Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-02-22

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effec,unte the project Of abolition. The
aboli,ionists oppose all colonization, and it
,rrcsis,ib|y follows. whatever they may
protest or declare, that they are 10 favor OF
amalgamation. And who are to bring
about this ANA gama,iop? have heard of
none Of these ultra aboll,lonisls furnishing
in their own families or persons examples
ofo,ermarrage. Who is to begin it, ? Is
1t their purpose not only to create pinch
ns competition be,we black labor and
white labor, but do they intend also to con
animate the industrious and laborious
classes Of society at the North by revolt
ing admix,urc ofthe black element?
1t is frequently asked, What lie to become
Of the African race among us? Are they
forever to remain in bondage, That ques
ton was asked more than half century
$40. 1t has been answered by fifty years
of posteriiy but little cheqnercd from this
cause. It will be repeated fifty or a hun.
dred wears hence. The true answer is, tina,
the Same Providence who has hitherto
guided and governed us, and averted all
serious evils from the existing relation
between the two races. will guide and gov
ern our posler,y. Sufficient to the day is
the evil thereof. We have hitherto, with
that blessing. taken care Of ourselves. -
Posterlty will find Inc means Of its own
preservation and prosperity. It is only n
the most direful event which can befal this
People that this great interest, and all other
of our greatest interests, would be put in
jeopardy. Although in particular districts
the black population is gaining upon the
white. it only constitutes one.hfth of the
whole population of the United States
And, taking the aggregates Of the two ra
ccs. the European is constantly, though
slowly, gaining upon the African portion
This fact is demonstrated by the periodical
returns Of our population. Let US cease,
then, to indulge in gloomy forcbodlngs
about the impene,rable future But. if we
may attempt to lift the ynIl, aud contem.
plate what lies beyond it, |, too, have ven
tnred on speculative theory, with which
will not now trouble YOU, but which has
been published TO the world. According
to that. in the progress of time, some one
hundred and fifty or two hundred years
hence, but few vesigns Of the black race
will remain among ou' poslerty.
Mr.. President, at The period Of the for
nation Of our Const alton, and afterwards
our patriotic ancestors apprebended danger
TO the Union from two causes. One was.
the Allegheny Mountains, dividing the
waters which flow INTO the Atlantic Ocean
from those which found their outlet in the
Gulf of Mexico. They seemed to presen,
a natural separation. That danger has
vanished before the noble achievements Of
the spirit Of internal Improvement and the
immortal genius of Fulton. And now,
nowhere is found a more loyal attachment
to The Union than among those very Yves
tern people. who, it was apprehe ndcd,
would be the first 10 burst its ties.
The other cause. domestic slavery, hap
| PLY the sole remaining cause which is likely
to disturb our harmony, contlnne, TO exist.
II was this which created the greatest
obstacle and the most anxious soIicltude in
the deliberations of the Convention that
adopted the general Constitution. And It
is this subject tina, has ever been regarded
with the deepest anxiety by all who are
sincerely DESTROYS ofthe permanepcy of our
| Union. The Father Of his Country, in
his last affecting ard solemn appeal to his
fellow citizens, deprecated, as most CO.
amiious event, the geographical divisions
which it might produce. The Convention
wisely left to The several States The power
over the institution Of slavery, a: power
not necessary TO the plan of union which it
devised, and as one with which the Genet
al Government could not be invested
without planting the seeds of certain de-
tructIon. There let it remain undsturbcd
by any unhaIIowcd hand
Sir, am not in The habit Of speaking
lightly of The possibility Of dissolving this
| happy Union. The Senate knows that !
have deprecated illusions, on ordinary &C
casIons, to that dIrciul event. The coun.
try will testify that, # there be any thing
in the history of my public career worthy
of recollection. 1t is the truth and sincerity
of my ardent devotion TO its lasting pre-
serva.Ion But wo should be false in our
allegiance 10 il. if we did not discriminate
| between The imaginary and real dangers by
which it may be assal!ed, Abolition should
no longer be regarded us an imaginary
danger The nboIionsts, let me suppose,
succeed in their present aim of uniting the
! lnhabltaris ofihe free States as one man.
against the inha blanls of the Slave States.
Union on the one side will beget Union on
the other. And the process Of reciprocal
consolidation will be attended with all the
violent prejudces. embilterrcd passions.
and mplicabe animositles which ever
degraded or deformed human nature. A
virtual dissolution Of he Union viii have
taken place, whilst the forms of It's cxls-
tence remain. The most valuab, element
| of union, mutual kindness. the feelings Of
sympathy, the lralerna bonds which now
happily unite us, will have been ex'in-
gulshed forever. One section will stand
in menacing and hostile array against the
other. The collision of opinion will be
quickly followed by the clash of arms. !
will not attempt to describe scenes which
now happily lie concealed from our view.
! AbOlij iOnists ihemseIves would shrink hack