The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-02-05

category OF opprobrIum has been bestowe
on them. Sir, believe can vindcae the,
} resolutions before the Senate, and before tn
world. They have been, sir, misconccive
here, and most groosly misrepresenied est
where. The, have been pronounced on thi
floor offensive violent, opprobrious, vitupei
ativc, unjust, insulting, reasonable, and ur
true. Sir. If there is anything left in til
category of opprobrium not bestowed upo
them, it may well be regarded as surplrsag,
Let me revert to TIE resolutions hemseve
| have said that they have been misconstruet
Sir, if they have not been most egregious
misconceived, have not the capacity t
judge. They are drawn not. perhaps, a
skillfully as they ought to be. The languag
is perhaps not precisely what others woult
have employed TO express the same senti
men.s. / will read them. The frs, rosou
ton asserts
That slavery is crime against humanity
aad sore evil in The body polite, that wa
excused by the trainers of the Federal Con
stiIuion as a crime entaled upon the countr,
by their predecessors, and tolerated as a thins
of inexorable necessity"
The other day / took the liberty Of re
marking that the sentiment here expressed
was the general sentiment of the civilized
world In making this remark ] really re-
sarded it as rather commonplace. II seems
however, to have been received as offensive
and was so considered probably because the
resolutions themselves were considered TO
convey an offensive impuation. Sir, when
| made the remark, | considered that these
resolutions cast no imputstion on any portion
Of this Union. | regarded the resolutions
as merely expressing an abstract opinion,
directly duplicating nobody and, having this
view of their purport, felt at liberty to en-
dorse them, although if had regarded the
resolution as containing an offensive impu.a-
tion on any portion OF the Union should
probably have avoided the expression. But
these resolutions merely express an abstract
opinion. What is it That slavery is n
crime, or, if you please, an offence against
humanity. Whom does this implicate Up
on whom is censure cast ? Upon those and
those only, who participate in the offence
and are responsible for the crime, il there
be crime. If criminaity is imputed to any
one in particular it is BY inference, and bv
inference only. What, sir, have YOU and
what have beard from our childhood on this
subject? We have all heard and felt the
force Of the vindication OF the South on this
subject. Originating as it may, the coniin.
uance of this institution has been vindicated
by gentlemen Of the South first, on .Le
ground that they are not responsible for its
origin and, second, on the ground that its
existence being a matter Of nexorable ne
cessity, they are rot responsible for that con
! tinuance. Sir, this language has been used
everywhere. / have not Only heard it, but
have used this language myself among nv
own constituents, in excuse, if you please, or
in vindication (if you please TO use Ihe term
of the people of the South for their partici.
patton in This institution.
| ] repeat, We all felt the force sf this argu-
mcnt. Let it be an offence if you please
those who brought it into the country are re.
sponsible, those who participate in it are re-
sponsible 70 iis continuance when its aboli-
ton can be made consistent with their safety
| have ever felt the force Of this argument.
And what say the resolutions They ex-
press the opinion that the institution is an
offence against humanity. They proceed
further TO furnish the vinJication which the
South have always urged for themselves, the
fact that the institution was entailed upon
them by those who had gone before them,
and that its continuance with them rests mp
on inexorable necessity. Now. sir, having
this view Of the resolutions, finding they pre-
scnted at the same moment in Which they
branded .br institution rs n crime. ,be cxcns,.
in exculpation of the South. | could not rc-
card the sentiment as an imnu,ntion unon
Them. II was with this wow tbo, I hazorIcJ
the remark which 7 then CON. id,r,I and
now consider rather as a common.nlace ona
without the SLIGHTEST idea il could Give of.
fence to anv one.
But. sir. does the assertion neol oroor .
Does the opinion that the institution is in
consistent with the dictates ofbumanitv nccd
moot?
G..
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an ."u 70 ,ne ',s'''"',on O rrahee ceihollsh.1 !
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pa'hy, anu aPP'ooalon w'ich were trans
nh''eu i,ol' 'n's pou' 70 rance nnmeula'e-
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proper ~ ni"Ae on '"a' occasion, "heh we
were expressing our SrauncatOh thAt, among
whom We were sympa'niNins ana 10 whom
we were eA'enu'ns our con gra'u'a',ohs' was