tected by our laws, and hurls sire brands, ar
rows and dealh," into the habitations OF oul
neighbors, and friends, and brothers-and
when he shall have kindled conhagratou
which is sweeping in desoation over the
land, he has only to embark for his owl
country, and there look securely back will
) indifference or oxullation upon the wide
sp.ead ruin by which our cities arc wrapt II
names, and oar garments rolled in blood
Tins is Our counlry-thc country OF our chill
drcn, aud our chlldren's children. We caI
meyer separate from II. Its fate must be on