The New York herald., 1850-04-12

n
uries, he accomplished the redemption of Africa |
lerself who will say that the means 'ne chose |
we're inconsistent with his wisdom or his good |
lessi
This fact, then, is undispute6. that when the bat
les of the revolution had been fought-when the
North and the South had yassed shoulder 10 shoul-
der through that long shd bloody and selfsacrifi-
cling struggle, and the independence of their coun-
try was achieved, e institution of slavery, planted
by other hands IL. our midst, existed A very large
number of our citizens, both in the North and the
South, were shareholders Property is the crea-
,ure of the law, and slaves had been made property
done I The general welfare-the preservation of
all that had been gained-the law of seli-deience,
required that government should be established,
and that this government should embrace and com.
bine in one indssoluble union, all the liberated
colonies If that had not been accomplished, all
would have been shipwrecked together.
The men of the revolution saw this plainly
They were men equal TO the crisis They con-
sidered the question as whole. They sacrificed
on the altar of concession their different views and
interests as TO particulars, that they might reach
harmoniously the grand result. The articles OF
confederation, and subsequently the constitution,
were the results Of compromise and whatever
politicians may say, the spirit, the intent, the fair
construction of that compromise is, that the ins-
tuition of slavery belongs exclusively to the States,
matter OF State regulation, and that the general
government has nothing 10 do with II.
No power over il was delegated by the const-
tuition 10 the general government Except as to the
-
such power prohibited by it to the States. 1t was
expressly provided, that persons held 10 service or
labor in one State, under the laws thereof, e5-
Gaping into another should not be discharged from
such service or labor, but should be delivered up
on claim of the party 10 whom such service or
labor might be due and by amendment TO the
constitution, adopted in I19l, IL was provided that
the powers not delegated 10 the United States by
the constitution, nor prohibited by IL to the States,
are reserved TO the States respectively or TO the
people. Such is the constitution--such the COM
promise upon which II was formed-such the I'M
perative necessity of that compromise and even II
that compromise and that constitution were the re-
suit of mistake, il is binding now, and as long as
il shall remain unateTed, on every law-abiding
man.
If the federation of savery-if the permission
for its existence in any part of the Union was
great national crime-when and by whom was that
crime committed! At the formation of the govern
men at the adoption of the constitution, and by the
Washingtons, the Roger Shermans, the Hamiltons,
the Madisons, the Franklins the Pinkneys Of the
landry such men as Livingston and Paterson,
Brearly and Dayton. ,.of my own native State, ap-
proved and sanctioned with unparalleled unanimity
by the North and South. Under its auspices, |
need not say with what giant strides the republic
has advanced to greatness and prosperity, nor that
Heaven has smiled .propitousy upon our common
heritage.
Now, the question which has come up with such
a threatening aspect before the country, is in my
judgment one of morals not of potics-questlons
always the most difficult and dangerous TO deal
with, because they do not lie in notions Of expe-
diency, but in matters OF conscience. They are
always liable TO run into fanacism and are always
mingled with questions of religious faith and moral
obligation. The question is one OF morals, and as
such il is TO be settled if settled permanently at all
Out of this aspect Of the have sprung, as inci
dents, all the questions that have heretofore been
and are now the subject OF discussion. The con-
venton of 81, the Missouri compromise, the con-
tested question of abolition petitions in Congress-
the agitations in the North, the recriminatons Of
the South, the difficulties about fugitive slaves, and
lotf rIx- Cali and he
provso, are all but branches Of one fruitful tree
the question TO the moral character of slavery as
exists in the States and the moral duty consequent
upon that character In reference to those phases
or incidents Of this question which involve the
action of the government, they never would have
been unsettled, or at any rate never would have
come up in their present embarrassing forns II the
general government had adhered, as il ought in my
opinion to have adhered, from the beginning, to a
strict construction OF the constitution. The trainers
OF tins instrument meant 10 exclude, and by the
language OF the instrument did exclude, the ma
tional government from all action upon the subject.
They granted no such power-ihey expressly ex-
cluded all powers not granted. Whenever the doc
trine OF inierenal powers-that laiitudinarian doc
trine-comes fully to be insisted on and adopted,
the constitution will become itrsh - thing of wax,
10 he moulded. by the ever changing opinions ot
men, into whatever shape those opinions happen to
take-the majority will become supreme-its will,
the constitution, and everything conservative, will
be liable TO be broken down. Suppose measure
oppressive-ruinous 10 one portion OF the Unon-is
constitutional form, il is said the party complaining
and denying it's constiiuonaliiy, has an appeal TO
the Supreme Court But 10 argue that that rs al
ways TO be regarded as place OF absolute security,
is TO argue that il is infallible. IL undergoes the
process of change by death; the new incumbcnts
apt 10 partake OF the views OF the constitution
held by majority OF the government and the court
10 become itself the advocate Of those views. BE-
yond this are the rocks-the breakers OF revolution
the dernier resort OF oppressed people. The
constitution itself was originally intended TO be the
cable and anchor Of the Union and all its paris
and nothing, you may rely upon il, but the doctrine
Of a strict construction ever preserve II what u
was intended 10 he.
Upon the question of domestic slavery in the
States and in the territories, nou-ners enton Is the
true principle. There the letter OF the constitution
placed IT, and there II should be left. The law OF
nature, fixing the bounds Of the institution by the
unalierable constitution Of the colored race; the
temperature of the climate and nature OF the soil,
and the will Of the people acting through the state
Legislatures upon their several States, are the true
and legitimate regulators and all interference, ex
cept moral suasion. the power Of argument, the
free expression Of opinion. ought TO be excluded.
now come to the main quesiion-the question
which lies back OF all the others. ls Is domestic
slavery sin, or an unmitigaicd evil and second
What is the duty OF the people OF the non-slave-
holding States. respecting IL These questions go
10 the root Of the whole difficulty.
lst. l. domestic slavery sin, or an unniiiIgaied
evil In order to arrive at an intelligent conclusion
respecting the right or the wrong OF any complex
scheme or any existing institution. We must he care
ful not to array feelings against our reason; nor
ought we 10 allow our dlspleasure AZ particular
cases Of excess to interfere with fair and debe-
rate consideration Of the general working and ten
dency of the system as a whole II belongs TO this
question to consider firs--ihe condition OF the
lored man il would have been, had he been left
IN Africa I'd. The circumstances under which
We hnd HIM here 81. The necessity, II such there
be, ct his present continuance in the condition IN
in which We find him. 9TH. The ultimate tendency
Of what may seem TO be Providential arrangement
of this state Of things.
Ist. OF all the races of men with which history
and travel have acquainted us, there u none
sunk beyond all hope OF self restoration the Afr
can, on his wide continent. In ignorance 80 utter,
that he Is elevated little above the brute; IN super
stition so gross. that il drags him lower thnn
the brute: without n thought Of liberty, he ~ the
sport Of tyranny in its lowest, nieanest and most
cruel forms; he has nothing he call his own;
he has no idea nf God, of justice, Of moral obliga-
ton, sf the rights Of persons OF property. Ia word,
" Africa has long forgotten God, and God has aban-
doned AfrCa'-but not, trI-t ior ever. FrOm such
a land and such u condition--sold. bartered away
by has countrymsn--thc slave was brought TO these
shores whils were cclonsis. and subject to Bri-