The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-10-23

ropic object seems 10 have been an interference will
the domestic Institutions oC the slaye-hoding States
OF our Union, must be subject Of pleasing contem
pation TO an American This body Of men, rakec
and sefaped out Of the streets Of London for the mos
part but ostensby mailing from all the different quar-
ers Of the globe was precisely similar to that assem-
Dlage 81 fools and fanatics over whose deliberations
the husband Of the British Queen about twelve Oh
eighteen months ago, presided. The objects which
That convention had 10 Contemplation are wen suder-
stood by intelligent persons. This late assemblage
q the qunlessent philanthropy OF all the civilized
races, seems MOTTO have been at all behind hand Ia
~ denunciatlons Of slave Institutions and ia ef
A FORTS 70 force fermentation III the public mind OF
1 America 90 this subject. These Respectable old
gentlemen fellow citizens, 10 be sngularly alive
70 the charities and graces and proprieles Of lie
Not CONTEXT with action ina political point Of view
on this question OF slavery, vital in its character to
| the cxe as of the South, report and resolutions
were introduced read, and adopted calling distinct
" on al the Religious coamupes Of he aoorid 10 "a.
ftse conAnunioa any conntrios ohoiepgr oiih tic
sieuen saue holding States Of our cemuon confede-
/ racyi while this detestabe action transpir-
ing, man, calling himself citizen of the State oil
New York, sitting in that conventions and since
ms return to this country, has, with garuous twat-
tie sgnaiZed his own iniamy BY eulogsing tue very
person whose head is, or should be, bowed down
with an estimated disgrace of ribadry and basphe-
my [cheersb England seems indeed, to have formed
the most delightful calculations on the anticipated ef-
tects OF this abolition question on the integrity and
union OF the States. She hopes that the sectional
feelings on this subject are strong. She sees the
Union consists Of two great divisions of States and
her sagacty teaches her that if this question can be
raised INTO sufficient Importance to become leading
party question, that this nearly equal division of the
conlederacy may convulse the consistency, method
and strength OF the Government. Hence her special
anxiety IN all of her foreign policy on this subject
Hence, in the QlntuPle Treaty, an indirect attempt
TO incorporate, by virtue of force aud soemny i'm
parted to the act by civilized Europe an antsIavery
principle into the code of the laws of nations. AT
this time no article IN the books of National aw
reaches the question Hence her emancipation of
her West Indian slaves, while her East Indian and
African slaves are ten times more wretched and ser.
vlceablc than the West Indian negroes ever were
Hence this Worlds" convention-and hence her
eagerness to get possession of territory congu-
Gus to the Southern States cheers Her efforts are
unwearled IN the prosecution of this abolition policy,
and the wagon-ioads Of obscene and profane prints
illustrative of an imaginary condition of Southern
slavery, scattered by the Worlds" convention
through the United States is by no means the only
open expression which have on this subject
[cheers
1t viii be perceived, then, at once felow-czens,
that if chose, on this Irish question, to occupy
the ground OF the er taionisn it would be entirely
tenable leheersl But occupy much Underground
than this admitting the English abohtIonst, for the
sake of argument, TO be phanthropist as an advo-
cate OF the cause Of Repeal, am the nobler phian-
thropisl of the two If il be right for English phi
lanhropsts, over whose ceedipgs the consort Of
the Queen sits as chairman, to interfere with the Pc
culiar institutions of the Southern States it cannot
be wrong in an American phlanihropst to advocate
the cause OF the Irish people tire endous cheering
But the American philanthropist is necessarily the
higher moral agent of the two [cheers Suppose
the abolition of slavery at the South 10 have taken
place. what IS the result, of three results neces-
sarily follow - Universal carnage in protracted
war between the races nature herself has made an.
tagonstic IN their physical organization; universal
famine in the generalization of the Southern lands,
with general fevers and pestiences or, final
suit attained through much private and public degrade
ton and misery, the practical GnagGGton Of the white
AMI black races [sensationl contemplation more
horrid and unearthy than the widest visionof mad
man. Suppose ireland, on the contrary, TO succeed
N obtaining Repeal, what result does the American
philanhrupist behold Legislative emancipation for
a distinct race Of white men, fortunately placed 10y
nature m the possession Of beautiful and fertile ter
ritory, without any interference with the rights or
liberties Of any other nation [cheersl The land OF
Emmett, and Curran, and Grattan, redeemed from |
disgusting thraldom lcheers Human rights adj
yanced, and the general dignity If humanity asserted
Immense cheering
And what, my fellow citizens, Is this question Of
Repeal with which Ireland is much agitated, aud |
for which England has assumed tyranncal and an /
cry an attitude towards herr What has been the !
CououCl OF Ae lISU people 10 lnQuCe the naTSl and
offensive language that wellington and others have
used in reference to this Repeal movement, and the
late outrageous insults TO their magisracy and clergy
If understand the object Of this people Alright, il is
TO obtain peacca5ly the repeal Of an odous aud op-
press We parliamentary act-the act Of Union-an
act which, without the formalities necessary 10 tie
occasion which il represents confessedly accomplish
ed by pol teal chcanery, fraud and treachery, has
proclaimed in the terms OF a most absurd paradox |
that Union exists between the independent States
OF England and Ireland; by virtue Of which act \
of Union, forsooth, all the powers, executive |
legislative, and judicial, heretofore exerted by .
the constituted authorities Of Ireland were either
annihilaled, or merged for all time thcnceforward
ia the omniscent and omnipo,ent powers Of the En-.
glish courts, the English Parliament and the English
crown, tgreat cheeringl And England claims that
this act Of Union-whose very terms discover that no
sane people could have voluntarily entered into it, is
irrepealable except at her own viii and pleasure
Now fellow-citizens, we are directly interested so
far as this point IS concerned because IL nsolenuy
contrayencs the position assumed hy the American
States in their declaration Of independence. This
was precisely the same language which used by
the British Government 10 tho Colonies here, before
the Revolutionary War, [great choering.l That
contest was conducted BY England on exactly the /
same principles on which she would now carry his
contest with ireland. And what the result Reason
and Justice and the sympathies Of the world and the
voice and the act Of God proclaimed and proved their
fallacy lcheersl. Even, admitting that ireland was
never sovereign; admitting any thing, however pre-
posterous admitting that sovereignty may be des 1
royed by other act than an act Of Divinity and
that il mag be aenated admitting that this act Of
Union perfectly just and fair, at the time OF its
adoption and that any generation Of men can /
bind themselves in chains of seryudc and oppres |
sion. Still the barbaric Indian, tho serf f the Rus
sian Despot, knows and fees-feels as he does the
existence Of an immortal herealter-fees sensbly
as he does the cords which Chafe his fostering limbs
that no generation Of men sell the liberties Of
distant postcriiy Igreat cheeringl It is in vain that
you attempt TO argue this question You may pro-
duce your very seals TO the act OF moral deg adaton
you may show your musty record, and read the terms
Of the bond-end you may appeal TO the iron arm
Of law FOR power with which to enforce the terms
Of your contract. But you appeal both to the man
and TO the law in vain [cheeTsl The soul Of the
man within him conscious of its birth-rght Of free
dom, rises up in It's indomitabe and immortal ener
gics and Indignantly repes the insult which thus
merges the reason Of God in the selfish and unsub.