The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-02-26


with not less knowledge than his own. l can
not mistake the gentleman's allssiOn, when he
said, that, "because he Mr.. ApPletonl express
sed sentiments Of regard for the Constitution
and the Mon, and determination to abide by
the laws as made, torrent Of oblOquv, was d.
rected against him, to obligs him to pub
lish a pamphlet in his Defence The gentle
man read some of the extracts which he Mr..
Appleton thought proper to make, TO show the
opinions Of his assailants;" and then, in allu-
sion TO part Of what he had quoted, he went on
| to say, "this last sentiment he shows has been
adopted as motto by many who do not profess
TO belong 10 the sect of Aboltionists." The
gentleman must pardon me. ] think his friend
has not shown this. ] think that he has not
asserted it. If the gentleman understands that
his friend has insinuated it, in relation 10 the
writer Of The pamphlet that drew out his own,
on the gentleman be the responsibility Of that
Interpretation. | entertain no such question
here.
! And il the gentleman can further show that
that insin uation is in fact made, then be the re-
sPonsibilty Of such an nsinuation upon lis au-
thor. Certainly it would be groundless one.
The writer Of the pamphlet which oeeasioned
the publication by the genteman's friend, re-
corded distinctly his dissent from the doctrine Of
disunion. Ii was no ObituT dietHa, but expIi-
city set down, and somewhat fully reasoned out
In answer to the inquiry, what course of action
the usurpations Of slavery demanded from the
free States, he said, "They should not mediate
"a severance Of the union Of the States. Dis
union would be as evila thing as it is painted by
any Of those who, by dwelling exclusively on
its evils, put their consciences to sleep in respect
to that slaoeTy, which, as long as il exists, will
threaten, more than all other causes together, 10
bring il about" lle then proceeded to some
considerations in confirmation of this sentiment,
and concluded his remark upon the topic by say
| ing, constitutional proceedings, then, alone
are to be thought Of for the abatement Of this
monstrous nuisance. A disuniOn of the States,
on all other accounts a calamity, does not change
its character, when viewed in relation to this
end."-
/ Another portion of those interested in the
movement against slavery, is embraced in the
Liberty Party so called. 1t has a regular party
organization, contemplating action under the
Constitution, holding its Conventions, and sup
porting its own candidates for Office as much as
either of the two parties that mainly divide the
country. In some States its numbers are large
In my own State, its vote has nearly reached
ten thousand. In New York, in lSi4, il came
up, believe, to fifteen thousand.
Among the opponents Of slavery are next TO
| be reckOned great numbers in the two principal
parties in the free States. A very large num-
ber-l suppose the dominant PoriiOn-Of the
Democracy Of New \ Ork has lately taken strong
ground upon the subject; and the same, though
| to a less extent, has been the current of Demo-
cratic opinion in New Hampshire; while the
Wings of New Hampshire have made them
selves very distinctly heard, and a combination,
on the ground of hostility to slavery, has pluck
ed the governmental that State out Of the hands
of dynasty which had seemed destined 10 be
perpetual. In Massachusetts,, we have fourteen
| WI of fharn hair
lation not equalling that of several of our single
towns. The Wings, Of a maJ Ority, | believe, OF
the rest, at the County Conventions last au-
| tumn, declared the opposition Of Massachusetts,
TO any candidate for the Presidency or Vice
/ Presidency, who was not known to De opposed
TO the further extension OF slavery while no
county, as far as | know, assumed the opposite
ground. Bat the people Of that sober Common
wealth have widely taken the alarm, and they
| do not limit their views to the mere confinement
of slavery within its present limits Let me
read, Mr.. Chairman, a Resolve Of the Legisla.
ture of the pattern Wing State, Of Massachu-
| setts, passed, appears by the certified copy
| which hold in my hand, on the 9th day o.
February last, FIVE days before the dissolution o.
the last Congress. Ii reads thus:
| "Resoired, unanimously, That the Legisa-
ture of Massachusetts, views the existence Of hu-
man slavery, within the limits of the UniteC
States, as a great calamity, an immense mora
and political evil, which ought to be abOishec
as soon as that end can be properly and constr
tutonaly attained, and that its extension should
be uniformly and earnestly opposed by all good
and patriotic men throughout the niOn-'
Sir, that is plain language. That is, off hand
downright, point blank utterance, if / knO v
what such u;terance is. Without being any
friend TO the doctrine of instructions, take that
for the sentiment and counsel of my venerated
mother, and may God prosper me as i will act
1 accordingly. stand on lust that platform.
consult that solemn record Of the sense of my
native State, and find that my sentiments com,
exactly up TO il. With that record Of the will o
Wing Massachusetts, in my hand, shall not g
10 Mr.. A, b, or G., in State street or W ali street
to learn whether | am a Wing, when measures
by some second-rate standard in their minds
Still less shall | wait 20 have my Wing characte
passed upon by some inspecting editor here il
Washington. had not been many days in thu
place before one of that profession snmadverte'
on me and two Of my friends, as Putrid eXcres
cenees" upon the Wing party. In perhaps no
quite so direct language, he passed the sam
sentence on three other Wing members, ana re
commended, think, that we should be "loPPe
off, The calculation at the same time was
that the party in this House had five majority
all tolo. Ii was a brilliant idea that Topping
, off," which would have left minus quanty b.
hind. Sir, il would not have left good work
ing majority; il would not have been good Parti
san economy. IL would have beer tinancierin;
too much like that Of the honest soldier in Tn
English song
How hsppy's the soldier that lives on his paw.
And spends half crown upon siNPence a dan ~
The happy thought was ground out by wha
was said-of course, errOneo usly-to be the or
gan of certain interest in this House. II
} Judge from the music it dscoursed, il was an in
strument of indifferent pretension, lifted with
sorry set of what Milton called
"scrannel pipes Of wreIehed straw"
From the lumber garret, which was its too eyi
dent destiny, it has lately, if report says true
, been ransomed, TO be furnished with anothe
stop, and attuned to different symphony
think II was time.
: lThe Chairman's hammer fell, on the expira
: ton Of the hour. before the last paragraph wa
finished. Mr.. z. would have gone on substanti
ally AZ follows:
There is another large class Of persons, VIII
, are apt to be left wholly out Of the account in
consideration Of this question-frisnds of free
dom, who, disinclined to attach themselves 10
third party, and merely block the wheels-ui
teriy dissatisfied with the Democratic party, be
I, cause of its alliance with slavery, and not sat
GENTLY satisfied with the Wings, because the
think their practice Is not up to their Profes
a sions--stay at home, and do not vote at al
simply hoping and waiting for better times
!, When the Democratic party in Massachussti
a suddenly Abandoned, in 1915, the opposition
n the annexation Of Texas, ia which. mp 10 tina
time, it had gone hand in hand with its riva
u the effect was Immediately seen at the antum
c election, in the loss Of seventeen thousand
: its votes-very nearly one third of the Who'll
Q number. IL fell off still further the followin
J. year; and although it recovered al few thousand
AT the last election of Governor, tbs gain ha
been thought to be owing, TO some exteat, to IN