Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-07-12

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to be his notion, that minority has right to do
| whatever would be right for majority to do I;
and assuming, as he does, that the minority has
a political right to judge as to what would be
right for the majority, he virtually repudiates the
Democratic principle of the maiority's RIGHT to
control. Why, sir, Nicholas of Russia would
need no stronger argument than this to sustain
what he claims to be a divine right--the sole
right to govern an empire.
But, sir, notwithstanding the gentleman NAV
be honest in his views, it looks to me extremely
arrogant and disrespectful to Congress. | do
not believe the southern representation general
ly sympathize with BIN in what appears to be
his settled purpose. Why, Mr.. Chairman, if |
thought the American Congress was about to so
far degrade itselfa to yield to this principle, and
that the people would ratify it, | would expunge
the Declaration of Independence, wrap the Re
public in the winding sheet of death, and con-
sign it to the tomb of oDivion!
If the fondest hopes of Washington. Adams,
Hancock, Jefferson, ard Lafayette, are to be
thus blasted, and the grand experiment of self
government is to fail, tie quicker it is known the
better! 1t should be known to the struggling
masses of the Old World, who are watching our
experiment so anXous!y and hopefully They
should not longer be misled. Bot, sir, have
no such fears, especially when hear other high
minded southern men say, that they are willing
to discuss the subject Of slavery, and, if it be
wrong, to let fall.
Mr.. Chairman, the position of the Free-Soil-
ers is attacked by two classes of politicians
One is composed of the old political leaders,
whose principal arguments are cant WORDS
They cry :" fanaticism,s and threaten dissolu-
ton OF the Union''--a sort of ssmad-dog'' cry
Why do they not meet US in debate, and show.
h,,a tbo IF
and the. tallacy of ours ?-show, if they can,
that theirs are ii harmony with the great prnci-
pies of progress and reform? There is. hoWey-
er, Mr.. Chairman, one exception in this respect
among their leaders," The distinguished SEN
ator from Massachusetts Mr.. WEBSTER, has
undertaken 10 show that both the measures and
conduct of a certain class (meaning, I suppose,
the Anti-saverv and Free-So men) are highly
preiudicial to the interests of the slave and the
calso of liberty throughout the Union One Of
the principal charges which he prefers against
US is, that we make too broad distinction be-
tween right and wrong Another is, that we are
impatient men--too impatient, always, to give
heed to the admonition Of St. Paul, C that we
are net to do evil that good may come"--too i'm
patient to wait for the slow progress of moral
causes in the Improvement of mankind In his
bill of indictment he has one other complaint. 1t
is said we deal with morals as with mathematics,
and that we think what is right may be distin-
guished from what is wrong with the precision
Of an agebrac equation. Well, MIR. Chairman,
we do think the questions of MORALS when app-
ed to freedom and slavery, are more clear than
any question in algebra. The former requires
the slow process Of reason, the latter are sefev-
ident--springing instananeously from our NOR
al consciousness. Wonderful charge The
Free-Soil men may feel proud of such allega-
tons coming from their most distinguished po-
litical opponents in thisgreat controversy. But
the time has been when the cause OF ctyii lDef-
ty was better understood, even by the complain
ant himself. Let me read an extract from his
eloquent speech delivered in Faneuil Hall, Au-
gust2, 1926, in cemmemoration Of the lives and
services of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
Speaking of the eloquencc of Mr. Adams in adj
vocating the cause of freedom, he said "True
'eloquence does not consist in speech. 4 4
+ = The graces taught in the
schools, the costly ornaments and studied con-
'trivances of speech, shock and disgust men,
swhen their own lives and the fate of their wives
their children, and their country, hang on the
decision of the hour. Then words have lost
their power rhetoric is vain, and elaborate ora
tory contemplate. Even genius itself then
feels rebuked and subdued as in the presence of
shigher qualities. Then patriotism is eloquent
then self-devotion is eloquent-the clear con-
'ception out-running the deductions of logic--the
high purpose, the firm resolve, the dauntless
spirit speaking on the tongue, beaming from the
eye, informing every feature, and alrging the
'rolIoIe man onward, right onpard, to has object.
sThis is eloquence, or, rather, II is something
greater and higher than alt eloquence---iti is ac-
'tion, Eoble, sublime, godlike action
These, Mr.. Chairman, were the free-soil prin-
y. IL - I'll, ToG Il
their compatriots of 1776. They are the free
soil principles of 1850. They are not merely a
theory without action. They unite both with
fraternal afaction-the highest principle of our
nature. They propose means to ends--the de-
hverance of our country and our countrymen
from oppression. They practically acknowledge
the great truth, that God has made of one blood
all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the
earth. But, alas with some of our public men
how things have changed Ineighteen hundred
and twenty~six, the cause of liberty was clearer
than reason. Now, it is '.fanaticism" to believe
it deducible from reason. No wonder we have
heard the ordinations" Where am H. and
s'aohere shall go?"
Sir, | have said this much in our own defence
against the charges of the Massachusetts Sena-
tor | will now dismiss the subject by asking
him question, if he will condescend to answer
IL. AIIer we nave paid TWO hundred mllilonS OF
dollars to expatriate the free blacks of our coun-
try, abandoned the Wilmot proviso, and created
four new slave states from Texas, and expended
all our energies in catching runaway slaves, how
much moral force will be left toremove the evils
of slavery and other public crimes that afflict
our country? This, presume, can be solved
with mathematical precision, fthe more abstruse
question cannot, viz: the right man has 10 him
self When this is satisfactorily answered, we
shall have more confidence in the distinguished
Senator as an expounder of the Scriptures, not
to say an expounder of the Constitution and a
political guide in the affairs of State
Mr.. Chairman, there are some other political
creeds and rules brought forward here, concern
ing W hich l would like to say word. allude
to the doctrines thoroughly promulgated by the
gentleman from New York, Mr.. DUER, and
the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr.. Ross.
The gentleman from New York lays down
principle. in speech that he recently delivered
in this hall, that completely annhiates indivIdu-
atty by consigning the conscience to the control
of a majority in all questions of right and wrong
connected with the political affairs of our coun-
try. Speaking of our duties under the extradi-
ton clause of our Constitution, he says:
81 do not doubt, sir, that there are good men
strongly opposed TO slavery, and as strongly at
tached to The Union, and who desire to discharge
their obligations to God and to man, who are dis