Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-04-10

their own master all of them must stand or fall,
and that master is their constituents. | wish
these sentiments could become more common,
Il great deal more common. l have never en-
tered into the question, and never shall, about
the binding force Of instructions. l will, how
ever, simply say this: if there be any matter OF
interest pending in this body while am
member of it, in which Massachusetts has all
interest of her own not adverse to the general
interest of the country, l shall pursue her in
structions with gladness of heart, and with all
the efficiency which can bring here. But if
the question be one which affects her interest,
ard at the same time affects the interests OF all
other States, shall no more regard her polit-
cal wishes or instructions than would regard
the wishes Of man who might appoint me an
arbitrator or referee to decide some question OF
important private right. If ever there was a
Government upon earth, it is this Government.
If ever there was body upon earth, it is this
body, which should consider itself as composed
by agreement Of all, appointed by some, but
organized by the general consent OF all sitting
here under the solemn obligations Of oath and
conscience to do that which they think is best
for the good Of the whole.
Then, sir, there are those abolition societies,
of which am unwilling to speak, but in regard
to which have very clear notions and opinions.
do not think them useful. l think the opera
tons for the last twenty years have produced
nothing goodUr valuable. At the same time, |
know thousands of them are honest and good
men; perfectly well meaning men. They have
| excited feelings, they think they must do some
thing for the cause ofliberty, and in their sphere
of action they do not see what else they can do,
than to contribute to an abolition society, or to
pay an abolition lecturer. do not mean to i'm
pute gross motives even to the leaders OF these
societies, but am not blind to the consequent
ces. Icannot but see what mischiefs their in
reference with the South has produced. And is
it not plain to every man! Let any gentleman
who doubts of that recur to the debates in the
Virginia House of Delegates in 1882, and he
will see with what freedom proposition made
bv Mr.. Randolph for the gradual abolition Of
slavery was discussed in that body. Every one
spoke of slavery as he thought; very ignomi-
NOUS and disparagng names and eplthets were
applied to it. The debates in the House OF
Delegates on that occasion, believe, were all
published They were read by every colored
man who could read, and if there were any
who could not read, those debates were read to
them by white men. AT that time Virginia was
not unwilling nor afraid to discuss this ques-
ton, and to let that part of her population
! know as much of it as they could learn. That
was in 1882. As has been said by the honora-
BILE member from Carolina, these abolition So
cieties commenced their course of action in
1885. It is said--that they sent incendiary
publications into the slave States; at any event,
! they attempted to arouse, and did arouse, a!very
strong feeling, in other words they created great
agitation in the North against Southern slavery.
| Well, what was the result! The bonds of slaves
were bound more firmly than before; their II
vets were more strongly fastened. Public OPT
MON, which in Virginia had begun to be exhi-
bited against slavery, and was opening out Tor
the discussion of the question, drew back and
shut itself up in its castle. l wish to know
whether onybody in Virginia can now talk as
Mr.. Randolph, Gov. Mcdowell and others talk
ed there, openly, and sent their remarks to
the press, in 1884. We all know the fact, and
we all know tile causes and every thing that
this agitating people have done has been, not to
enlarge but to restrain, not to set free but to
bind faster the slave population Of the South,
That is my Judgment
Again, sir, the violence of the press is com.
planned of. The press Violent Why, sir, the
press is violent every where. There are out
regeous reproaches in the North against thu
South, and there are reproaches in not much
better taste in the South against the North. Sir
the extremists of both parts of The country arr
yiolent2 they mistake loud and violent talk, TO
eloquence and for reason. They think that HI
who talks loudest reasons the best, And thi
we must expect when the press is free, as it i
here, and trust always will be-for, with all it
licentiousness and all its evil, the entire am
absolute freedom Of the press is essential to tn
preservation Of government on the basis OF |
free constitution. Wherever it exists there vii
be foolish paragraphs and violent paragraphs il
the press. as there are, am sorry to say, foolis
speeches and violent speeches in both house
Of Congress- In short, sir, must say, that il
my opinion, the vernacular tongue Of the ceun
try has become vitiated, deprayed and corrupte
by the style Of our congressional Debates :
: [Laughter] And if it were possible for our de
bate in Congress to vitate the principles Of tn
people as much as they have deprayed their tast
Ii should cry out, .God save the Republic"
II Well, in all this see no solid grievance-n
, grievance produced by the South, within tn
redress of the Government but the single on
, to which have referred; and that is, the war
of proper regard to the injunction of the COZ
T stitution for the delivery Of fugitive slaves.
Il There are also complaints Of the North
! ! gainst the South. need mot go over thel
particularly. The first and grayest is, that u
Moth adopted the constitution recognising Il
, existence of slavery in the States and recogni
, | ing the right to certain extent Of repesent
, ton of the slaves in Congress under . sta
| or sentiment and expectation which do nj
, now exist, and that, by events, BY circumsta
! ces. by the eagerness Of the South to acqui
: territory and extend their slave population, Il
!, North flnds itself, in regard to the infuens
: Of the South and the North. Of the free Stat
and the slave States, where It never did exPe'
to find itself when they entered the compact
. the constitution. They complain, therefor
that, instead Of slavery being regarded a.
evil. az il was then, an evil which all hope
!. liz sa<Asa