Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-03-11

SldVeIlouiuB otdteS, ana the remaining Ten Hieiii-
bers either native Californans or old settlers
in that country. This prohibition against slavery
it is alleged
i Mr. HALE. VIII the Senator give way until
order is restored?
The VICE PRESIDENT. The Seargeant-at-Arms
will see that order is restored, and no more per-
sons admitted to the floor.
=; MIR. CASs. trust the scene of the other day
will not be repeated. The Sergeant-at-Arms must
display more energy in suppressing this disorder
Mr. HALE. The noise is outside of the door,
Mr. WEBSTER. And it is this circumstance
sir, the prohibition of slavery by that convention
which has contributed to raise-I do not say has
wholly raised-the dispute as to the propriety Of
the admission of California into the Union under
this constitution. tits not to be denied, Mr. Pre-
sident-nobody thinks of denying-that, what
ever reasons were assigned at the commencement
of the late war with Mexico, it was prosecuted
for the purpose of the acquisition of territory and
under the alleged argument that the cession of
territory was the only form in which proper COM
pensation could be made to the United States by
Mexico for the various claims and demands which
the people of this Government had against her
At any rate, it will be found that President Pq3
message at the commencement of the session.
December, 1S47, avowed that the war was to be
prosecuted until some acquisition of territory was
the line of the United States, in warm climates
and countries, it was. naturally, l suppose, ex-
pected by the Soutn&hat whatever acquisitions
were made in that region would be added to the
savehoding portion of the United States.-
Events have turned out as was not expected, and
that expectation has not been realized; and there
fore some degree Of disappointment and surprise
has resulted, of course. In other words, it is OBJ
vious that the question which has so long harassed
the country, and at some times very seriously
alarmed the minds of wise and good men, has
come upon us for a fresh discussion--the ques-
ton of slavery in these United States.
Now, sir, propose-perhaps at the expense of
detail and consequent detention of the Senate
to review historically this question of slavery,
which, partly in consequence of its own merits,
and partly, perhaps mostly, in the manner it is dis
cussed in one and the other portion of the coun-
try, has been source of so much alienation and
unkind feeling between the different portions of
the Union. We all know, sir, that slavery has
existed in the world from time immemoral.-
There was slavery, in the earliest periods of his
tory, in the Oriental nations There was slavery
among the Jews; the theocratic government of
that people made no injunction against it. There
was slavery among the Greeks, and the ingenious
philosophy of the Greeks found, or sought to find,
a justification for it exactly upon the grounds
which have been assumed for such justification
in this country; that is natural and original diff
ference among the races of mankind, the inferi-
Gritty Of the black or colored race to the white
The Greeks justified their system of slavery upon
that ground precisely. They held the African,
and in some parts the Asatic, tribes to be inferior
to the white race; but they did not show, think,
by any close process of logic, that, if this were
true, the more intelligent and the, stronger had
therefore right to subjugate the weaker. The
more manly philosophy and jurisprudence of the
Romans placed the justification of slavery on en-
tirely different grounds.
| The Roman jursts, from the first and down to
the fall OF the empire, admitted that slavery was
against the natural law, by whch.they maintained
that all men, of whatsoever Cline color or capa.
city, were equal but they justified slavery, first,
upon the ground and authority OF the law of ma
tions-urging, and urging truly, that at that day
the conventional law of nations admitted that cap
tiyes in war, whose lives according to the notions
of the times, at the absolute disposal of the
captors might in exchange for redemption from
DEATH be made slaves for life, and that such servi-
tude might descend to their posterity. The urists
OF Rome also maintained that by the civil law
there might be servitude-savery, personal and
hereditary-frst, by the voluntary act of an indi-
vidual who might sell himself into slavery; Sc
cond, by his being received into state of slavery
by his creditors in satisfaction of a debt; and,
thirdly, by being placed in state of servitude or
slavery for crime. At the introduction of Chris
tianity into the world, the Roman world was full
of slaves, and suppose there is to be found no
injunction against that relation between man and
man in the teachings by the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, or by any of his Apostles. The object of
the instruction impaired to mankind by the foun-
der of Christianity, to touch the heart, purify
the soul, and improve the lives of individual men,
That object went directly to the first fountain of
all political and all social reat ons of the human
race-the individual heart and mind of man.
| Now, sir upon the general nature and character
and influence of slavery, there exists wide dit
ference between the Northern portion of this
country and the Southern. 1t is said on the one
side that if not the subject of any injunction or
direct prohibition in the New Testament, slavery
is wrong; thatit is founded merely in the right Of
the strongest; and that it is an oppression like all
unjust wars, like all those conflicts by which
mighty nation subjects weaker nation to their
will; and that slavery, in its nature whatever may
be said of it in the notifications which have taken
place, is not in fact according to the meek spirit
OF the gospel. 1t is not kindly affectoned 1t
does not "seek anothers and not its own" 1t
does not "let the oppressed go free" These are
sentiments that are cherished and recently with
greatly augmented force, among the people of the
Northern States. 1t has taken hold of the rel-
gious sentiment of that part of the country, as it
has more or less taken hold OF the religious feel
ings of a considerable portion of mankind The
South, upon the other side, having been accus-
toned to this relation between the two races all
their lives, from their birth; having been taught in
general to treat the subjects of this bondage with
care and kindness-and believe, in general, feel
ing for them great care and kindness-have yet
not taken this view of the subject which have
mentioned. There are thousands of religious
men, with consciences as tender as any of their
brethren at the North who do not see the unlaw-
fulness of slavery; and there are more thousands,
perhaps that, whatsoever they may think of it in
its origin, and as matter depending upon natural
right, yet take things as they are, and, finding
slavery to be established relation of tie society
where they live, can see no way in which-let
their opinions on the abstract question be what