The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-07
just and Liberal Article.

Our attention has been called the following admra-
BILE article from the "New York Observer religious
paper. We publish with great pleasure Since receiv
ing it, we have seen il republished in the "New York
Journal of Commerce" of Saturday, with strong and
proper commentator The Journal" says " the spirit
of these remarks Tin the Observe is different from
that of most articles which we meet with in northern
papers of late that coming from widely circulated and
influential religious Journal and from editor (Sdney
E. Morse, esq who with Christian heart has studied
the subject of slavery, all its bearings thoroughly
than almost any other person within our knowledge,
and who is accustomed form his judgment deliberately
carefully candidy, and in view OF all the considerations
pertaining to the case that we cannot but regard them
Of real interest and importance. we
have brought upon ourselves from certain quarters
no small measure of abuse. But when did ever man
oppose the current of public opinion around him on
question where active and strong, without finding
his integrity assaled and his motives mpeached 1t is
matter of course. Although it is always more pleasant
10 float with the than to struggle against It, yet
conscientious man. who acts upon conviction, after using
his best endeavors to understand subject and his
DUTY cannot be swerved from his course by any such
considerations To the is plain one, and has
become more so by the lapse of time. When the dis
cussion began, it not quite certain that the peo
pie of California and New Mexico, on being admitted
into the Union States, would repudiae slavery
But in regard to California, there is not the slight
est peradventure, scarcely any in regard to New
Mexico. Under such circumstances, we say that TO
force the Wmot Proviso through Congress against the
unanimous voice of the savehodng States, not against
the spirit of the constitution itself. would be wanton
raing with the feelings OF our brethren OF those States
and with the harmony of the Union. and therefore with
the dearest interests of the country of freedom and Of
man. Let the proviso alone, and all will be well The
harmony of the Union will be preserved-he shame and
nfamy of open rupture will be avoided-while yet
the object of the provso in regard to slavery in the new
Territories will be fully accomplished 1t will not be
compshed by the proviso, but without it, and in spite Of
it, There is nothing for to do the subject except
to empower the people of the Territories to act for
hemselves-to form constitutions preparatory to their
admission into the Union States This is provided for
by Mr.. Douglass bill before the Senate which
sincerely hope will be adopted at the present session.
The "New York Observer" just and liberal as it is,
loes not give the whole force to its argument, Of
which it is susceptible. 1t might have quoted the
peated remonstrances which passed by the As
semby of Virginia against the importation of slaves
But the King of Great Britain turned deaf to their
complaints, and negatved their laws He might have
quoted the law which passed by Virginia in 49,,
two years before the federal constitution formed
putting an end to the slave trade He might have shown
how the people of of the colonies Of the North had
poured most of these slaves upon the South because
they were more suited to the southern climate than to
their own and because they impeled by the spirit
Of ucre to import them for the South and how the North
therefore, more readily disbudened itself of her slaves
whilst they were accumulated upon the South He might
have shown how the southern people have, Mr. efer
son said, got their hands in the lions mouth. What
could the South do with them, they all liberated by
that sudden and general of emancipation which
has almost ruined jamaica What could they do with
hemP Ship them off to Africa Have cool men cacu-
lated the trouble, the time, the sacrifices, the amount of
tonnage which they would required Or are they to re-
main in the South and doom that beautiful land to be
the region of blacks' How long would it be before
the philanthropc North would pass laws to prohibit the
settlement of free negroesn all places the worst species
., population in our countryi The whites could not mix
md marry with them. Even Mr.. Pafrey, Mr.. Gid
iings, shrnks back at the very idea of marrying hs
daughter to negro. The whole matter is beset with
difficulties Time, is to be hoped will soften the con-