The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-07

posterty bright example of the true princpl
! Of governmcnt--of universal freedom
am opposed 10 the extension Of slavery I'M
Territories now free--for still graver reasons
because am opposed to despotism throughout II
world. admit that this Government cam,
preach crusade Of liberty into other States an
Nations; much as she abhors tyrants and tyraT
ny, there she can only mourn over its existenc
But when the question Of government is With
her own control and she permits despotsm [
exist and aids its diffusion she is responsible fo
II In the face of the civilized world and befor
the God Of Liberty. In my Judgment. not onl
the shve States, but the General Government
recognising and aiding rs does Slavery. is a des
potism. do not use the word in a declama,ory
but strictly legal Specification. That Govern
| ment is despotic where the rulers govern subject
by their own mere wildly DEGREES and law
emana'ing from their uncontrolled will in tn
enactment and extension of which the ruled hav
no voice, and under which they have no right. ex
| cept Mt the will of the rulers Despotism doe
not depend upon the number of the rulers or the
number or the subjects. IL may have ono ruler
! or many. Rome was n despotism under Nero
50 she was under the triumvirate Athens was 1
despotism under her thirty tyrants, under her
four hundred tyrants, under her three thousand
tyrants. Ii has been generally observed that
despotism increases in severity with the number
OF despots; the responsibility is more divided
and the claims more numerous The triumyrs
each demanded his victims. The smaller the
number of subjects in proportion to the tyrants
the more cruel the oppression, because the less
danger from rebellion. In this Government the
free white citizens are the rulers-the sovereigns
as we delight to be called. All others are sub
Jecs. There are, perhaps, some sixteen or seven
teen millions of sovereigns, and some four mil
lions of subjects
The rulers and tho rnI ora of oil coiorg c,or.
the clear white of Caucasian tribes to the swarthy
Ethiopian. The former, by courtesy are called
white; the latter, black. In this Government
the SUBJECT has no rights social political or per-
sonal. tie has no voice in the laws which govern
sim. lie can hoid no property. His very VIE
and children are not his His labor is ano,her,s
lie and all that appertains-to him, are The abse-
Lutte property of his rulers lie is governed, bought
sold, punished, executed, by laws TO which he
never gave his assent and by rulers whom he
never chose. lie is not serf merely, with half
the rights Of men, like the subjects of despotic
Russia, but naked slave, stripped Of every right
which God and Nature gave him, and which the
high spirit Of our Revolution declared inaliena-
bic which he himself could not surrender, and
which man could not take from him. Is he not
then, the subject of despotic swayl
The slaves of Athens and of Rome were free,
in comparison. They had some rights-could
masters, and purchase their own freedom; and
when free, could rise in social and political life
The slaves of America then, lie under the most
absolute and grinding despolsm that the world
ever saw. But who hre the despo,s The rulers
OF the Countrywide sovereign people. Not
merely the stakeholder who cracks tho lash he
is but the instrument of dsspotism. That despo-
tism is the Government of the slave States and
the United States, consisting of all its rulers
al g. 80. n l. 4
paradox, because you and ] and the sixteen
millions of rulers are free. The rulers of every
despotism free. Nicholas Of Russia is free
The grand Sultan of Turkey is free. The
Butcher of Austria Is free. Augustus, Antony
and Lepidus were free while they drenched
Rome in blood The Thirty Tyrants, the -Four
Hundred, the Three Thousand, were free while
they bound their countrymen in chains You
and and the sixteen millions are free, while we
culruren from tnem separate rnem, sell tneIn, anu
doom them to perpetual, eternal bondage. Are
We not, then, despos-despots such us history
will brand, and God abhors7
Bot we are told that that is none of our bust
ness, That Southern Slavery is a matter be-
tween the Shareholders and their own consciences
trust it may be 30 decided by impartial history,
aud the unerring Judge, that we may not be
branded with that great stigma, and that grievous
could we hope for that justifc tion, If now, when
We have the power to prevent it, we should per-
NIT this evil to spread over thousands Of square
leagues now free, and sett upon unborn millions
Sir, for myself, should look upon any Northern
man, enlightened by Northern education, who
would directly or indirectly, by omission or COM
mission by basely voting or cowardly skulking,
permit it to spread rood over Gods free earth,
as traitor 10 liherty ana recreaht 10 MS Sod
L. H. l..
II Ia nIantad arrogant ;naolent intolerant md
- " - 80. ~"
tyranhIcai toWarus the Irecmeh OF othcr parts OF
the Union The honorable member from Vir-
gjnia from whom | have already quoted Mr.
Mr.n, sors snoaL;rr ~ Slovery
"t""H'I '"y', 'Po"AinB VI o"'eiy
"Our past history teses 10 The fact that II eevates the
shnr.sler Of The Whit s man moSs re mace S IL M
greofr DoJ OF ILoi DioI ,r, haps ,9nreY 10 oouy N,
dednes Of The Union Whether on the battlefield or in
and the records of the nation AFFORD annie testimony Of
the, srnerjo, eurrgy aud ~cniu,yU '''' 'N'' "
-" '''eD -
Sir do not complain of this statement The
former mart of II Ia both candid and true Rut |
Io"o. pr " 20 ~" , u 's,. 1"u -,
chnhot listen 70 Tue reoi'ai WITHOUT ieehSk .ne
burning blush ON my c0untenance, that the North,
with her overshadowng millions of freemen, has
far hale n ceptnrv bcen tame and servile enouob |
. - az -, 49, ~, "" wv Wv Ne"
10 submit 10 ms arrogant ruIe. ----,-,-
The South imprson Northern freeDen when found WIN
In her borders N they happen TO be guilty OF dark skin
and carry u between the WIND AMI their monthly Ana
whsn AsnVerrgn state sehds learned hbd NeherADleRe
test the legality OF such imprisonment before their
tribunals, he Ia driven With violece ani indgny from
their shores Massachusetts has suffered and trust re
members the insult
How often have these walls been profane and the North
insned by the soens threat that II Congress Iegisae
against Southern will IL should be dsregarded resisted 10
extremity and the Union destroyed During the present
session we have been more than once told amidst ravng
eketemtnt that we dared to iegsiafe 10 cerAin way
the South would teach the Nor lesson That their
minds were made mp 70 extreme Resistance b This the
place 70 use threats instead OF argumehs are the hep
resentaves o. fe-men - he thus treated Irs yon are
not wholly without stincaon IN tue be thatit VIII De
erectua fou have 100 OFTEN intmidated congress You
have more than once frightened the tame NORM from We
proprey and und donghfs'ss enough TO be your tools
Aud when you lankei given number, take no pride In
saying YOU we're sure TO ma them IN Ola fennsyvsa who
In former years has ranked portion Of her delegation
among your most submissive slaves Bat hope win