The North-Carolina standard., 1849-01-31
REMARKS OF MR. SHEPARD,

REMARKS OF Mr. SHEPARD, ei1
OF PAsQUoTANK, .!s.e
Delivered in the Senate, Tuesday, January 16,
IS49 on the Resolutions of the House of Com
mons, on the subject of Slavery. -
Mr.. SHEPARD commenced by saying, that he prom
ised the Senate yesterday, when they agreed to
make these resolutions the order of this day at IL
o'clock that he would occupy but little of their time
he would now strictly comply with that promise.
He would at an earlier period of the session have
introduced the subject of these resolutions to the
tenion of the Senate, but as move had been made
on the subject in the other branch of the Legislature,
he preferred for various reasons, with which it is not
now necessary to trouble the Senate, to await the
action of that House. ia.t
The session of the Legislature is now drawing
rapidly towards its close, and he sorry to say
the House of Commons has not yet finally acted on
these resolutions, and he afraid the session will
pass off, and leave them among the mass of lumber
upon their table.
Mr.. Speaker, the people of North Carolina, the
whole South, expect us to speak out boldly and
without disguise, this interesting and all impor
tant subject.
In my judgment sir, it will be an indelible stigma
upon the character of this Legislature, if it adourns
without final and decisive action on these resou-
tions.
1t is idle to say the resolutions are distractions
and will produce result; if so, then your const
tuition is abstraction, and all the guarantees you
possess for the quiet and peaceable enjoyment of your
Slave property distractions, and you must be
tent hereafter to hold that property-not under the
sanction of Constitution, which we have sworn to
obey, but the will and caprice of northern masses.
Sir, am alarmist, but cannot look at W hat is
passing in Washington City, without serious
apprehensionS for the result. Since the commence
ment of this session, have the House of
Representatives make unprovoked and wanton
attack upon the rights and property of the STAKEHOLDER
in the District of Columbia attack outrageous
that of the Southern members, without distinc-
on of party, have been obliged to meet In convention
to resist it. And shall this Legislature look as
unconcerned and idle spectators without offering the
slightest encouragement to those gentlemen who are
fighting our battles and contending for rights
l hope not sir. hope that North Carolina will at
least be spared that ignominy. ti-.z,
1t is common practice nowadays, when move
is made in defence of Southern rights and lnsu ons
raise the cry of Modification and Disunion in order
to alarm loyal and peace-loving population Such
cry as this cannot deter me from doing my duty.
At time when notification had many ardent admi-
in North Carolina, when it the favorite
doctrine with most of the leading politicians in my
district, opposed it unconstitutional move,
anu remedy worse than the disease. If South
Carolina erred in her to notification upon such
subject the Tariff, is it therefore wise states
manke in US, situated are to brand all resls-
lance of federal power; dangerous to the Union
1t will be sad day for North Carolina when our
Legislature tolerates such folly as this. Upon the
subject of slavery the South stands isolated from the
rest of the Union. We have in fact sir, the whole
world at against that Institution as 1t exists
among us and whether we desire it not, the whole
Southern country must stand fall together --
The institution of slavery is so deeply engrafted
in social relations that it cannot be eadicated by
Legislation. The ruin and desolation which Eng
land has brought upon her West India Colonies,
ought to satisfy every of sense that Legislation
cannot touch this subject with the best intentions,
without producing incalculable evil. And yet sir,
when every mail comes laden to halls with the
most undoubted testimony of the daring reckessness
of Congress, we are told must be quiet, your
resolutions may disturb the Union-as if any union
of freemen could ever be permanent upon any other
han that of audi imO al
all its members. There is not now, nor has there
been for years past the slightest possibility OF the
dissolution of the union of these States We are too
closely united by the ties of interest to divide
the people would not know how to begin TO divide.
Our northern brethren, with all their clamorous SYM
Pahy for negroes, have no idea of pushing things to
that extremity. They know too well who 1t is that
gets the real benefit from your rice fields, your cotton
fields and sugar plantations, to separate from
such rich possessions.
They will keep up the clamor about slavery as
long they make political capital out of i-as
long as they division in our ranks, and rob
us in detail of equal rights and privileges as
members of the Union. The boldest infractons OF
the Constitution which have taken place for years,
were upon this subject of slavery by two leading
Northern States, Massachusetts and New ork, who
openly and shameessly Tepudated that plain feature
OF the Constitution, which gives to the Southern
Shareholder the right to his fugitive slave.
South Carolina talked of multiplying an obnoxious
law OF Congress, but New ork and Massachusetts
was IN danger from their acts-but when a Southern
man demonstrates against such unconstitutional ag-
gressons upon his property, he is told to be quiet
hels pursuing abstraction
In my judgment, sir, the only disunion we need
fear is disunion among ourselves. United, we can
bid defiance to all our enemies divided, none so
poor as to do us reverence" There is one fertile
source of division in ranks, the Poa0er and patron
age Of the Federal Government. Washington alone
with its brilliant official stations, is worthy the am
btlon of aspiring genius; the Northern press, with
us thousand blasts, alone watt regulations to the
remotest of the Rapublic. tits not then sir
very surprising, that the poor South should be re-
garded an abstraction, the rich and teemng North
substantial reality. Let as then, the temptation
to stray is very great keep vigiant eye upon oul
public servants let pass the resolutions before u.s.
that gentlemen may know what are sentiments
upon the subjects which agitae public coun-
cls If ever that glorious motto of the gallant De
catur, {" our country, right or wrong we go with
her, was true, it is so in the South the subject
OF slavery. When this institution is assailed from
Without its borders, the who stop to calculate
the cost of defending it, is Southern man in feel
ing. If it be an evil, those people who endure It.
are the sole and exclusive judges of the mode and
method of redress.
There is, Mr.. Speaker, manifest propriety, and
an urgent necessity, for the passage of these resolu-
Hons at this session. 1t is In vain to disguise the