The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-08-05


Slavery; the Senator fIom Vermont for the reas-
ON that slavery Cannot get there. Now, in tins
confusion OF IDEAS, desire that Congress, If il
have any opinion, express IT, II We have any
powerto legislate over these Territories, how long
would IL take 10 wTtc down the SIX articles OF the
Ordinance OF 'S72 Those Of us who think that
that ought 10 be fundamental Law IN the organ
ization Of our Territories will vote for il; and
those OF US who believe otherwise will vote
against il, and which ever party triumphs, will
give law 10 Oregon and California, bearing the
responsibility. But l must say that do not
like what appears TO mel say If in no offensive
sense-a shufiling-of Of the responsibility which
IS upon ms now, and which we cannot avoid.
The Supreme Court may overnle our decision;
but If we think we have power 10 Ordain that
slavery shall not exist in that Territory, let us
say 50: If not, let us so decide Let us not evade
the question altogether.
That the Hon. Senators who reported this bill
had IFS passage very much at heart 1 have no
doubt; nor do | feel disposed 10 deny that every
man OF them believed that 1t was Just such q
measure as was calculated 10 give tranquility To
the agtatel minds OF the people Of this country.
Well, do not care for that agItal. farther than
that will look 10 il as a motive TO know what il
is-what my powers and my duties are, have
heard much Of this-I have been myself pro
phet Of dissolution of this Union: but / have
seen the Union of these States, heard so much
Of late, that | am not afraid Of dissolution.
Perhaps, indeed, when this cry OF wolf has been
long dsregarded, he may come at last when not
expected; but do not believe that the people OF
the South, are going TO sever themselves from
this Republic, because we will not establish
slavery here and there. II wehave no power TO
pass the law, let the people OF the South 20 10
the Supreme Court, and have the question deci-
ded. Ii will only be fewmOnths till the Court
resumes its sessions here, and the question can
then be tried. If the decision be against US, the
gentlemen Of the South can at once commence
their emigration TO their territories. Let us then
make The law rs we think it ought to be made.
am the more confirmed In this course which
am determined to pursue, by some historical
facts ELECTED in this very discussion. rsmem-
Der what was said by the Senator from Virginia,
the ether day; and happily found it this morn
ing, and the reference was all that expected
Il is truth that when the Constitution of the
United States was made, South Carolina and
Georgia refused to come into the Union unless
the saye-trade should be continued for twenty
years; and the North agreed that they would
vote 20 continue the slaye-trade for twenty years;
yes, voted that this new Republic should engage
in piracy and murder at the will Of two States.
So the history reads; and the condition of the
agreement was that those two States should
agree TO some arrangement about navigation
laws! | do not blame South Carolina and
Georgia for this transaction any more than do
those Northern States who shared in H. But
suppose the question were now presented here
by any one, whether we should adopt the for
eign slave-trade and continue il for twenty
years, would not the whole land turn pale with
horror, that in the middle of the Nineteenth
Century, citizen ola free community, a Sena-
tor Of the u United Suites, should dare to propose
the adoption Of a system that has been denomi-
mated piracy and murder, and is by law pun
ishable by death all over Christendoml What
did they do them They had power 10 prohbii
il; but at the command Of these two States they
allowed that to be introduced into the Constitu-
ton to which all Slavery now existing in our
land Is clearly to be traced. For who can doubt
that hut for that woeful bargain. Slavery would
by this time have disappeared from all the States,
with one or two exceptions The number Of
slaves in the United States at that period was
about six hundred thousand; IL is now three
millions And Just as you extend the area Of
Slavery, so you multiply the difficulties which
lie in the way Of its determination. thad been
infinitely better that day that South Carolina
and Georgia had remained out Of the Union for
ever, rather than that the Constitution should
have been made 10 sanction the slave trade for
twenty years. The dissolution Of the Confed-
eracy would have been nothing in comparison
with the recognition OF piracy and murder. /
can conceive Of nothing in the dark record Of
mans enOrmities, from the death Of Abel down
TO this hour, so horrible as that of stealing peo-
pie from their own home, and making them and
their posterity slaves forever. IL is a crime
which we know has been visited. As We learn
from the pages of Sacred History, by the ven
nj or -ol l.
this accused traffic, speak but
the common sentiment Of all mankind. l could
not, II taxed my feeble intellect TO the utmost,
denounce II in language as strong that ut
tered by TaoMAs JEFFERSON himself Nav.
more, the spirit Of that great man descending
on his grandson, in the Virginia Convention,
denounced the slave-trade as now carried on
between the States, as being no less Infamous
than that foreign Slave-trade carried on In ship.
that went down into the sea. speak of THos-
As JKFTERsoS RaNDoLPH. If you would not
20 to Africa and thence people California with
slaves, may you not Perpetrate equal enormi-
ties herel You take the child from its mothers
heart-you separate husband and wife-and you
Transport them three thousand miles off across
the broad continent.
know that this is a peculiar Institution, and
doubt not that In the hands Of such gentle
attractive. IL may DO a very agreeable sight to
behold lage company of dependents, kindly
treated by benevolen II master, and 10 trace the
manifestations Of gratitude which they exhibit
But in my eyes a much more grateful spectacle
would be that Of patriarch In tire same neigh
borhood, with his dependents all around him,
invested with the attributes Of freedom bestowed
upon them by the Common Father, In whose
sight all are alike precious! II is. indeed, a
very ''peculiar" institution. According TO the
account Of the Senator from Mississippi, (Mr
DAvIs) this institution exhibits all that is most
aniiable and beautiful in our nature. That
Senator drew picture Of an old. gray-headed
negro woman, with her hard hand upon the
and his father-for what For the stamp OF
pa rtus sequiiuy uenfren! But he concealed the
other side Of the picture (; and It was only re-
veAled to us by the quick apprehension Of the
Senator from Florida (NIr. WEsrcorr) who
wanted the power TO send patrol all over the
country TO prevent this old nurse from hrottling
young master! / had almost believed, after
hearing the beautiful, romantic, sentimental
narration Of the Senator from Mississippi, that
God had indeed, as he said, made this people in
Africa, TO come over here and wait upon us,
till the Senator from Florida walked me up TO
a recollection of the old doctrines Of Washing
ton ana JEFFERSON, oy tssufing us thaf Wherever
that patriarehal Institution existed, a rigid po-
lice should be maintained in order to prevent
the old woman from cutting the throat of
somebody! 1t Is then very "peculiar' institu-
ton. Those who live under u cannot exist a
day without czresses; and on the next they
must be provided with scores Of constablss with
clubs in their hands, to keep them from eating
each others throats! A laugh-l
do dot wish to extend that institution into
these Territories. Is il pretended that Slave
labor could be profitable in Oregon or Califor-
MAT Do we expect TO grow cotton and sugar