Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-02-23

nate the industrious and laborIous classesof So
ciety at the North by revolving admisture of the
black element!
1t is frequently asked, What is TO become of the
African among u.s. Are they forever TO re-
main in bondage! That question was asked more
than half century ago. 1t has been answered
by fifty years OF prosperity but little chequered
from this cause. Ii will be repeated fifty or an
hundred years hence. The true answer -, that
the same Providence who has hitherto guided and
governed us, and averled all serious evils FROM
the existing relation between the two races, will
guide AMI govetn our posterty. Sufficient to the
day i, the evil thereof We have hitherto, with
that blessing, taken care Of ourselves. Poserity
will find the means Of its own preservation and
/ prosperity. Ii is only in the most diretul event
which can beial this people that this great inter
est and all other OF our greatest interests, would
be put in jeopardy Although IN particular DIS
tricts the black population IS gaining upon the
white it only constitutes on8-iifth OF The whole
population of the United States And, taking the
aggregates Of the two races, the European Is con-
istantiy, though slowly gaining upon the African
portion THIS fact is demonstrated By the peri
odical returns OF population Let US cease,
them to indulge in gloomy forebodings about the
Iimpenetrable future. But, If we may attempt to
lift the veil and contemplate what lies beyond 1t,
II, too, have ventureu on a speculative theory,
" 18th which will not trouble you, but which
has been published the world. According
10 that in the progress OF time, some one hundred
and fifty two hundred years hence, but few
vostiges OF the black race will remain among our
posierIty.
Mr. President, at the period of the formation
of our Constitution, and afterwards, our patriotic
ancestors apprehended danger to the Union from
two causes One was, the Allegheny Noun
,ains div ding waters which flow into tho Attain
tic Ocean from those which found their outlet IN
to the Gulf Mexico. They seemed to present
natural separation. That danger has vanished
| before the noble achievements OF the spirit OF
internal ilnprov ement and the immortal Fulton
And now, nowhere is found more loyal at
tachment to the Union than among those very
Western people, who, 1t was aPPrehendso, would
be the first to burstlts ties
The other cause, domestic slavery, happily the
sole remaining cause which is likely to dis turbour
harmony, continues to exist. 1t was this when
created the greatest obstacle and the most anx-
ous solicitude in the deliberations OF the Con-
vention that adopted the general Constitution
And it is this subject that has ever been re-
pardod with the deepest anxiety by all who are
sincerely DESTROYS of the permanently ofour Union
The father OF his country, in his last affecting
and solemn appeal TO his feow-citlzens, depre-
cha ted as a most caaniItous event, the geo
graphical divisions which 1t might produce II
The Conv ention wisely left 10 the sevcrai States
the power over the institution of slavery, as a
power not necessary the plan Of union which
ii devised, and with which the general
government could not be invested without plant
ing the seeds of certain destruction. Inero let
it remain undisturbed by any hallowed hand |
Sir, | am not ia the habit of speaking lightly |
of the possibility of dissovng this happy Union.
The Senate knows that have deprecated allu
sious on ordinary occasions to that dlretul e. t
vent The country will testify that, if there be |
any thing in the history Of my public career
worthy of recoecton, it is the truth and s5ncs.
ton. But we should be false in allegiance to
it, if we did not discriminate between the ina GIN
Il To- Id
Abolition should no longer be regarded I'M
aginary danger. The abolitionists, let me sup
pose succeed In their present aim of uniting the
inhabitants of the free states as one man, against
the inhabitants of the slave states. Union on
the one side will beget union OH the other. And
this process of rec procal consolidation will be at
tended with all the violent prcjudces embiter-
ed passions, ADD nplacable nnimosIties which
ever degraded deorued human nature. A
virtual dissolution of the Union will have taken
place, whilst tho forms of its existence remain -
The most valuable element union, mutual kind
ness, the feelings of sympathy, the fraternGl
bonds, which now happily unite US, will have
been extngushed forever. One section will
stand in menacng and hostile array against tho
other. The collision of opinion will be quickly
followed by the clash of arms. l will not at
tempt to describe scenes which happily lie
concealed from our view. Aboliionists them
selves would shrink back in disnay aud horror at ,
the cont empla,ion of desoated fields, confgrated
cities, murdered inhabitants, and the overthrow
of the fairest fabric of human government that
ever to animate the hopes Of civilized man,
Nor should these aboiitionlst tlatter themselves
that, if they succeed in their object of uni ,
ting the people of the free states, they will en-
ter the contest with numerical superiority that
must ensure victory. All history and experience
proves the hazard and uncertainty of war. And
we are admonished by Holy Writ that The race is ,
not TO the swift nor the battle to the strong
But if they were TO conquer whom would they
conquer2 a foreign foe-one who had insultod ,
our flag, inva AIDED our shores, and laid our country
waste' No. sir, no. sir. 1t would be q conquest ,
without laurels, without glory-a self, suicl-
ial conquest conquest of bro theirs over broth
ersz achieved by one over another portion OF the
descendants of common ancestors, who. nobly
pedging their lives, their fortunes, and their sa
cred honor. had fought and bled side by side, in
many hard battle on land and ocean, severed
our country from The British Crown, and estab-
lished our national independence.
The inhabitants of the slave states some
times accused by their Northern brethren with
displaying too much rashnsss and sensibility TO
the operations and proceedings of abolitioniss.-
But. before they can be rightly judged, there
should be reversal of conditions Let me pro-
pose that the people of the slave states were TO
form societies. substitute presses, make pecuniary
send firth nnmerplis mi