Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-03-23
Selections.
Webster and Slavery.


% 81" We sponk of the '.times that tried mems
souls" in the past tense when the present
would be quite as proper Those times nrc
% not all by-gonc; they are here now. Men
q are tried by them daily, and some are found
wanting. tr4
II At such a crisis as the present, there is no
sa.o light bnt that OF principle. lie who
tries TO he guided by any other, will err III
the Iiuitless vague, or land himself and his
followers in'tlie ditch. Expediency miy
u dictate the steps 10 he taken but IL must be
principle that determines tho end. From
thai eHd 10 man can securely swerve. 81
lie is a true statesman who gathers wis
dom from an intimate rapport with the Poo
pie, and who, il sometimes apparently be-
fore the age, is never behind it. by the
People we do not mean the leading residents
.tof cities, merchants and moHey-lenders;
their business is TO buy and sell and care for
the interests OF trade and for profits Oh stocks
and loans we mean the People who are scat
tered over the wide expansc Of the country,
:; who I'LL the laud and make the workshop
vocal, whose good sense is both just md
"a generous, wiIose faith ia Freedom, Huniani-
.,iy aud, Progress is nnexlngI gIished and living,
Tjtakes courage 3 % i.de aa enemy n, 10 hut
stIe.it tatcei more couraee greatly 70 con-
front great emergency in politics. Then.
ordinary considerations nre worthless. The.
traveller in a straight and narrow path Dnst
not be afraid of shadows; the Lender in a
political struggle like that now passing will
best consult his own reputation and pros
poets by taking counsel of neither prospects
nor reputation. He that would gain his life
, must lose it, says the inspired record.
I. We do not crticiso the manner of Mr..
Websters speech; we do not find fault
with its details; all that is of minor conse-
Aduencc. II is lis substance that we pro-
snounce unequal to the occasion and unwor-
thy of It's author. ' atH..N
Ii does not do all thnt Slavery has been
beseeching of Mr.. Webster. it does not
profess to offer 80 ? 30', norany miuor COM
promise between Slavery Extension and
Freedom but il offers one, notwithstand-
ing. IL takes the ground ex-senator BELL of
Tennessee. il proposes, not directly but in
directly, to balance California with n new
Slave State taken from Texas, and To aban-
don the Proyiso for the Territories.
MIR. Webster says the Proviso is useless
and nugatory, because nature has excluded
Slavery from California and New Mexico
How has she excluded il? BY climate and
soil, he will say. This las been said before
often enough, and is none the truer for he
ing said again. Have these advocates for
natural exclusion never heard of RUSSIA r.
In
slayes distributed through every variety OF
sclirnate and soil from that of North Caroli-
ma 10 that Of Greenland. Have they never
heard of Maryland nor Kentucky, Suites
which raise neither cotton, nor rice, nor SUI
gar, aud yet employ slaves IL is absurd 10
say that Slavery knows any Limitations OF
climate, or soil, or occupation 1t goes
wherever il can he mndc profitable. II the
law guaranteed slavc'property in California,
can any man who knows enough 10 count
four fail TO see that thousands OF slaves
would in two months be digging gold there
Beside, Slavery is not mere industrial in
slitution in this country, and does not depend
for lis existence upon its profits alone. IL IS
a great political machine, Whereby the ml-
nority in the Republic has long ruled the
majority. That is why it is adhered to with
such fdnatical persistence. That is why in
Kentucky, for example, it reslss every con-
sideration which interest and sound reason
urge for its removal. 1T is not profitable
there, but it remains Notwithstanding. Solt
would have got into California, had II dared
go there; SO it will now occupy New Mexl-
co, unless il is restrained. ...g..
q Mr. Webster thinks the Proviso is origl-
nally of Gods enacting, and therefore will
moi reaiiirm it, This is Il new principle OF
legislation as well as a new point OF rheto-
ric. Hitherto it has been thought necessary
for human laws TO follow another course.--
Tic law Of God is freedom, and yet
by Constitutions aud stututcs we establish
and guaranty freedom. But, does Mr.. Web
ster mean to have us understand that God
designs some portions of the earth for Sla-
very aud some for Liberty? Does he in
terpret any part Of the diviue will as or
dnihing any cliumte, any soil, any locality,
for the woes and inhumanities of bondage
If God has specially enacted thutthey shall
not exist in New Mexico, there must be
some places for which lac has made. a differ
ei,t enactment. But this whole argument u
puerile. Mr.. Footc might lSiye used itwi'h