The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-15

will abstain from an act which may be injurious 10
their inefesis-to an institution which she cherisbes
and when you come 10 act large and more ex.
tended iheatre-o deal with the opinions the feelings
and the interests OF twenty millions OF people-will YOU
not exercise similar f0rbearancei Will Won not feel
that the implied obg ation which conscience enions aud
good faith requires TO fulfil will be least equally
imperative as you ie 10 be when sustaining from the
exercise OF your power over these ten miles squarel
Mr. President, have often. in the cougss Of nv lie
been struck By observing the different estimate which men
make Of questions Of right and wrong, when acting
personally or esenatively-indlyiuay In comb.
nation The subject was forcbly brought to my
mind by very eloquent and practical discourse which
heard two days ago in another wing OF this Capitol It's
object 10 show the faacy OF an idea entertained By
many Of the diminished guilt and lessened responsibility
Tor actions which were committed IN combinaiion--of
the belief the earnest belief OF individuals that greater
guilt and higher degree Of responsibility attached TO
them for acts done Individually than for the same acts
done by them IN conblnaiionhat the guilt OF the latter
less than that oil the former. speak with great
respect and with perfect consciousness that il may be
applicable to myself as to others but il the
question which now present to you is which there
is not indviduaf senator this chamber VINO would
or could have addressed 10 him without sense OF in
Here were thirteen confederated States which were
about 10 enter into this Unon They had different inter-
ests-you knew il; they had different modes Of cultiva
ting their andyou knew IT they had different modes OF
employing themselves, different species OF labor they
agreed 10 join their several interests, TO make
adventure great experimental the capacity Of man for
self-government. Now, what was implied There
community OF interests in all their public POSSESSIONS and
there community OF interests also in all their future
public acquisitions Each one was 70 have right equal
with every other one and TO enjoy that which was public
at the time each, equal with every other one, 10
have the right 10 enjoy that which was to be acquired
hereafter You could not, according TO the Language Of
Vatte in the disposition OF any property that might be the
result OF your future conquest, make distinction 10 the
Disadvantage OF any yet here is perfect readiness 10 do
Now, SUPPOSE YOU had BEEN thirteen individually
of thirteen coniederated States that you had embark
ed common property in a common adventure, and
in process OF time you had made acquisitions in
reference 10 which the majority OF you should
determine to have particular mode OF employment,
which necessarily excluded the minorly would you
have felt yourselves at liberty, with property belonging
equally to all to exercise your power IN such
10 withdraw portion OF the property from the
use OF all the nembers-employ il in such manner
that part OF the would be necessarily excluded
IRON all participation init Ii you thought thai the IN
teres OF the such that you considered your
under the necessity Of doing could you not feel
the obligation compensate all that portion OF your
associates who thus injured by the distinction
made to their disadvantage! Would you not feel that
you under obligation as honest men 10 make
this compensatory Could you, consistently with your
OF duty deprive them Of their ull and perfect right
10 enjoy their portion OF the common property, TO IT
in the mole in which they had been enjoying from the
time when the association formed UP 10 the period
when you determined introduce this new regulation
Could you find consistent with your OF duty, with
your notions OF honesty with your respect for you repu
laton, oil ntegrfy-could you lind II consistent
with these principles thus TO deprive your associates OF
their rights, without any adequate compensation
Well. now, sir, find il impossible TO distinguish be-
tween the two cases. know that shall be told, as
have been told before, We do object your coming
into the Territories, but you must carry any negroes
there. Then You object TO using share of the
public property in the mode which you know were
using property the time entered into union
with you and IN the manner IN which we had declared
our intention TO use il.
Suppose this property divided into parts, and portion
assigned TO every individual citizen OF the United States
sou would not exercise your power by interfering with
the right OF the citizen to that property he thought
Ia
and II you would not, in the event OF division among
all the citizens OF the United States how, when he
to claim undivided interest in it. ali OF
us-how can you control his right to that undivided
interest IN the in which he has used his other
property Why you seriously believe that slavery Is
stain upon the land where il existshat il will pollule
the soll-that you cannot dwell among slaveholders-f
this be your real belief, make partition OF the country
We did urge this association yielded to urgency
We do not urge the common enjoyment OF the common
property; now make your partition. The stain which
slavery impars to that portion OF the soil which is left
us-i. STAN IL would be-we will wipe off by the conduct
OF those who nhabit il. Take your own division, sir
pose, examine the statistics OF crime TO ii they
more or less favorable in thefree slave territory.
SIR, heard the other day statement from the senator
which fell TO the share OF that State the purpose OF
public educaton that there is, believe he said, school
house at the distance OF every twenty four hundred
yards-every mile and half-aong the public roads;
and that the schoomasier al home, abroad in the
State Certainly, SIR this very gratifying statement,
and exhibits what consider most extraordinary fact
believe in benefits resulting from the cultivation OF the
human mind
Mr.. BUTLER, (interposing) II the senator from
Georgia VIII allow me, would suggest The propriey OF
the Senae's adoufnng TO another day, 10 give the
senator opportunity 10 finish his argument | per-
ceive that he Is faiigued.
MIR. BERRlEN | am very much indebted 10 the sen-
aior, but shall close speedily and prefer TO finish
was struck by the fact that in State where the
means OF education mutplied-where they In
the reach OF eveubody-while in my own State the
- IT. -
OF such numerous schools on comparing the popula-
lion OF the two States, and the quantum Of crime IN the
one State with that OF the other You will incline 10
think, hnd that crime and education have gone togehe
that the increase OF knowledge has been an increase OF
the power Of deyisng the by which crime be
perpetated It's melancholy fact, and yet IL is fact
which believe will appear bya comparison OF the sta
tistics.
Mr. DICKINSON, tinterposing) The honorable sen.
should recolec that that is the great enepo for all The
emigration from Europe.
Mr. BERRlEN. | wish II were possible to make the
distinction. very sensible that large deduction
ought 10 be made account OF that fact in favor Of the
State OF New York but believe that with all that The
balance u IN our favor, with the superintendent
weight Of the dreadful sin OF slavery, which Is under
stood 10 lead TO all manner OF inquIiy
Mr.. SEWARD, (interposlng) will relieve The sena-
tor from all difficulty or on this head, Al
proper time. an prepared TO show by the statistics
that the result Is different
MIR BERRlEN. desire 10 say word or two in con
clusion ain inquifng whether, il this 20 existed
il would be expeden upon the part OF this government
10 exercise IT, have endeavored TO show that woald
be inconsistent with the principles oil good faith Bat Il
is said that may be properly exercised, because The