The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-11-15

the fuglfive~edVe tWcuy
antsrisT, when southern man has vsntured upon .
claim for his fugitive slave Has not been treated as
ouiragean enormi!y Has no, rage been snkindIed
.Boreas and Eurus loud p This is fact this is his
tory there is no mistake about il. Men. otherwise
good citizens. have long been intoxicating resistance
10 the claim. aud at last have carried their oppos
lion TO the very verge Of treason Yet the claim has
rested on the same constitutional grounds, the
pet solemn guarantees a. in Judge Washngtons time,
when he peaceaby and quietly recovered his slave in Phil
adephia. Who that reflects upon amazing progress
in popular delusion and the spirit Of an-federa ag
sssicn upon The South can fa to see that Their rights
particular at least, even il the list OF encroachmens had
gone any further And present philanthIopiss
ne,on and his area, assocatesEe Frankins, Adamses
Madsons, Jehersons, Hamions, Elsworihs, kutledges
and Others, illustrious 10 genius, virtue and services
the founders Of this naon long Its boasts, and growing
10 be the admiration OF other nations who signed or APP
proved the federal constitution with all It's sanctions OF
slavery Alas painful contrasts might be found II we
were TO look for them The name OF Washington alone
the great Virgnian and greatest OF Americans, whose
purity and wisdom fill the world-ough TO put them all
10 shame Who is il would traduce HIM by affecting
to be better and wiser than the constitution which he
helped to frame and SO thoroughly understood
The historian Of the downfall Of this republic il our
own faulty has pIedestnated its DOWNFALL will point 10
the epoch when northern hostility TO slavery
sumed its Juror and inveteracy Until then il was mainly
speculative rather than active. Asa citizen Of the middle
States, have desired to avoid the bias OF North and
South to view this angry question calmly as from mid
die ground; TO view il as an American, on national
ground and TO view i internationally, as between the
United States and Europe This International phase,
which has worked itself into and aggravated the ques
ton. has been contributing its dspToporionale share to
" os Y
whstandng its potency OF influence and mischief. In
its nature it is aonting and merits emphatic notice. if
only brief
When have been in Europe in public capacities
then justly proud Of my whole country in whose great
name, one and indivisible. was permitted TO speak
nothing wounded me h 20 %c az Inc errors
invariably and passionately assaed These, il not al
ways produced were always inflamed by opinions and
acts flowing into that hemisphere from people.
Even the red republicans Of France-,hc most fanciful
of them-they who were ignorant OF fundamental max.
inns essential to the security OF political liberty IN popular
our condition-these republicans, whilst daily be-
wilderng each other with their unintellgble contradict
DRY, and sometimes horrible theories, could yet, under
their ecstases at the sudden liberation Of the slaves in
Guadalupe and Martinique, after the revolution OF AS
yes, these Identical republicans could and did rail and
sneer at our slavery They could and did cite American
publications. to give countenance to their vrtuous indg
nation and fppant sarcasms! Fit moral and political
teachers they weregood MONITORS these for the Amer
people! Consderae Judges to be sure they OF
the consequences likely to flow, 10 the Africans
themselves in those French islands. from this sudden,
naked decree Of abolition All know, and none better
than the French. what has happened in ST. Domingo.
Let us just for moment ask what title France has,
England, any part of Europe to shape thoughts
upon slavery to deliver lectures on its inconsistency
also, where independence is, if we allow
selves to be schooed and be told apt to be
told that the spirit OF mankind opposed to slavery and
slavery ethics from abroad, to suggest few inquiries.
Are not prone to dwell upon the distinctive pecuari
ties of our own systems' Do not exult, and with
reason, rapid advances, physically, politically in
tellectually under the conjont workings of them all
Do we not point to the quick the prodlgous expansion
Would we not exclude all European colonization or in
reference from this hemisphere Do we not delight in
thinking it our own Do we not sometimes imagine il
TO be mission finally to overset by example, i'm
peral and monarchca governments, and establish our
better forms, naturally think them, in their place
Do we not incline to sgmatize them all, and even to
favor popular movements that look 10 their overthrow
We given TO these things, the existence OF which all
must perceive.
Now, it is precisely the imperial and royal govern
ments OF Europe, republics like them in spirit, that
have themselves against slavery and they do the
same the very same, against our democracy Most of
them hate it, some OF them would destroy II; none OF
them like it, We do not allow them TO dictate in
government and why are they to guide our opinions
control conduct illuminate upon us the sense OF their
aceraied sensbilities and shocked humanes, in this
field OF slavery They know as little of the one
practise it, they do OF the other and we should
little bow 10 them in the one as the other Can we foget
the extraordinary attack made few years ago upon the
floor Of the British House OF Commons the American
minister in London, and that minister a distinguished
southern man, because he owned slaves'' This very
attack based publications from the United States
Thus abotionsm and modern Free soism, by terrifying
Europe in its denunciaton OF our slavery, are helping
Europe TO undermine our democracy. Who can fail 10
see the connexion II their cooperating efforts, which
northern people prone to encourage and stmu
late, terminate in destroying our UNION, our democracy
will thenceforward assuredty be trumpeted Europe
nothing better than huge failure mock
cry, topic for their jeers, beacon to be stunned
Europe forced slavery upon We cannot madly cut
il loose We srove TO check while colonies, but could
not-the mother country Directing. We stopped il as
legislating for ourselves as nation We have
Infinitely amelioraed the condition OF the African
England them here from state OF terrible bond
age n Aca-from condition barbarous beyond descrp-
ton The three millions now in these fertile States have
risen in the scale OF human beings beyond all example,
perhaps, in the annals OF the world within time rea
lively brief for changing the characteristics OF
This great and progressive Improvement has been effected
in the southern portions Of conederacy, where the
general treatment OF the slaves has been eminently just
forget ito pass week at Montpelier, the seat of Mr.
Madison in Virginia. just after he had ceased 20 be Pres
dent OF the United States hundred slaves so had de-
scended 10 him from his father. | rode on horseback
with him over his estate saw them AT their various
work wei. clothed, we'll fed, well lodged | saw how
conented they appeared The sick attended 10,
the old exempted from labor and made comfortable; ,
and ! could not have been deceived-ls was i'm
possible-in the signs Of attachment in them
all TO the common head and friend OF them all
Very recently, within month, ] have been on the
estates-some large some smal-worked by the
same adept in some OF the great branches
of our agricuurescenes much OF the same nature fell
under my observation; and could not refrain the wish
that enlightened people Of the North could behold such
scenes with the tone Of manners. kind hospitality, and
traditional courtesy, going hand in hand with them, in
the popretors OF these estates II might serve to mti-