The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-25
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL o. 1850

to put the word slavery in the Constitution
Washington and others looked forward to al
early extinction of slavery as fixed fact All
all united in denouncing it as an evil. Some, al
a'curse, wrong, and a sin.
Will any man deny, from all the evidence "
the premises, that il was part Of A." the compro
mise" that slavery was allowed time merely tc
die with decency The Ordinance Of 1887, pro
hibiting slavery north of the Ohio, was coeva
with the Constitution. The time Of slave-import
alton was limited and the institution itself was
denounced
Now, sir, when so much is said about "good
faith" and compromise" might not one who
comprehended the "great mission" of our ma
tion (such is the cant phrase y have said to the
slave propagandists, you are at war with nature
at war with the advance of Christianity-at war
with the progress Of civilizaton-at war with
our avowed sentiments and the organic law Of our
Government-at war with the spirit Of the ma
tional co-partDership n-at war with {" the CON-
promises of the Constitution at war with every
pure conscience-and ought to be, and viii be,
resisted at all hazards, and to the last ex-
tremityp
Pardon me, think such declaration was to
have been expected from you Allow me to say
il would have done more even to "prescrve the
Union" than all your moderation and all
mond as my authority for saying that "modera-
ton, charity" and "moral suason," are, with
Shareholders synonymes with cowardice mpert-
nence, and nonsensep
The main cause of the Abandonment of the
South of the faith Of our fathers is, ms you state
it, the increase Of the cotton crop But this cause
has passed north Of Mason and Dixon's line, and
produced change of tone in both free and slave
States.
The cause is one thing-the justification is
another Your defence of the South is character
istic Of the legal profession. What are truth and
right in the face Of one hundred millions Of dol
lars?
That which was curse, a wrong and sin, in
1887, by Que hundred millions Of dollars, in 1850,
is converted into blessing, right and religious
charity.
As much as abhor slavery, ahhor the defence
more. One strjkCs doyn the liberty of the Afri-
can-the Other, NINE. One enslaves a people
the other, the human race The one ayowedly
prostrstes only political rights-the other saps
the foundations of morals and civil safety, alec.
This political necessity is the father Of murder,
of robbery, and all religious and governmental
tyranny This is the dsmuable doctrine upon
which was built the inquisition, the star chamber
and the guillotine.
No, sir; that which is fault in individuals, is
"
the danger of single assassin, but government
is irresistible and immortal in its criminal inflic-
tions.
The doctrine that individual honesty is compat-
IDLE with political prohigacy, or that individual
and governmental responsibility are distinct, is
one of the boldest sophisms that was ever allowed
to linger among the shallow falsehoods of the
past.
Retribution follows swift in the footsteps of
crime whether perpetrated by one or thousand.
Though hand join to hand" the wicked shall
not stand The poisoned chalice Of slaveholding
propagandism is already commended to their own
lips Their spirit of aggression has awakened a
like spirit of resistance. They would have Texas
we will have California Yes, sir; though COTTON
and COTTON MILLS PERISH FOREVER! The nncon-
sttutional precedent of simple majority of both
Houses taking in slave States, will in turn crush
the political power Of the South to atoms. Then
how long willher God-defying tyranny stand be-
fore the hot indignation of world in arms
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
March IS, 1850 c. M. CLAY.