The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-06-06

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the power OF Congress to compromise the moral
| sentiment Of the free States aud any ATTEMPT 70
do so would only madden and increase the exist
ing excitement, and multiply obstacles in the way
Of any pacific adjustment Of the questions in dis
pute. Between slavery and freedom there is and
| can be no affinity nor can all the compromises
| in the world unite and harmonic what God by
his eternal law has put asunder.
| MIR. Chairman, il has become quite fashionable
to denounce the anti-slavery agitation of the
| North Gentlemen tell us il is disturbing the
peace Of the country, dividing the nation into
| geographical parties and threatening 10 de-
| stroy the Union. Sir, let me ask, at whose door
! lies the blame for all this What are the causes
which have given birth to this agitation. and
these so-called sectional parties The South, as
| have already shown, by the help or permission
| Of the North, has controlled the offices Of the
| Government and shaped its policy for the last
| fifty years. Through her agency slavery has
been widening its power, and taking deeper and
deeper root in the country every hour Of that
whole period. Instead Of an institution barely
to be tolerated in a few States as their own ex-
elusive concern, and that for n time only il has
become aqtioRaheed and demands the proiectjon
OF this Government wherever our A. AZ f5dtsa
IL has grown to be the great interest Of the
Union, and subordinates all other questions 10
its unholy purposes. IL has reversed the origi-
nal policy Of the Government, disappointed the
| hopes and expectations Of it's founders and 10 n
great extent frustrated the ends of its formation
And when, after long years Of objectionable for
| bearance, portion Of the Northern people rise
| up and demand their just rights, refusing to be
| the absolute slaves OF the South, they are de-
nounced as "agitators," enemies Of the Union.
| the builders up Of geographical parties Sir,
meet these charges, and | say to Southern gen
| tlemen, that they have forced agitation upon us
IL il the only alternative left us, unless we sub
init TO be bound by them " in all cases whatso-
evern I know It is offensive to the South
know that distinguished gentlemen from that
quarter have admitted that Northern agitation
has prevented slavery from obtaining O foothold
in California. They understand and dread its
power. Ii is for this reason that would encour-
age il. Agitation is a necessary fruit an newt
able consequence of Southern aggression and
Northern cowardice and slavery propagandists
and doughfac must answer for their own polit-
ical sins To charge the friends Of freedom in
the North with kindling up strife in the land,
and thus endangerng the Unoin, Is as unjust as
to charge the blood shed in our Revolution upon
the heads Of those who counselled resistance to
the mother country. Am | told that we should
not wound the pride Of the South Sir, on
what occasion has she exhibited any great tender
ness for the pride Of the North She has pur-
sued towards us policy Of systematic selfish
| ness from the beginning, uniformly disregsrding
crossed her path sl Ms s.s ssr nS
to yield us our rights under the Constitution, we
are met with browbeating and threats And are
the interests Of freedom to be jeoparded over
1 half continent, in order to avoid woundinQ the
pride Of men who thus treat us2 Sir, their pride
Is not worth saving at such sacrifice IL Is not
the pride Of principle, of justice, but the pride
! Of arrogance, pampered into insolenoe by long
| indulgence and under no circumstances would
yield to It, The history Of the world demonstrates
that slavery, regardless Of soil or climate has
existed wherever 1t has not been interdicted
by positive legislation. 1t always establishes
itself in the first instance without law, and then
suborns the law into its support. Without tho
| aid of any legal sanction, II has at one time or
another crept into every portion of the earth that
has yet been inhabited. No claw Of physical
geography no ordinance Of pature,p has been
found sufficient independent Of human enact
men.s, to prevent its spread over the globe. Ev-
cry consideration, therefore, demands that Con-
gress should exclude 1t from our territories
We should thus initiate the example of our ia
Tiers by "re6nacting the law of God,n and at
the same time restore their policy in relation to
slavery. The North should demand this ms her
absolute right, and insist upon ID Mt whatever
hazard. Should the South take offence let her
be offended should her pride be wounded let her
own physicians heal it in their own way should
she see ft to dissolve the Union let her make the
attempt but let the North yield not single
hairs breadth to the further exactions OF the
slave power.
But suppose, Mr. Chairman, we resolve to
compromise ] ask, what are the terms upon
which alone the South is willing TO meet Us On
q M faff In hotth N
allow slavery TO continue indefinitely In the Dis
trict Of Columbia; we are TO abandon the terrific
ries Of the United States to Its inroads, we are
TO engage actively In the business Of slave-catch-
ing under the employ Of our Southern masters
and, finally, we must silence the anti slavery ag-
tation, obeying their imperious mandate, keep
your thoughts to yourselves This Is the very
modest demand Of the South, and we must allow
her to make compliance with it qualification
for political fellowship, test Of fitness for office,
and the only tie which Is hereafter 10 bind her TO
the free States With Southern politicians this
Is the question Of questions lttowers above ev-
cry other consideration. Doughfdess are found
only In the Northern States The Wings and
Democrats of the South, laying aside minor
differences stand shoulder to shoulder together
In the maintenance Of their great interest. In
comparison with II, the questions Of bank and
tariff are not even respectable distractions And
shall the North be less loyal 10 freedom than the
South Is TO slavery Have We no paramount
question Shall We surrender our political
birthright In quarrel about comparative trifiee,
or mere scramble for place and power? We
have the strength TO rcpel the further agsressions
Of slavery Shall we waste IL by cur divisions
instead of declaring in one united voice, and with
an nfexible purpose, "thus far, no farther 2"
know by experience something OF the power OF
party know how anxious are Northern Wings
and Democrats 10 maintain their national party
organizations, In the discipline OF which they
have 80 long served. know how repugnant IL Is
to their feelings, when the old questions between
them are rapidly losing their significance, to have
new ones thrust upon them, threatening discord
and incurable divisions In their ranks. But
should there be no bounds to our devotion TO
party3 Each Of the political organizations to
which have alluded consists Of Northern and
Southern division, dramatically opposed to each
other on the question of slavery. These divis-
ions must be held together by some common bond
Of union, and this bond 10 subscrviency TO the
slave interest. This fact can no longer be con-
csaled. The submission Of Northern politicians
TO the behests Of slavery Is openly proclaimed by
Southern gentlemen M the sole condition upon
which existing party associations can be main
tanned. Are We prepared for this submission, to
seal this bond Of union7 We must either do
this, or resist like men, The alternatives are
presented, and there Is no middle ground TO oc-
cupy.L We must choose our master; for II Is AZ
impossible 10 serve slavery and freedom at the
Ame time, ~ to serve God and Msmmon. We
must ally ourselves to the growing spirit Of free
dom in the North, which, sooner or later, must
be needed, or we must link our political fortunes
to the growing spirit Of slavery In the South,
which. sooner or later, must DO borne down by
the powers with which II Is at war. We must
organize our parties In references totAs increasing
anti slavery feeling Of hftssn States Of the Union,
and ten or twelve millions Of people, reinforced
by the sentiment Of the civilized world or we
must turn our backs upon the progress Of free
principles in order to proptiats the smiles Of an