Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-01-22

tent but | am prepared TO prove that the Declare
ton Of independence is true in theory and true il
fact (Applause) Some men are born with mucl
WISDOM and some are born ioolsi are they equal
No. Some are born with much personal beauty
and some deformed are they equali No. Sc
with the one born wealthy, aud the other poor
But what was the sense in which our fathers mean
that all men are born equal In political sense
to his being governed by man, as between God anc
his fellow man. he is, to all intenIs and purposes
equal. Applause and Kisses, and cry Of "a mig
her is not a white mans equally And though
may be born poor, and dirty, and ragged, anc
crooked, yet am entitled to equal protection from
the laws, and 10 equal political rights. Much ap
plause.) And il any where within the range o.
this Government, as now administered, II shall be
found that man is not considered entitled tc
equal political rights, that portion of it must fall
and every good man will say, amen" loud ap
plause, and considerable hissing)
The great principle Of Government is, that it j:
bound to procure man more liberty in the socia
state than he procure in she natural state and
the government which says to man "You shall moi
possess your own wiie--you shall not have your
own child--you shall not select and enjoy your
own home-you shall not take medicine from the
doctor Of your own selection, sc. SC that Gov
eminent subyerts every principle for which it was
formed and if God is Just it will be dissolved
At the formation Of he Constitution in l7S0, we
had then fought long aud doubtful war aud our
fathers induced TO form n certain alliance with
the South and thus that clause was introduced
which has been subversiye Of all these principles
for which they began the war. They agreed that
Slavery should exist in the South until the South
chose TO throw it off, in its own good time and
pleasure This fact it is true, has been denied, by
some who, in their zeal for freedom have gone too
far. But regret that any man should 90 beyond
the true principle for which they ought to contend,
because such course is calculated to bring the
whole cause into disrepute. (Applause) There
was, then, an agreement that Slavery should exist
in the Southern States. And there was farther
agreement (more's the PITY that if Slave escaped
to free State, the latter should return him into
Slavery. And also that none should be introduced
from Africa. (Applause) So therefore, the North
joined hands with the South in this matter, and de-
parted from the great principle for which they had
fought the bloody battles Of the Revolution. Zap
plause.) So, therefore. if Slavery exists in the
South you Of the North are equally guilty Of its ex
istence. But if there be an extension Of Slavery
over other Territory of the Union you men Of the
North, far guilty than others, because you
did epii i1ifh far less temptation Much applause
Let US see how this operated in actual practice
The trainers Of the Constitution with the exception
Of the Slave States) Of 1889 formed free Consti-
tuition, so far as they had the power 10 do so, and
pledged themselves TO the world TO work for human
rights and liberty and that this should be Gov
eminent Of Freedom, so far il should be extend.
ed in all time. Nor should we forget the blood
they had shed for this purpose (Applause) They
said that none should be deprived Of life and lber-
ty without lawl What crime, then, have the black
people of Virginia, Maryland the Carolinas, Geor-
gia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Miss
gtp
mitled, that far they are concerned, this Con-
sttution lies slumbering with the dead usages Of
past ages Our fathers meant that this Constitu-
ton should be carried out and fully vndcated-
For this they freely shed their blood and treasure
And If we are but true to ourselves $50 far as our
blood and treasure are concerned.) Il shall be rim
dictated, and God save the right (Great applause
aud hissing)
You will find that Washington, and Lee, and
Henry, and Madison and most of the Southern
men Except those Of Georgia)-the entire delega-
ton from the South to the Convention, looked TO
the time as not far distant when there would be no
slavery at the South And all their actions clearly
showed that they wished it so thoroughly abolished
that both the name and the memory OF it should
soon pass away from the minds Of men (Applause)
In Madsons speech you find he says that "Man
shall have no property IN man" And still more
striking in this feeling shown in the private cores.
pondence of these men. Washington, writing to
friend in Pennsy yania tells him to come to Virgin
ia; for that when Slavery should be extinct, and
that soon, the land now more valuable and cheaper
than in Pennsylvania would then be three times
more valuable. (Applause.) But what has been
the result Could Washington have contemplated
it In Pennsylvania the land is now worth from
800 to 1900 acre, whilst that Virginia land is
unoccupied by man, and trayersed only by the wild
beasts Of the forest. And many of those beautiful
FARMS that were cultivated to such great advantage
by Washington, are now deserted aud the house
unoccupied. (Great sensaton.)
Many intelligent men have declared their belief
that these glorious designs ofthose great men would
have been carried out, il it had not been for the in
ventlons of the cotton gin and the rise in value of
that staple. But as il was, our fathers took the
back track, and declared as far this concern.
ed, that Liberty shall be extinguished Shall it be
donel
Several voices.-No.
Mr. Clay.-Now let US see how the South pro.
gressed in their plan to perpe,uate Slavery. They
set about to monopolize all the offices in the coun
try, And they got them. daughter and applause
They then set about to pass laws by which free la
Dor should be less valued than slave labor; and
they accomplished that They then devised ways
and means by which slave labor should be especial
ly looked after and protected and they accomplish
ed that. And all the laws which they passed were
TO elevate the labor Of the Slave and to depress that
of the free white man, And they accomplished all
thus. daughter and applause.) And notwthstand-
ing all this they were determined to have a large
extension oil Slave territory, and they accomplished
all this, too, Increased laughter and appause)
First, they took Louisiana, (three States) Let
US say that Louisiana is the great enrepot for the
commerce OF the South West--admit all its peculiar
advantages; we would buy it but let it be free
But they COMPOUNDED the two interests together,
aud made Slave empire of it. They then turned
their attention to Florida-for another small Slave