Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-09

Mr.. HALE. Will the Senator give way until order re-
stored
that order restored and persons admitted to
the foor
Mr.. CAss trust the scene Of the other day will be
repeated The SergesntatA must display more energy
in suppressing this disorder.
Mr.. HALE The noise is outside of the door.
Mr.. WEBSTER. And j, is this circumstance, er, the
prohibition of slavery by that convention, which has con-
tribu,ed TO rase-I do not say it has wholly raised
the dispute the propey of the admission Of California
into the Union under this constitution is not TO be cened,
Mr. Presdent-nobody thinks Of dehyng-that, whatever
assigned at the OF the late war
with Mexico prosecuted for the purpose OF the acquisition
Of territory and under the alleged argument that the cesson
Of territory the only form in which proper compensation
could be made the Uned States by Mexico for the various
claims and demands which the people of this had
against her. At any rate, VIII be found that PRESIDENT
Folks message the OF the session Of De
cembe ls4 avowed that the to be prosecuted u-
Ill acquisition of territory made And as the ac-
QUESTION be south OF the line OF the United States, IN
climates and countries It naturally suppose ex-
peced by South that whatever acquisitions made in
that region would be added the savehojng portion of the
United States Events have turned out not expected
and that expectation has been realized and therefore some
degree Of disappointment and surprise has resulted Of course
in other WORDS is obvious that the question which has so
ong harassed the country and times seriously
alarmed the minds Of wise and good has come upon US
for fresh dscusson-he question Of slavery in these United
States.
Now, sir, proposeperhaps the expense Of detail and
consequent detention of the Senateo review historically this
question Of slavery which, partly in consequence OF Its own
merits and partly, perhaps mostly, in the manner 1t is
discussed in and the other portion Of the country, has
been OF much alienation and unklnd feeling be-
tween the different portions of the Union We all know,
that slavery has existed in the world from time mmeo-
rial There slavery, in the earliest periods OF history,
in the Oriental nations There slavery among the Jews
the theocatc government Of that people made injunction
against it, There slavery among the Greeks, and the
ingenious philosophy of the Greeks found sought find,
justification for it exactly upon the grounds which have been
assumed for such justification in this country that is ma
ara and original difference among the Of mankind the
nferiony Of tie black coored TO the white The
Greeks justified their system Of slavery upon that ground pre-
csey They held the African, and in parts the Asalc,
tribes to be inferior TO the white but they did not show,
think, by any close process of logic that if this rue
the intelligent and the stronger had therefore right to
suhugate the weaker. The manly philosophy and
jurisprudence OF The Romans placed the justification Of
slavery on entirely different grounds.
The Roman urists, from the first and down to the fall Of
the empire admitted that Slavery against the natural law
by which they maintained that all men, ofwhaoever cme
lo capacity, equal they justified slavery, first
the ground and authority the law of and
arguing truly that at that dsy the conventional law OF nations
admitted that captves war; whose lives, according to the
notions of the times at the absolute disposal of the cap
tors, might in exchange for exemption from DEATH be made
slaves for e and that such eryude might descend to their
posey The ursts Of Rome also maintained that by the
civil law there might be servudeslavery, personal and he
by the voluntary act of individual who
might sell himself into savery second by his being receiy
debt and thirdly, by being placed in state of servtude
slavery for crime At the INTRODUCTION Of Christianity into
the world, the Roman world full Of slaves, and sup
pose there is be found injunction against that relation
between and the teachings by the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, by any Of his Apostles The object of the in
srucion impaired to mankind by the founder Of Christianity
to touch the heart, purify the SOUL and improve the lives
of individual men. That object went directly to the first
fountain of all political and all social relations of the human
race-he individual heart and mind Of man.
Now, sir, upon the general nature and character and in
fuence Of slavery, there exists wide difference between The
Northern portion Of this country and the Southern said
the one side that if the subject of any injunction or
direct prohibition in the New Testament slavery wrong
that is founded merely in the light Of the strongest and
that is oppresson like all unjust wars, like all those
conflicts by which mighty nation subjects weaker nation
their will and that slavery its nature, whatever may be
said Of in the notifications which have taken place. is not
10 fact according the meek spirit Of the gospel 1t is not
kindly aeconed. 1t does not seek anothers and s
own It does let the oppressed go free" These are
sentiments that cherished, and recently with greatly aug
mented force, the people of the Northern States It
has taken hold Of the religious sentiment of that part of the
country it has less taken hold Of the religious feel
ngs Of considerable portion of mankind The South, upon
the other sde having been accustomed to this relation be-
tween the all their lives from their birth having
been taught in general to treat the subjects of this bondage
with care and kindness-and believe in general feeling
for them great and kndness-have yet taken this
view Of the subject which have mentioned. There are
thousands of with conscience tender any
Of their brethren the North, who do not the unlawful
Of slavery and there thousands perhaps that
whatsoever they may think Of it in its origin, and as a mat
ter depending upon natural right yet take things they are
and finding slavery be established relation of the society
where they live, way in whichet their opinions
the abstract question be what they nay power of
the present generation 10 relieve themselves from this rela
ton And, in this respect candor obliges say that
believe they just Conscientious many Of hem and of
the religious people all of them, they in the North
holding different opinions.
Why, sir the honorable Senator from South Carolina the
other day. alluded to the great separation Of that great re
gous community, the Methodist Episcopal Church. That
separation brought about by differences opinion upon
this peculiar subject Of slavery felt great concern as that
dispute about the result and hopes that the
difference Of opinion might be adjusted, because ooked upon
that religious denomination of the great props of re
gon and morals throughout the whole country from Maine
to Georgia. The result against my wishes and against
my hopes have read all their proceedings and all their
arguments but have yet been able to come to the
conclusion that there any real ground for that separation
in other words that good could be produced by that Sc
paraon Sir, when question of this kind takes hold Of
the religious sentiments of mankind and be discuss
ed in religious assemblies Of the clergy and ay there is
always be expected always be feared great degree
of excitement. 1t in the nature Of man, manifested by his
whole history, that religious disputes apt 10 become
warm, and mems strength Of conviction propoonae to their
views of the magnitude of the questions In all such disputes
there will sometimes be found with whom every thing
absolue-absou,ey wrong absolutely right. They see
the right clearly they think others ought do IT, and thew
disposed establish broad line Of distinction between
what they think right and what they hold TO be wrong And
they seldom willing to establish that line upon their
convictions of the truth and the justice of their own
opinions, and they willing mark and guard that line by
placing along series of dogma lines of boundary are
marked by posts and stones There who, with clear
perceptions they think, OF their duty, do how