The Daily spy., 1848-09-04
EXTRACT FRnM
ADDRESS OF HON. HORACE MANN.
TO THE ELEC rORS OF THE EIGHTH CON
GRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Presidential election. The relations of trankness
which wish ever to sustain, seems to require
that should express these opinions, or give some
valid reason for withholding them. Will you in
dulge me therefore, while make brief state
ment of my position on this subject3
For twelve years, have been annually elect.
ed by the Massachusetts Board of Education as
It's Secretary. When | first accepted this office
resolved to disconnect myself wholly, as an ac.
tive member from all political organizations.
Reserving the right to vote, as my conscience
might dictate, | determined to do no other act of
public nature, which should connect me with
any political party This course was deemed
just and necessary in order TO allay all jealousy,
aud to win the confidence aud co operation of all
parties TO the paramount subject of Education-
10 this position oil neutrality, telt bound both
10 duty and in honor 10 adhere; and believe
can now say with unqualified sincerity aud truth
That have never. in single instance, at aDy
time, departed from 1t. Doubtless this il not OF
the reasons why the Office has been continued in
the same hands, in this State, for twelve success.
sve years. while, in at least eleven other States
where similar Office has existed, four wears is
the longest period during which any one person
has filled it.
In February last, vacancy occurred in this
Congressional District. In April, was elected
to till it. My Office OF Secretary was TO expire
in the following month of May. Immediately at.
ter my election TO Congress, / wrote to Gov.
Briggs, the chairman of the Board, declining a
rec election as its Secretary.
In consenting to be a candidate for Congress.
explicitly declared that could not accept the
ONCE as party man. My only inducement W az
TO participate in the then impending struggle
whether our vast western territory should be res.
cued to perpetual Freedom, or doomed to eternal
Slavery. Either in public or ia private ca.
paclty, should have continued to labor in the
cause OF Popular Education, but for this greater
cause OF Human Liberty. had long been thor.
oughly convinced that Congress has no power n
create Slavery any achere; and that, whether in
the territories or in the District of Columbia.
slavery had only an actual, but not constitu-
al existence. After the most careful study and
with tbs application Of all the powers that DOS.
sessed, had never been able to find that Con-
gress had any more power to make slave-own
er than u mad to make an Emperor; or any more
power 10 make slaves OF the cOlored portion of
the human race, because they descended in the
maternal line, from Africa, than it had TO make
slaves IT the white portion of the human race
because they descended, in the paternal line.
from Europe. When, therefore, Louisiana and
Florida were ceded to the United States bv
France and Spain, and the District of Columbia
by Virginia and Maryland, every bond of Slavery
was cut square oft because the governments
wnlcn made the cession had no power to contin.
Congress-
no power to renew it. Ii a slave goes out of a
jurisdiction where slavery is legalized into a in.
rlsdiction where it is not, il is acknowledged on
all hands that he becomes free. The effect unon
the slave must be precisely the same, when the
jurisdiction that sustains slavery is removed from
him, and Jurisdiction that does not sustain II /.
extended over to him. The removal Of the in.
rI'dlctloh from the slave must have the meet.
feet as the removal Of the slave from the inris.
0iClOn.
en- years ago, signed petition Tor the abolition
OF Slavery in the District OF Columbia, meant
the abolition OF practical Slavery beiiev ng that
legal Slavery had no existence in it, If Con.
gress can create an owner of one slave. il can
create the owner OF million OF sa.es and thus
as the desPotisms of the Old Worldtiie out. thew
may be revived in the New
1t was under the above mentioned circnm.
stances; ;-within about one month of the expir.
alton of my official term as Secretary: discIain.
ing to be elected as party man; and under the
daIiy apprehension that the great question be-
tween Freedom and Slavery would be called nm
Ior nnal decision Sit was under these circum.
stances that yielded to what seemed 10 me the
preponderating motive.
when the Board OF Education met in Nav last.
my ietler was laid before them but, not being
,eduy 10 proceed 10 the choice of successor they
declined to acceptit, and by formal vote renuest.
ed me to continue in the Office until December
next, and to close up the business OF the current
year. 10 this proposition l assented.
very soon afterwards, namely, on the 9th of
June, the Philadelphia nomination for the Presi-
dency was made. This nomination has created
wide schism in the Whg party OF M Massachu-
setts and OF this district. AS always happens. in
sucn cases, each division of the party strove to
OBTAIN as many adherents as it could. Among
others, 1t was natural that they should look to
tnelr representatives in Congress for S, mpathy
and support.
l saw Immediately the painful relation in
winch this posture of affairs into which had
oeen so unexpectedly and in some respects, nvol-
unfairly brought, was to place me. II | entered
tne political held on either side, could not con.
sstentiy retain my office as Secretary Of the
board and under the circumstances, did not
ieel at liberty to abandon it, On the other hand,
II should retain the Office of Sc ecretary, / must
abstain from the strife Of politics. and thus doubt
less incur the censure of jealous men on both
sides. Nor did II relieve the case at ALL that
entertained views which, but for the restraints
imposed upon me by the Secretaryshp, should
have been as ready to express as anybody would
be TO hear. In this conflict Of duties, i deemed
ihote which were connected with education to
be paramount, and have acted accordingly.
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