The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-05
WHOLE NO. 1919.

beggars and dehes invective, that sLAvKRY-Hu-
MAN BONDAGE, is a blessing and not a curse; and
that it is the duty Of this Government 10 protect
sustain and extend it, The Constitution Of the
United States, we are told requires it. and we are
summoned to the faithful performance Of our
duty.
| Sir, deny 1t, and will not obey AIRY such sum
mons, nor acknowledge any such obligations Of
duty. They do not exist, and IL they were i'm
posed by any human laws, would disregard them
and trample them under foot. IL we were shiv-
ering under the heartless and remorseless despot-
ism Of the Emperor Nicholas, instead of standing
in this Hall and giving utterance to our thoughts
in the manly tones Of freemen, and basking in the
sunshine Of free institutions and republican lib
erty, We could not be treated with more earnest
and eloquent arguments in favor Of the assumed
right Of one part Of mankind TO trample upon,
oppress, and enslave the other than this debate
L. -tf~-I-@ L. h~~- su@I lib a-eyan.A5t
g. the temper sza character c. this 9!scgssses,
aDd tba nrincjnlss RyowA3 by 1De1pbys Of this
House
In fact, sir, am not able to discern any very
sensible difference between the principles or per.
hsps, should say, the platform, on which his In
Psrisl Msjessy hoe pl~eeS Ais feet ia carrying sa
his relentless warfare against human rights, by
the side Of his remorseless and blood-thirsty &C
complete Of Austria and that occupied by the ad-
vocates of human bondage, slavery, and oppres-
sion on this side of the Atlantic The rights Of
man are held by the same title under European
skies that they are here, and the power, whether
welded by one or by many, whether claimed by
an imperial despot or legislative assembly that
robs man Of his inaliensble rights, and makes him
or continues him slave is no more inexcusable and
despotic there than il is here. All men are created
equal. The same love of liberty that fires our
hearts and nerves our arms against the oppressor,
glows in the bosoms and animates the hearts Of
our crushed and down-trodden European breth-
rem. And the Almighty has engraven upon the
tablets of the enslaved Africans heart, whether
groaning in hopeless bondage in our own or in
other countries the same love Of freedom that
inspires us and the struggling sons Of liberty
everywhere. .--..,s
II is not too much, therefore, 10 say, that tears
shed for oppressed Hungary, and Greece, and
Italy. and other distant countries, by reppblinans
intheOry and patriots by psoscesioa, are insfhXr>
are in fact nothing but iron tears down Pluto's
cheek" if no sympathy is felt and expressed by
them for the enslaved in our country to whom
liberty is as dear as IL is TO them. A reference TO
historical facts will show the error into which
honorable members have fallen, who have ven
tured to maintain that we are under an implied
obligation to permit the existence Of slavery in
the Territories and to extend protection to that
species Of property wherever the General Gov
eminent has jurisdiction Nothing can he further
from the truth than this assumption. When the
Constitution of the United States was adopt
ed, the only territory belonging to the Uni
ted States was the Northwestern Territory, and
that was protected and secured against the intro
ductiOn Of slavery by the celebrated Ordinance Of
| Freedom Of 1857. This Ordinance was passed by
| the Congress of the Confederation and when, two
| years afterwards, the Constitution WAS adopted,
Its binding force recognised in that instrument
The sixth section provides there shall be neither
slavery nor involuntary servtude in the said Ter
ritory otherwise than in punishment Of crimes
whereof the party shall have been duly convict
edD Thus was every inch Of territory which
theyGongress of the Confederation had jurisdic-
tionor power to legislate, carefully guarded from
the encroachments of slavery by provision
which il was soemDly declared should forepsr re-
main unalterable, except by common consent
And further to illustrate the sleepless jealousy
| of the institution Of slavery, cherished by the
eminent statesmen of that day, and as conclusive
proof Of their fixed and Interchangeable determine
ton to chain IL down and confne it TO its existing
limits, allow unc to remind this Committee that the
hrst Congress under the Constitution passed a
law in August, $780, which was approved by
President Washington, to continue and secure the
provisions of this Ordinance in full operation and
Effect in the Territories. The declared purpose
OF passing the act of Congress was avowed TO be
Tin order thatt the Ordinance Of the United States
In Congress assembled for the government of the
territory northwest of the river Ohio may con-
tinue to have full effect 1t Is requisite that certain
provisions should be made 80 as to adapt the same
to the Constitution of the United States )" and the
necessary provisions were incorporated In the
bill: and 1t became law. All the Territories
were thus secured to freedom and consecrated TO
liberty, and slavery was confined within the limits
ana left TO the municipal regulations of the States
where 1t then existed There it was permitted
to hngeri and left to perish under the opera
ton OF causes which have already driven 1t from
several of the original States and which, in the
Judgment Of many good men, were sufficiently
potential to work out its complete and speedy ex-
termination. As mark Of subsection 10 for
eign Government, and as badge Of colonial vas
selage that remained after the close Of the s,rug-
gle for independence, II was loathsome and often
sive TO those who laid the foundations of our re-
publican institutions upon the firm basis Of LIZ
ERTY and EQUALITY And for this reason II was
not permitted to extend into the Territories or
the new States that were TO be formed out of
them. IL was forever prohibited by an unaltera-
BILE decree Of the supreme legislative power In the
State, and the Importation Of slaves was TO cease
after the year 1903. Nothing was omitted that
could be done to restrain and oonfne II within its
original boundaries, and TO secure free soil from
Its blighting and polluting footsteps. And II 1t
be not profane IL may be truthfully said that the
way Of the tree Of life was not more carefully
guarded by the Almighty, after the dsobedience
and expulsion Of Adam from the garden of Eden,
by cherubims and flaming sword, than was the
freedom of the Territories by the wise, discreet,
and patriotic legislation of those who achieved
our independence and established our free insti-
tutions
The Constitution of the United States confer
red no express power to enlarge the boundaries Of
the country by the acquisition or annexation Of
neghboring nations. This dangerous power the
exercise Of which has so often proved fatal to
other countries, was wisely withheld. Schemes
Of territorial aggrandizement were not entertain
ed or ever thought Of by the great aud good men
who formed the Constitution. They made ample
provision for the government OF the States aud
Territories then under the jurisdiction and with
In the acknowledged limits Of the United States.
Beyond this they did not 70. The Constitution
which they adopted was ordained aud established
TO use their own langusge) In order to form
more perfect union, establish justice, insure do
nestle tranquility, provide for the common de-
fence promote the general welfare, and to secure
the blessings OF libcrty-not the continuance or
extension Of slavery--to ourselves and our pos
terity. -
These are its avowed Objects srd these the
ends which IL was designed to secure. And they
are expressed In language so plain, In terms so
easily comprehended, that the wayfaring man."
though not half as wise and learned as some hon
CRADLE members on this floor, need not misunder-
stand II. Still it Is maintained by some Of the
disciples Of the Southern school Of politicians, with
zeal and earnestness that might easily be mista-
ken for sincerity by those not conyersant with pro-
ceedings In this Hall, that this language Is without
practical meaning; and that TO secure the bles-
sings OF liberty II not wholly innocent in that
respect, Is a simple announcement that this lisa
pro-slavery Government, and that slavery is