The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-14

e
ing upon natural right, yet take things rs The,
are; and, finding slavery 10 be an established re
laiiOn Of the society whore they live, can see II
way in which Nct their opinions on the ntstrac
question be what they msy) it is in the power o
the present generation 10 relieve themselves frCn
this relation. Aud in this respect, candor oblige
me TO say that believe they are just a. consci
entious, many of them, and of the religious peopl,
all Of them, as they are in the North in holding
different opinions.
Why, sir, the honorable Senator from South
Carolina, the other day, alluded 10 the great sep.
aration Of that great religious community, the
Methodist Episcopal Church. That separation
was brought about by differences of opinion upon
this peculiar subject of slavery. felt great con-
Germ, as that dispute went on, about the result
and was in hopes that the difference of opinion
might be adjusted, because looked upon that re-
ligiOus determination AS one Of the great props of
religion and morals throughout the whole coun-
Try, from Maine TO Georgia. The result was
against my wishes and against my hopes. | have
read all their proceedings and all their argu-
ments, but have never yet been able TO come TO
the conclusion that there was any real ground for
that separation in other words, that no good
could be produced by that separation. Sir, when
q question Of this kind takes hold Of the religious
sentiments of mankind and comes To he discussed
in religious assemblies Of the clergy and laity
|
feared, great degree of excitement II is in the
nature Of man, manifested by his whole history
that religious disputes are apt TO become warm
aud mems strength of conviction is proportionate
| to their views OF the magnitude of the questions
In all such disputes, there will sometimes men be
found with whom everything is absolute--abso-
lutely wrong or absolutely right. They see the
right clearly they think others ought TO do il,
and they are disposed to establish broad line Of
IL -. a
what they hold TO he wrong And they are not
seldom willing to establish that line upon their
own convictions Of the truth and the justice OF
} their own opinions; and they are willing to mark
ard guard that line by placing along il n series OF
dogmas, Ms lines of boundary are marked by posts
aud stones Theys-are men who, with clear per-
ceptions, as they think, of their own duty do not
see how too hot pursuit of one duty may involve
them in the violation of others, or how too warm
an enforcement of one truth my lead TO disre-
gard Of other truths equally important. As
heard it stated strongly, not many days ago these
persons are disposed TO mount upon some duty as
| a war horse, and 10 drive furiously, on and upon
and over all other duties that may stand in the
way. There are men who, in times of that sort
and disputes Of that sort, are Of opinion that hui
man duties may be sscertained with the precision
Of mathematics They deal with morals as with
mathematics, and they think what is right may be
eisiOn of M algebraic equation. They have, there
fore, none too much charity towards others who
differ from them. They are apt too, to think that
nothing is good but what IL perfect and that
there are no compromises or notifications to be
made in submission TO difference of opinion or in
Difference to other mems Judgment. IL their per-
spicacous vision enables them to detect a spot on
the face Of the sun, they think that good reason
why the sun should he struck down from heaven.
| ~, - sntn ttar
darkness to living in heavenly light, il that
heavenly light be not absolutely without any i'm
perfection. There are impatient men--too impa-
tient always to give heed to the admission Of ST.
Paul "that we are not to do evil that good may
come"-too impatient to wait for the slow pro.
gress of moral causes In the improvement Of man.
kind. They do not remember that the doctrines
and the miracles of Jesus Christ have in eighteen
hundred years converted only small portion of
the human race; and, among the nations that are
converted tn Christianity, they forget how many
vres and crimes public and private, still prevail
and that many Of them, public crimes especially,
which are offences against the Christian religion,
nation. Thus VAR arc wased and unjust wars
do not deny that there may he Just wars there
certainly are; but it was the remark of an emf
nent person, not many years ago, on the other
side of The Atlantic that II was one of the great
est reproaches to human nature, that wars were
sometimes necessary. The defence of nations
sometimes causes a war against the injustice Of
other nations.
Now, sir, in this state of sentiment upon the
general nature of slavery lies the cause of great
portion of those unhappy divisions, exasperatons
and reproaches, which find vent and support in
different parts of the Union. Slavery does exist
in the United States. Ii did exist in the States
before the adoption of this Constitution, and at
that time
And now let us consider, sir, for moment, what
was the state Of sentiment North and South in re-
gard to slavery, at the time this Constitution was
adopted A remarkable change has taken place
since but what did the wise and great men of all
parts of the country think Of slavery lin what
estimation did they hold IL In 1887, when this Con.
stitution was adopted Now, it will be found,
sir, if we will carry ourselves by historical re-
search back N hat day and ascertain mems opin-
ions by authentic records still existing among us,
| that there was no great diversity Of opinion be-
| tween the North and the South upon the subject
of slavery and It will be found that both parts Of
the country held it equally an evil--a moral and
political evil. 1t will not be found that either ut
the North or at the South there was much, though
there WAS some invective against Slavery as inhu-
man and cruel The great ground Of objection to
il was political that II weakened the social fab
ric that, taking the place OF free labor, society
was less strong and labor was less productive
and therefore we find from all the eminent men Of
the time the clearest expression Of their opinion
that slavery was an evil And they ascribed IL,
not without truth, and not without some ascerbity
of temper and force of language, 20 the injurious
policy Of the mother country, who, to favor the
navigator had entailed these evils upon the col
onies. | need hardly refer, sir, to the publica-
| tions Of the day. They are matters OF history
on the record. The eminent men, the most emil
| nent men, and nearly all the conspicuous of the
South, held the same sentiments; that slavery
| was an evil blight, blast, mldew, sc0urge,
and a curse. There are no terms Of Reproduction
| of slavery 10 vehement In the North OF that day
as in the South The North was not so much ex
cited against IL ns the South and the reason is,
suppose becaue there was much less nj the North,
and the people did not see, or think they saw th.
evils so prominently as they were seen, or thought
to be seen, at the South.
Then, sir, when this Constitution was framed,
| this was the light ia which the Convention view
ell it. The Convention reflected the judgment
and sentiments Of the great men OF the South.
member Of the other House, whom have not the
| honor TO know, ia "A recent speech has collected
extracts from these public documents. They
prove the truth Of what am saying and the ques-
ton then was how to deal with 1t, and how to deal
| with il AZ AN evil Well they came 20 this gen
eraI result They thought that slavery could
not be continued in the country II the importation
Of slaves was made to cease, aud therefore they
provided that after a certain period the inporta.
ton might be prevented by the act Of the new
Government Twenty years was proposed by
some gentleman, a Northern gentleman, think,
and many of the Southern gentlemen opposed IL
as being too long Madison especially was some
thing warm against It, lie said it would bring too
| much OF this mischief into the country TO allow
the importation Of slaves for such period BE.
cause we must take along with US In the whole OF
this discussion, when we are considering the SEN
timents and opinions In which this constitutional
provision originated, that the conviction Of all
men was, that il the importation CT slaves ceased,