The North-Carolina standard., 1850-03-20


ded to members Of Consresa nor for any nssounons I
hateser expressive Of the - Of Massachusetts, - ~
what her members Of Congess ought to do said ne
saw propety in set Of public servants giving in
structons and reading lecture to another set Of pubic
to their own all Of them must stand
or fall and that master is their wsn
sentiments could become more common-SrcaHy mofe
common :,
have never entered into the question, and never SNAIL
about the binding force of instructions Will say SIM
ply this: that there be any interest pending III either
Of these bodies where q member and Massachu- |
setts has in that question any particular interest OF hc
oun not adverse to the general interest OF the country
sh, nursue her instructions with gladness Of heart ard
with all the efficiency that bring to It, But the
question be one that affects her and at the same
time affects the interests of the people Of all the other
States, should feel myself no more oouna 70 reeau M
particular wishes and Instructions than it were chosen
referee or an arbitrator, to decide upon question OF
important private rights should feel myself bound to
regard the instructions of the that appointed me-
there was government upon eartn' Is nls sI
crnmen-if there body upon earth, it Is this
body which should consider itself as composed by an
of all appointed by sone but organized b"
general consent of all sitting here under ohgao"s OF
oath and conscience to do that which thcy cohsoe' as
best for the good Of the whole.
Then sir there arc those abolition societies. of which
am very unwilling to speak, but in regard TO which
have very fixed notions and opinions. do not th'nk
them useful think their operations Tor the last twenty
wears have produced nothing that is good valuable At
the same time know that thousands Of them very
honest and good men, perfectly well-meaning. They
have excited feelings They think they must do some
thing the of liberty aud In their sphere OF ac
ton thcy do not what else they do, but to contrib
utc to an abolition press abolition society, or to
paw an abolition lecturer do not mean to lmpute gross
motives the leaders Of those societies; but am
not blind to the consequences; cannot hut see what
mischief their interference With the South has accom-
plished Is it not plain to every man? Let any gentle
man who doubts all this to tho debates OF the Vr-
gin;a House of Delegates in 1892 See with what free
dom the proposition made hy Mr.. Randolph for the grad
ua abolition of slavery discussed in that House OF
Delegates Everybody spoke of slavery they hought
and very lgnomnious and disepuabe and ePthets
were applied il freely. The debates of the House OF
Delegates were all published. They read Ivy every
coo.ed man who could read and if there not col
orcd who could read. they read by white men
to colorcd who could not read. At that time Fr-
ginia not unwilling afraid to discuss this whole
question: and let that particular part of her popu-
aton know much of as they could learn That was
in 1882.
As has been said hy tho honorable member from South
Carolina these abolition societies commenced their course
of action in 1885. 1t is sad-I know not with what
tuth-that they sent inccndiary publications into the
slave States. At any they attempted to arouse,
and did very strong feelng-in other words crc-
ated great agitation in tho North against Southern slave
Iry. What the result The bands of slavery were
bound tighter The riv.ts more strongly fastened.
Public opinion in Virginia, just then opening 10 the free
discussion of this question, drew hack and shut itself up
in its castle. wish to know whether ANYBODY in
Virginia can talk Mr.. Randolph and Gov. Mcdowell
talked in Virginia! They talked openly, and sent their
remarks the press in 1885,: all know and all
know the Everything thst the agtnting people
have done hiss heen not to enlarge hut to restrain not
to set free hut to bind faster the slave population Of the
South. That is my judgment.
As have said. know many Of them in my neigh
borhood very honest and good people mislcd, As
think, by strange enthusiasm bu. wishing to do some
thing. they feel called upon contribute and they do
contribute 1t is firm opinion this day. that within
the last twenty much money has been collected
and paid abolition societies, abolition presses, and abo
ton lecturers. would purchase the freedom of every
savc-man, woman. and cd-in the State of Maryland.
and send them all to Liberia. have doubt of it.
have learned that the benevolcnce Of the abolition
societies has at any time taken that particular turn
Again, sir the violence Of the press is complained Of
The press is violent everywhere. There outrages-
reproaches the North agans the South and reProaches
in much better in the South sgainst the North
The extremists of both parties of the country violent
They mistake loud and violent talk for eoqucncc and for
reason They think he who talks loudest the
hest We must expect that where the press is free.
is here and always will be-for with all its ccnousncss
an all its evils. entire and absolute freedom of the
press is essential for the preservation Of the
on the basis of free constitution-whcrcvcr that
sts there will be foolish and violent paragraphs
in the press, there sorry to say, foolish
speeches and violent speeches in the houses of Congress
In short, sir, must that in opinion. the
ular tongue of the country has become greatly vated,
depraved and corrupted by the style Of Congress debates
Laughtcr.] And if it possible for debates in
Congress to vitiatc tho principles Of the people, much
they have depraved their tastes should out God
the republic! Well, sir, in all this solid
gcvancc-no grievance within the redress of
produced by the South. hut the single TO which
have refercdthe want Of proper regard for the inune
tions of the constitution, about the restoration of fugitive
slaves.
Now, sir there complaints of the North against the
South. need not 60 them particularly. The first
and the gravest s-considering that the North entered
into the constitution recognizing the existence Of slavery
in the States and recognizing the right. to certain
tent of the representation of slaves in Congress- under
state of sentiment and expectation which does not
cxis-thnt the North by events by circumstances by
the cageness of the South acquire territory and
extend slave populaon finds itself in regard to it's
spective influence of the South and North, of tho free
States and slave Sates where it did expect find
itself when they entered into the constitution. They
complain therefore, that instead Of being regarded
evil, it thcn-an evil which all hoped would go
out graduay-t is now regarded by the South and cher
shcd institution to be and extended and
is institution which the South has extended the
most of its power by the acquisition of territory.
Then, SIR passing from that every body in tho North
readsevery body reads whatsoever the newspapers
tain; and the newspapers of them and especially
those to which have alluded careful spread
among the people repoachfu sentiment uttered by
any Southern man, high low, against the North
Every thing that is calculated to cxasperateevcry thing
that is calculated to aenatc-and there many such
things, every body will admit in the South or some
portions of it's spread abroad among the reading peo
Ple And they do cxaspcratcthcy do alcnate-they do
produce most mschicvous effect upon the public mind
of the North. would notice things of this Sort ap
pcaring in obscure quarters but thing has occurred
in this debate which has struck me very forcibly.
/ The honorable senator from Louisiana, Mr.. Downs
addressed US here the other day upon this subject sup
pose there is not amabe worthy gentleman in
this chamber suppose there is not gentleman more