The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-06


any part of the earths surface outside OF the " ORR
ginal thirteen" is this The Constitution in cx-
press terms authorizes the admission of new Sates
and therefore, when new State is admitted, il be-
comes one of these United States of America" !"
The Constitution does not extend over the Terrific
ries, but Congress being the creature Of the Const
tuition, is when legslating for the Territories, not
only invested with constitutional powers, but is
limited by constitutional restrictions.
Ii would have been much more plausible preten-
sion when the purchase Of louisiana and Florida
made, that the Constitution carried freedom
nto those territories; because the Constitution was
built upon the basis of the common law and, in
terms, adopts the common law for its legal pro-
and its rules of judicial Interpretation and
every body knows that there is no principle more
dear to the common law than that all treaties,
statutes and customs, shall be construed in favor
Of life and in favor of liberty.
Having, as trust refuted the argument of the
Shareholder that the prohibition of slavery in the ter
ritories is act Of injustice to his rights will
consider his next assertion, that it is insult to his
feelings We are told that the exclusion of slavery
from the Territories is affront TO the honorable
sensibiities of the South and that acquiescence in
this exclusion would involve their dishonor and
degradation.
There are two answers to this complaint. The
first is that, among gentlemen, no insult is ever
offered where none.i intended. There may be
heedlessness of conduct, there may be nninten-
tiona woundng of sensibilites but there can be no
affront, where the design to affront is wanting. He
is not gentleman, but poltroon and braggart,
-
for the affront, when all insult and all afront
are sincerely dsclaimed. Now, 1t is infinitely far
from the purpose Of the North to offer any dignity
to the South by excluding slavery from the Terrific
ries. Their hostility to slavery grows out Of an
honest allegiance to what they believe to be the
highest moral and religious duty ii is fortified by
the opinions of mankind; and is perfectly compati
BILE with the most fraternai feelings towards the
South They wish to expostuate, in regard to the
wrong, in such way -as to arrest the wrong, and
not, by inhaming the wrong door, to increase the
evil However erroneous, then, their language or
their sentiments may be, they not affrontive
contumelious; and when all such purpose is disa-
vowed, those who aspire to stand the footing of
gentlemen cannot reiterate the charge.
But there is another consideration which
appertains to the party supposed to be insulted,
rather than the party charged with the insult. In
his sTheory Of Moral Sentiments" Adam Smith
maintains that it is the judgment of men,--the
opinion of the bystanders, that gives the plea
of being approved, the pain of being disap-
proved, on account of conduct. Now in this
contest between the North and the South, on the
subject of extending slavery, who are the bystand-
crs? They are the civilized nations of the earth.
We, the North and the South, contendng in
the arena. All civilized men stand around us.
They are a ring of lookers-on. II is an august
spectacle. 1t is larger assemblage than wit
messed any other struggle in the history of man
kind; and their shouts OF appreciation Kisses
Of scorn worthy Of our heed. And what do
these spectators say, in the alterations of the
bats Do they urge the South to mghtier efforts,
ton of it's victims9 DO they shout when she tri-
umphs? When new chains are forged and riveted,
when new realms subdued by naughty task
masters, and overrun by imbruted slaves, do their
plaudits greet your and you TO vehe-
ment eortsl All the reverse; totally the reverse.
They are now looking on with disgust and abhor-
renee. They groan, they mock, they hiss. The
brightest pages of their literature portray you
covered with badges of dishonor; their orators hold
up your purposes as objects for the execration Of
anknd their wits hurl the lightnings of satire at
your leaders; their statute hooks abound in laws m
which institutions like yours branded crimes
their moralists, from their high and serene seats
Justice, arraign and condemn you; their theolo.
gians find your doom of retribution in the oracles
Of God. England has abolished slavery. France
in one fervid moment OF liberty, struck the chain'
| from off all her slaves, the bonds OF Paul and
Silas were loosed in the inner prison by the mighty
power of God. Sweden has abolished it. More
| than twenty years ago, ilnpotent, halfcivilized
| Mexico did The same. Tunis, q Barbary state, and
ght add bar ba state has abolished slavery
| Mahomedanism precedes Christianity, and sets il
an example Of virtue. Liberia, republic of eman-
cipated slaves the very brothers and sisters Of those
whom you now hold in bondage, has been &C knowl-
edged as an indeper dent sovereignty, and well
coined into the family Of nations, by Of the most
| powerful governments on the globe. BY this act,
Freedom secures new domain on the eastern conti-
nent, while you are striving 10 give new domain
/ TO bondage on the western. monarchy halls the
advent OF free nation in Africa, where slavery
existed before; a republic is seeking TO create ten
thousand absolute dcspotsms in America, where
| freedom existed before.
Now these are the by ISLANDERS and lockers -on in
| this grand and awful contestation They are all
agreed, as one man, in their opinions aboutit They
unitcdy visiting your course with and
anathema. There is not nation on the globe thai
has a printing press ard people that can read
| from which you can cxtort one token Of approval
| / would agree to submit the question now at issu,
between the North and the South TO the arbitramen
of any people the face Of the earth not absolutely
savage, and 10 abide its decision. Nay, the wild
tribes OF the Caucasus and Of upper India who hav,
defended themselves so nobly against aggression
would spurn your claim and deride its pretexts
And yet you say you arc insutcd, dishonored
disgraced in the cyes Of mankind, II you not
| permitted 10 bring down upon our heads also the
curses they arc pouring upon yours So far is thi'
i from truth, that IL you would promptly and cheer.
fully consecrate the Territories 10 freedom
every nation in the world would send their plaudits
Of your conduct 20 the skies.
But gentlemen Of the South not only argue the
question Of right and Of honor; they GO further, and
they tell ne what they will proceed 20 do II we dc
/ not yield 20 their demands. large majority oi
the southern Legislatures have solemny resolved
that IL Congress prohibits slavery in the new Terri
tories they will resist the law Eat any and at every
hazard" And yet they say they do not mean 10
threaten US. They desire 20 abstain from all Ian
| guagc Of menace, for threats and menaces arc be-
meath the character Of gentlemen. Sir what Is the
meaning Of the terms " threats" and " menaces 20
| Mr.. TrOup, formerly Governor OF Georgia, speak
ing of upon this floor and OF others who resist the
extension Of slavery, calls each Of fanatic.
He says IL Is only the dread Of death that will stay
our hands stop Vaccinations; and then adds,
| "THAT DREAD voc MUST vIsI-
Bile, PALPABLE FORM" "Tf," he says in another
place. the abolitionists resolve 10 force emancipa-
tion 10 force dishonor upon s southern States By
any act Of Congress, then Il is my decided opinion
that, with tho military preparation here indicated,
conioincd 10 good volunteer instead OF militia sys
/ tenn, THE STATE SHOULD MARCH UPON WAsHINeToN
AND DISSOLVE THE GOVERNMENT" The gentleman
from North Carolina, Mr. CLrSoMAN,) forewarns US
thatifccrtain mcasurcs,-and they are legalandcon-
stitutional which he indicates,-are taken
in order carry the business Of Legislation in this
House. the House itself shall be the Lexington" OF
a new revolution, and that such struggle would
not leave a quorum 10 do business" could oc-
cupy my hour in citing passages Of similar char
aotcr from the southern prcss and from southern
men. Now, IL these not threats,-threats most
gross, fragrant and offensive II know not the mean
ing Of the word Perhaps thosc who utter such
sentiments are only practising an inversion Of Ian
uage equal 10 their inversion Of ideas this sub
iect, and would call them "cnticements;" like
the sailor who said he enticed 10 join mutny,
and being asked what arts had been used TO entice
him, said that the ringlcader sprang at him with
handspike, and If he did not join il he would
knock out his brains.
And do those gentlemen who make these threats
robcrly consider how dccpy they pledR RinQ them