Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-12-12


which established and maintains it, among tho most
gOfous works, OF man, securing greater measure
Of prosperity and freedom than any other people
ioyed, and Offering cheering example to the oppressed
nations Of the earth struggling toregain the right of self
government which have been wrested from them, Men
divided all their lives by the party topics OF the dayay
many of them arrayed against another for half
century, with all those excited feelings which mark
political conessnow find themselves side by side, pro-
tecting the ark Of freedom from the pers that
gathered around it, All other objects give way this
highest and hottest of American political dutes-this
union of men to preserve this Unlon OF States The
of the recent session of Congress brought out
IN bold relief this characteristic feature ol our nsu-
tons and were marked by spirit of patriotic devotion
less honorable in itself than encouraging in the
ample it offers And is this precious heritage of liberty,
acquired by the services and suerngs OF fathers and
crowned by the blessing of fathers Gods it to be
rejected, and the performances Of the present and the
promises of the future 70 he equally committed those
stormy passions whose caamtous results are written
upon every page Of human historyl And where, in
the long annals of mankind do we find people high
" favored at this moment, VIII m we seem to
he struck with judicial blindness-an ready, may
say in the language of Scripture, upon the thick
bosses Of Jehova's huckerl The shone upon
country free and prosperous this, where human
freedom finds less oppression the human intellect less
restraint or human industry less opposition. And what
ovcrpOwering object before which would Justify the
sacrifice of all these bessingsl Why is section of
the country arraycd against another! and why
found in il who both ready to constitutional
republic those dsscntions whose consequences
can oreseel Is there any advantage which 1isunion
would make areaterl Is there any evil it would make
lghterlany security for the present, any hope for the
future which would be increased by scparationl None
none. repent them whence this agitation, this alarm
these excited feelings, these hard thoughts, which
spoken in hard words and fast leading to hard deedS
Why that the series of adopted at the last
session Of Congress- reasonable and equitable under the
circumstances and approved by large majority of the
eommunity-why is it that these have failed to calm the
excitement and to restore harmony and tranquility to the
cOuntry These varioos acts formed parts of plan Of
compromises and should be regarded plcdgng the faith
Of every portion of the country their faithful observance
and if they in spirit and in truth speedily
look forward to that good old raternal feeling which
brought together, and which alone keep to-
1ether.
But, unfortunately, the public mind in the North has
been much excited by the passage one of those laws
that for carrying into effect the provisions of the Consu
ton the subject of fugitive slaves and has been mis-
quoted and msepresented with such boness of perver
sion, unknown before in political controversies, that
its repeal is loudly called for in portion Of the coun-
try. and feared fnot anticipated, in another For my
SELF Ilbeeve the repeal oil that law would dissolve this
confederation certainly tomorrow's will rise
upon it. believe the South would consider it dcrelic
ton Of constitutional duty, which would leave inopera-
tive great constitutional obligation, and a gross viola.
ton Of political faith which would destroy all confidence
for the future and that they would seek their remedy by
assuming independent station among the nations of
the earth And believing this for shall oppose its
repeal am among those who acknowledge the stabl.
ty of the constitutional obligation surrender ngitives
from justice and ugitives from labor among those
who believe that tho Constitution is law high enough
for American citizens in the regulation Of their civil
rights, and duties, subject the exposition of the
proper tribunals And am satisfied that the act of
1893, the subject OF fugitive slaves. have already
taken occasion say in the Senate, had become inei
cicnt and almost useless and principally from the adj
verse action OF the State Legislatures. And nothing
could more strikngly demonstrate the truth of this
proposition than the fact stated by Mr.. Webster and
pooiirr mall - Mr. nufno That fha #
chusetts, where the opposition the present law has
been most general and violent, fugitive slave has
been surrendered since the adoption of the Con>ttu
ton. Ii is difficult 10 deal with such state of things
and the time preserve respect for those who
seek TO make political capital out of this agitation,
utterly unsuited the occasion And what renders this
course the more extraordinary is the fact that it has
never been shown, 50 far as know, that single per-
son. not slave has been surrendered anywhere
under the Constitution. And yet to read the violent
speeches and essays upon this subject might suppose
that the sending of free persons into bondage was
everyday occurrence which called for universal indir
nation. The disclosures which have been made
since the law into effect. and which shows
fugitive slave population in the non'Savehodng States
far beyond what any had anticipated, is the hest
commentary upon the nccency of the former statutory
provisions, and the best Justification for the complaints
Of the South
What then nv fcllow-citizens do we want? We
want the restoration of harmony aud tranquility every
portions however scattered of this great republic stretch
ng from the shores that look upon Europe TO those
which look upon the islands and continent of Asia.
All want the peaceful enjoyment OF priceless lnstitu
tons and especially so do we who are anproachnG our
years and ten who have passed lives hap
PLY under this government and who desire othc
fearful apprehension that, long have lived we may
yet outlve the Constitution of our country American cit
from the cradle in Gods good time hope des-
cend as American citizens 10 the grave, with the convc
ton that after the religion of His Son. leave chill
dren the richest heritage that descended people
We want no more discord excitement agitation but that
the legislation the business the intercourse Of the country
should in former days of union with all
the prosperity which belongs to such state OF things
no crusades against the South-no more public as
sembies denounce and vify its people and insti-
tutions-no more travelling missionaries excite us
against another and especially more foreign trav-
cling missionaries who leave home objects misery
quite enough to engage all their philanthropy and ex
haus all their charity without coming here 10 instruct us
how to deal with great question OF constitutional duty
We want the ministers Of religion preach the Gospel
Of the meek and owy Jesus, and not to convert their
puplts into political trbunes nculcate the doctrine
utterly inconsistent with the existence of social order
that every has right 10 resist the laws of his
try when they differ from standard he chooses estab
lish for himself and of whose and obligations he
must be the Judge This is not the example which was
left us bv Divine Master and his apostles And who
point single ADVANTAGE which has resulted from
all this voience-much indeed, of vruence7 Has
condition oil slavery become moderated Has the prospect
of emancipation in single State, been advanced by
1t! No, no. BY natural spirit of reacton-a spirit
Which prompts all oil us to resist foreign interference
the institution of slavery is more firmly established in
all the slaveholdng States than it thirty ago
In the operations Of an excited zeal, the fearful conse
qucnces involved in the question Of emancpating three
and half millions OF human beings, of different race
habits coor-in everything, indeed that constitutes
human idcntity-living in the midst of another and SUI
peror utterly disregarded and men rashy deal
with such subject they would deal with question of
domestic economy. Well is il for the South that
this whole matter belongs to themselves There it can
only be safely left and there the Constitution has left it,
[Applause.[ If there any of us in the nonslave
holding Statcs so afflicted with superabundant nhilan