The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-01

demonstabe, that the sovereignty the territories,
the common property of the United States, is in the peo
pie OF The Sates and that this government has no other
power over them but that which is expressly delegated
Anu te power conended for is certainly not delegated
Ana the reader OF the constitution will observe, that the
clause which gives Congress power to exercise eycu
sve legislation, in all whatsoever such district
mot exceeding ten miles square may become the seat
OF government is much stronger than the clause which
relates TO other territories belonging the United States
In the hrst To Congress granted erclsipe legislation"
and yet many OF the wsest statesmen doubt the power Of
congress TO interfere with the subject of slavery in this
Disct whlle nou 1t is here boldly commended that Con-
gres derives power TO prohibit slave property the other
territories IRON the n, Words "aesdtM regs1lations"
is it expedent and just to use it, Why do gentlemen
press this question upon us What patriotic motive
consideration there that demands it What is there in
the crss which calls for it, What motive can prompt
them! What object can they accomplish--what good
saecthy ~! DO gentlemen tell that slavery is sin
Sf confess my astonshment at avowasl have listened
TO lately heard the gentleman from New York, [Mr
WooDl earnestly denounce 1t AS contrary to the word of
God and assert that 1.-THE mantle OF Christianity could not
be thrown around it," He invoked the aid of Him who
spake az never man spake, TO sustain him his posi-
ton against IT. he went to the word of God and almost
went as far as gentleman who had preceded him. who
consigned US, IN the most solemn manner, only to
degradation while we live, but TO eternal perditon when
we die
Sir, was panied 10 hear this doctrine avowed here
IT forces from me few words in vindcaon OF the peo
pie OF the SOUTH and alusiOn that sacred volume
which should never be alluded to in the most heated de-
bate without soennity and reverence. do not profess
to be learned theologian do not claim to be deep
yversed in scriptura learning ought to be- Perhaps
my reading sir has been too csua and nattentve for
surely the part that conslgns the STAKEHOLDER perdton
on account OF the sniuness OF slavery has escaped my
attention ask gentlemen to point the scrpural de-
nunciaon OF slavery Where, in the Old Or New Tesla
ment do you find II Is denounced at the time when
the white tents OF Israel spread the foot of the
Mount and the voice of Jehovah amid the thunderngs
and ghnings OF Sinai, gave the moral law to Moses
Does the honorable gentleman read that moral law any
warning to man against this terrible sin of holding slave
property Does he infer It from that commandment
which rocaims the seventh day the Sabbath of the
Lord, and saith to man, sin it thou shalt not do any
work, thy mdn-serUant, nor thy matd-serUantf Does
he infer from that other commandment which saith
hou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, his
servant, his madserudnt, anything that thy
neghbors" Or found in the New Testament, where
the Apostle breaches thus: Servants, be obedient to
fear and uembling' Is il found in the Apostles
admontion to masters to act well their part knowing
that your Master also is in heaven " Is it found in the
Epste to Timothy "Let as many servants under
the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor
that the name of God and his doctrine be not bias
phemed :"
Sir fanaticsm, fanatcism must yield this point; intel
gent pety has yielded it, philosophic Christians have
yielded ii. Sir, when Moses came to find among the
Jews slavery, an institution Of the worst sort slaves
who had been taken capive-slaves by crme-sayes by
birth--dd he denounce it! Did he become abolition
ist and proclaim crime and sin, and that it must be
abolished' No; he only sought to regulate it! And
when our Saviour made his advent earth, what sir,
does history teach usboth sacred and proane history
Did he not find then in existence Slavery the scorst that
ter control over the servant greater and more unlimited
than we have Were not human beings then bought
and sold Did our Saviour. in his holy teachings, warn
man that he endangered his salvation if he held slave
property! Did he preach the necessity of its abolition
Of its snfuness have the honorable gentlemen perused
the epstle of Paul to Philemon, which sent by One
sinus, runaway slaue2 Paul sent him home to his
Christian master and in his episte to Philemon he says
of Onesimus, "Whom | would have retained with me;
but without h thy mind would do nothing" Sir. Paul,
would have told Philemon, "Sir, remember you must
die and are accountable to God Take of his shackes,
and lberate your slave" No; he recommends him to
said. he had authority to keep hind gerry useful les
SON. by useh our friends IN some portions Of Tic Ua,on
might profit! know it is said the word servant does
not mean staue challenge investigation this sub
ect The word translated servant in the Greek is douos
which means sdpe, and is used in contradlsncon to
words used to mean ga hreling servant" And now
insist that gentlemen before they denounce and con-
sign us to inamy and eternal perdon, invoking the
Word of God against us, shall first read that holy book
and know what ii contains.
Mr. Chairman, have not thrust this discussion here
did not commence this discussion about scrptura au
thority But when gentlemen say that the judgments OF
God will be upon US, and consgn to nfamy in this
world and perditon anotherwhen the gentleman from
Ohio, in his ervent manner, seemed to lift UP his heart
and call upon his God to smile on their efforts-whcn
northern claim the authority of the Bible against us,
have thought it right to refer to that book not to prove
slavery divine institution, very great blessing, but
to show that they too hasty their reference to scrip
tural authority do not include all the gentlemen from
the north in the category, for recognise of them
who stand with u.s. whom cordially take by the hand
friends in this crisis But refer to gentlemen who
delivered studied pieces of defamation against our do
nestle institutions, who thus invoked the Word Of God
who spoke with the fervid zeal OF Crusader bent on
rescung the south from the grasp of the heathensh slave
holdcr-who read to act of a southern Legislature
preventing the slaves from being taught to read and write
and sad ''the eye of the intellect put out by this
system" And here would remark, that this act Of as
sembly rendered necessary account of Just such
movements as this, calculated to put mischief in the
minds of the slave, and making rigid laws Indispensable
And would further remark, that gentlemen laboring
under false Impressions to the moral condition of
saves--many OF whom instructed and many of
whom not kept such religious ignorance not to
be able to compete, with much success, in their biblical
knowledge, with who, high places, depore their
degradation.
But it is said that these efforts made to benefit the
negro. hold, Mr. Chairman, that the black and miite
cannot cocrta under The government upon
equal footing. challenge anybody TO controvert it.
will not go into my country for proof OF this. but
and doubt many are acuated in reference to this mat
ter by pure and DISTINGUISHED motives Slavery is techni
caHy abolished there but servitude exists and when the
legislator, clad in the garb of philanthropy takes the
gro 10 the hall OF legislation, tears his chains from him.
and bids him 60 and be free, he practically stops him at
member you black man, and take your seat in an
humble place. when you go to church to worship God
remember your color, and sat not with the white man,
your berator but your superior Dare not ntrude at the
same table with And when you die, and are to be
buried your graveyards and to be separate.
do not say this in spirit of denunciaon OF the north
far IRON 1t; and every State it may not be true; but 1t
sustans in the proposition laid down, that the black
and white races cannot coexis under the same govern
ment upon an equal footing. The right OF suffrage ls
rarely given to them in the north, and in the State which
my friend near me in part represents New York when