Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-04-10
S,eeech of Daniel Webster,
ON SLAVERY.
[CONCLUDED.l

South There are lists of grievances produced
by each; and those grievances, real or supIoseo
ALLEVIATE the minds of one portion OF the coun-
try from the other, eXasperate the feelings, SUD-
due the sense of fraternal connection ana pa
trotic love and mutual regard. | shall besto"
little attention, sir, upon these various grleVan-
ces produced on the one side and the other. l
begin with the complaints OF the South. l
will not answer, further than have the general
statements of the honorable Senator from South
Carolina, that the North has grown upon the
South in consequence of the manner OF admin
isterng this Government, in the collecsing TO-
its revenues and so forth; they are disputed to-
pics and have no inclination to enter INTO thein'
But will state these complaints, especially one
complaint of the South, which has, III my op'n-
ion. lust foundation; and that is, there has been
found at the North, among individuals and
among the Legislators Of the North, dlslncll-
nation to perform fully their constitutional du-
ties in regard to the return of persons bound
to service who have escaped into the free States
In that respect, it is my judgment that the
South is right, and the North is wrong. Every
member of every Northern Legislature is bound
by oath to support the constitution OF the
United States; and this article of the constlu-
ton which says to these States they shall del'v-
er III Agtives from service, is as binding IN
hon Ia conscience, as any other article. NO
man fulfiIIs his duty in any Legislature who
sets himself to find excuset, evasions, escapes
from this constitutional duty. l have always
thought that the constitution addressed itself
to the Legislature of the States, themselves 1t
say that those persons escaping to other States
shall be delivered up, and confess have
always been of the opinion that itowas an in
junction Upon the States themselves. When 1t
is said that person escaping into another State
and becoming therefore within the jurisdiction
of that state, shall be delivered up, it seems to
me the import of the passage is, that the state
itself, in obedience to the constitution, shall
cause him to be delivered up. That is my judge.
ment have always entertained it, and enter
tain it now But when the subject, some years
ago. was before. the supreme Court of the Uni
ted States, the majority of the judges held that
the power to be exercised under the authority
of this Government Z do not know, on the
whole, that it may not have been fortunate
decision Nv habit is torespect the result OF ju-
dicial deIibertions and the soIemnity of judicial
decision But asst now stands, the business of
seeing that these fugitives are deliverd up re-
sides in the power of Congress and the nation
al iudcature, and my friend at the head of the
Judiciary Committee has bill on the subject
now before the senate with some amendments
to it, which | propose to- support, with all Its
provisions, to the fullest extent. And l desire
to call the attention of all sober-mnded men
of all conscientious men in the North, Of all
men who are not carried away by any fanatIcal
idea or by any false idea whatever, to their
constitutional obligations put it to all the
sober and sound minds at the North as ques-
ton of morals and question of conscience.
What right have they, in their legislative ca
pacity, or any other, to endeavor TO get round
this constitution, to embarrass the free exercise
of the rights secured by the constitution to the
persons whose slaves escape from them? None
at all; none at all. Neither in the forum of con-
science, nor before the face Of the constitution
are they justified in my opinion !.
Therefore repeat, sir, that here isa ground
of complaint against the North we'll founded
which ought to be removed which it is fow ir
the power of the different departments of this
| Government to remove; which calls for the
enactment of proper laws authorizing the judi
cature of this Government, in the sevral State!
to do all that is necessary for the recapturt
of fugitive slaves, and for the restoration O.
| them to those who claim them. Wherever
! go, and whenever speak on the subject-ane
when sseak here, desire to speak to thu
! whole NORTH say that the south has beer
! injured in this respect and has right tt
| complain; and the North has been too careless
| of what think the constitution peremptorilJ
and emphatically enjoins upon it as duty.
Compliant has been made against certain
resolutions that emanate from Legislatures a
! the North, and are sent here to us, not only or
the subject Of slavery in this District, butsome
times recommending Congress to consider tn
means eff abolishing slavery in the states.
should be sorry to be called upon to present an,
resolutions here which could not be referable t.
any committee or any power in Congress, and
therefore, should be unwilling to receive from
the Legislature of Massachusetts any instruc
ton to present resolutions expressive of any
opinion whichever on the subject Of slavery, fo
two reasons: because, first, / do not conside
that the Legislature Of Massachusetts, has an,
thing to do with it; and next do not conside
that, l. as her representative here, have any thIn
| to do with it. Sir, it has become, in my opinion
quite too common; and, If the Legislatures
4 the States do not like it, they have great dea
more power to putt down than have to uphol
it. Ii has become, in my opinion, quite to-
| common practice for the State Legislatures t.
/ present resolutions here on all subjects, and t
! instruct US here on all subjects. There is n
public man that requires instruction more tha
| i do, or desires it more heartily; but do no
like to have it come in quite too imperative
/ shape. took notice, with pleasure, Of som
remarks upon this subject made the other da
| in the Senate Of Massachusetts, by q youn
man Of talent an character, from whom tn
best hopest may be entertained. mean NJ
| Hilliard. He told the Senate Of Massachusett
that he would vote for no instructions what
| ever TO be forwarded to members Of Congress
nor for any resolutions to be offered, expires
siye Of the sense Of Massachusetts, as to wha
their members Of Congress, ought to do. II
said that he saw no propriety in one get Of pub