The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-31

well have been asked-should you not enjoy tha
peace and quiet nowS Why win you persist in dis
ting in jeopardy the glorious Union you now en-
| JOY, by rushing into wild, so wanton, and, hac
almost said, so wicked pocy?''
Sir, IT Is not TO be denied that it is this spirit
annexation and conquest, growing by what it feeds
on, which has involved in all our present troubles
and which threatens with still greater troubles
| in future We are reaping the natural and Just
results OF the annexation of Texas, and of the
which inevitably followed that annexation. We
have almost realized Gas believed have somewhere
else said) the fate of the greedy and ravenous bird
in the old fable. 4Esop tells us Of an eagle which
IN one ofits towering flights, seeing bit Of tempt
ing nesh upon an altar, pounced upon il, and bore
| 1T away in triumph to its nest But by chance, he
adds, coal of fire from the altar sticking to il
at the time which set fire TO the nest and consumed
it in a trice. And American eagle SIR has
been seen STOPPING from its pride of place, and how
ering over the affairs of a weak neghboring power
has at last pounced upon her PROVINCES and borne
them away from her in triumph But burning
Goals have clung to them! Discord and confusion
have come with them! And our own American
homestead is now threatened with conhagration!
This, Mr. Chairman, is the brief history of our
condition. trust in heaven that the lesson will
not be lost upon us. Gentlemen talk of settling the
whole controversy which has been kindled between
the North and the South by some sweeping COM
promise, or some comprehensive plan of reconcilia-
ton hope that the controversy will be settled.
sir; but most earnestly hope and pray that il will
not so be settled that shall be in danger of
forgetting its origin. hope and pray that It will
not so be settled that shall again imagine
that we can enter with impunity on a career of ag
gression, spoliaton, and conquest This embit-
tered strife, this protracted suspense these tedious
days and weeks and months of anxiety and agita-
tion, will have had their full compensation and
ward if they shall teach never again to forget
the curse which has been pronounced upon those
"who remove their neighbors land marks"-if
they shall teach us to realize in all time to come,
that policy of peace and justice towards others
he uar ayu md pfo otlr nyVnH tic
harmony and our own national Union!
And now, Mr.. Chairman, how is the great con-
troversy by which our country is igitated to be
settled?
In the first place, sir, do not believe that it is to
be settled by multiplying and accumulating issues
have no faithin the plan OF rsking open all the
subjects OF disagreement and difference which have
existed at any time between different sections OF the
country, with view of attemTtng to bring them
within the influence of some single pandced. Ger
ainly sir, if such plan is to be attempted, we are
not TO forget that there sides to the question
Of aggression: The southern States complain, on
the side that some of their runaway SLAVES have
not been delivered up by the free States, agneaby
to the provisions of the Constitution of the United
States. The northern States complain, on tie other
side, that some OF their freemen have beei seized
and imprisoned in the slave States, contrary to the
provisions of the same Constitution. ] WIS, my
self, called upon some years ago, by the mrchants
and ship-owners of Boston-as patriotic body of
men can be found on the face of this cotinent,
and whose zeal for liberty is not less conpicuous
than their devotion to the Unionto bring tbs latter
subject to the attention of Congress. mde re-
port upon il to this House in lS43, in which among
other remarks, used the following Language:
''That American or foreign seamen, charged
with no crime and infected with no catagion,
should be searched for on board the vesselso which
they belong; should be seized while in the scharge
of their duties or il may be- while asleepn their
berths; should be dragged shore and icarcer-
ated without any other examination than q exam
ination of their skins and should be rended liable
in certain contingencies, over which they ay have
no possible CONTROL to be subjected to the mominy
and agony of the lash, and to the lfinitely
| more ignominious and agonizing fate of hing sold
into slavery for life, and for all purposes police
is an idea too Inonstrous to beentcrtainedor mo-
| ment"
| Now, sir, / will not undertake to copare the
| two grievances 10 which have thus allusd But
this do say, that if the is to be insist on
subject for immediate redress and reparson, see
not why the other should not be also f. myself,
acknowledge my allegiance TO the who Consti-
tuition of the United States, and l amsling to
unite in fulfilling and enforcing, in all .asonable
| and proper modes, every one of its prdsions. |
recognise, indeed, a Power above all hnan law
makers, and Code above all earthly cotitutions!
And whenever perceive plain conflI Of jurs-
diction and authority between the CoBitutlon Of
my country and the laws of my God, n course Is
clear | shall resign my office, whayer it may
be, and renounce all connexon with p,lc service |
of any SORT Never, never, sir, will put myself
under the necessity Of calling upon G. to witness
my pfoHhst lO suppofl COusututlOfohy Poib VI
which consider 70 be inconsistent ith his COM
mands.
But il is libel upon the Constitute OF the Uni
ted States, and, what is worse sir, is libel upon
the great and good men who frame adopted, and
ratified Il; il is libel upon Washingn, and Frank
lin, and Hamilton, and Madison lpon John Ad-
ans, and John Jay. and Rufus ng; II Is libel
upon them all, and upon the who American peo-
pie OF 1889, who sustained the IN thclr noble
work, and upon all who, from nat time TO this,
generation after generation, ir.ny capacity, ma
tional, municipal, State, ha, hited their hands
TO heaven, in attestation of tn allegiance TO me
Government Of their cOuntr'-t Is gross libel
upon every one Of them, TO ART or insinuate that
there is any such inconsistcy! Let US not do
such dishonor 10 the fathers the Republic and to
the trainers OF the Constuon. rs lavorlte
policy, know, Of some Of ultraists In my own
part OF the country TO stinauze the Constitution
Of the United States pro-sfaUuy compact:
deny Il, sir. hold, on other hand, that II ~ a
pro-iiberty compact-thei iost elective pro-liberty
compact which the vol has seen, Magma
Charta not escepted-ld one which every friend
To liberty-human litty' or political liberty
ought steadfastly TO nrntain and support
$40 secure the be.ngs Of liberty TO ourselves
and our posterity .',shis was the grand climax in
that enumeration Of objects which constitutes its
we'll remembered Gamble This was the object
for which il was awediy, and for which II was
really framed; anthis is the object which il has.
in fact, beyond all her instruments, advanced and
promoted
The conventiorwhich framed that instrument
found African very, indeed, "A hxed TACT upon
our soi and sde OF the provisions which they
adopted had u,oubted and admitted reference 10
that fact But,hat is the legitimate Interpretation
of these proyiJnsl II Is n remark, think, as old
Epictetus. at every thing has foo handles; and
II true obese provisions of every thing else,
that we nus take hold of them by the right handle
in ordcrto snderstand their true design.
We ere told that the Constitution encouraged
slwery byprovidng for the liberation Of the Afri-
cSn slave trade for twenty years. In my judgment,
q, il should rather be said, that the Constitution
nuck strong, and, as its trainers undoubtedly
blieved, fatal blow at slavery, by securing to the
ederal Government the power, whichit never be-
re possessed. to prohibit that trade at the end of
tenty years.
We are told that Il encouraged slavery, by max
q IL the basis Of representation in this House In
" Judgment, il should rather be sad that il dis
Iuraged slavery, by taking away two-ffths Of
vat representation TO which the southern states
ould have been entitled their black population,
J that population had been a wholly free popula-
on.
We are told that il encouraged slavery, by pro-
ding for the suppression OF instrTtcf,ons. hut
cerybody knows, that this provision had as much
sference 10 instructions in the free States in
he slave States; aud that, in point Of fact, il was
hays rebellion in Massachusetts which, being in
rogress at the very period when the Constitution
'as under consideration, gave an immediate i'm