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

Its crest martial law Will be proclaimed; and those
found with hostile arms in their hands must pre-
pare for the felon's DOOM
Sir, cannot contemplate this spectacle without
thrill of horror. If the two sections Of this
try ever marshal themselves against each other,
and their squadrons rush TO the conflict, ii will bea
war carried on by such powers of intellect, ami
mated by such vehemence of passion, and
| tanned by such abundance OF resources as the
world has never before known "Ten foreign
wars,' it has been well said, care a luxury COM
pared with one civil war" But turn from this
scene with a shudder. If, in the retrbutve provi-
dence of God, the volcano of civil war should ever
burst upon us, it will be amid thunderings above
and earthquakes below, and darkness around; and
when that darkness is lifted up, we shall sec this
once glorious Uno.,-this oneness of government,
under which we have been prospered and blessed
as Heaven prospered and blessed any
| other peope,-rifted in twain from east to west,
with gulf between us wide and profound, save
that this gulf will be filled and heaped high with
the slaughtered bodies of our countrymen; and
when we reiwaken to consciousness. we shall be-
hold the garments and the hands of the survivors
red with fratricidal blood.
And what is the object for which We are willing
to make this awful sacrifice. Is it to redeem realm
to freedom? No! But to subjugate a realm to sa-
very. Is it TO defend the rights Of man? No! But
to abolish the rights of man!
/ Mr. BowDoN Does not the gentleman think
that such picture as he has drawn would induce
the North to yield portion of the new Territories
to the institution of slavery
Mr. MANN. trust that no pictures and no reaJi-
|
its present limits Beyond these limits, ssNo more
slave Territories more slave States' is the doc
trine by which !, for one, shall live and die.
Now, sir, this event of dissolution of the
Union is so frequently forced upon our contempla-
ton, propose to occupy the residue of my hour in
considering some of its more obvious consequences.
Southern papers and southern resolution writers
have favorte phrase, that if Congress shall pass
any law against the extension of slavery they will
resist it cat any and at every hazard" Let us in
| qure, soberly, what few Of these hazards are.
First to the recovery, non recovery of fugi-
tive slaves which is one of the alleged provocatives
of dissolution Take map of the southern States
and spread it out before you. Although they cover
an area of about nine hundred thousand square
miles, yet it is very remarkable fact, that only
nsignihcantly small portion OF this vast extent
lies more than two hundred and fifty miles from
free frontier; and those parts which do lie beyond
this distance hold but few slaves. Those portions
of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, and Tennessee where their upper bounda-
| ries converge among the mountains, are little
more than this distance from free border but this
territory is relatively Insignificant in size, and
sparsely populated with slaves. An outside belt
border-region of the slave States, part of which
| shall be more than one hundred miles from free
| frontier, would embrace nearly one-half Of their
whole area; and, as suppose, much more than
one half of their whole slave population. What is
to prevent the easy escape of slaves living within
these limits. While God sends nights upon the
earth, nothing can prevent 1t. venture to predict
that in such state of things, slaves will become
ID,
of your laws which forbid slaves to cross bridges
or ferries, without pass; but you can have law
against seasons of low water. The old adage says
'.riches have wings You VIII md that these
where they border upon free States, will be alive
with shoals of porpoises. Remember, there is no
Constitution ofthe United States That you have
broken The free States therefore absolved from
all obligation 10 surrender fugtves The law of 1893
| is also at end. No action can be maintained for
aiding themto escape, or for harboring conceang
| them. The distinguished Senator from Kentucky
said, in his late speech, that no instance had ever
| come 10 his knowledge where an action for har-
boring runaways had not been maintained in the
courts Of the free States and damages recovered.
| But this remedy you will have ahnulled. The
Constitution of the United States, and the law OF
| 1893 being at end, the law of nature rcvives.
By this law, every case OF an escaping slave is but
the ssf recovery Of sfoie, goods. When they cross
the line into free State, they Free free as
| you or ]. The States being separated, would as
soon return my own brother or sister into bondage,
as would return fugitive slave. Before God,
and Christ, and all Christian men, they my
brothers and sisters. As our laws make IL piracy
TO kidnap slaves in Africa, 10 ship them thence,
80 IL shall be ~ felony, punishable with death,
for any southern master TO kidnap colored man,
| in free State, or transport him from it, on the
ground of alleged ownership. You are fond Of
quoting Scripture to us in justification Of slavery.
We will retort the Scripture, that he that stesleth
man. and seleth him; or " he be found IN his
and; he shall surely be put TO death"
Here, then, is free land frontier Of about
| two thousand miles, and a free ocean frontier
Of about twenty FIVE hundred miles, and more
than one-half of all your slaves are within two
| DAYS run Of it, More than one quarter Of them
are within one nights run Of il. Thousands and
tens Of thousands can escape, even while you are
dining. Canada, now 80 distant, Is brought five
hundred miles nearer. The under ground railroad
will be abandoned, and its stock 80 invested ne 10
yield quicker returns. What facilities for escape,
too, will the present. Fleets Of vessels are
constantly passing aud repsssing within few
hours' sail OF the coast. The day for the power
| and the triumph Of those whom you hate abo-
litionists will have arrived. Steamboats, could lie
out Of sight Of land in the day time run In at night
and be out Of sight again before the rising Of the
sun. To guard twenty FIVE hundred miles Of
coast is impossible II you declare war In order
avenge your losses, then that make your coast
lawfully accessible both by day and by night, and
multiplies hundred fold the opportunities and
facilities for this sclfrecovery Of stolen goods.
know IL s said that some Of the northern States
are averse 10 the reception Of blacks Let us ana
/ yzc this idea. There now by estimation three
millions Of slaves. Say half OF these are either
too old too young 10 have the strength tho in
tellircnce 20 escape million and half are left;
FIVE hundred thousand Of those will have attachments
TO their parents children, 70 their masters
too strong 10 be broken; they may be degraded
az TO be contenied with bondage; Tor their content
mcnt is always Of the measures Of their degra-
dation. This would leave a million for fugitives,
consisting wholly Of the most able bodied and IN
telligent. The northern States comprise a terrific
/ ry Of FIVE hundred thousand square miles. A mill
lion Of escaped slaves would give but two 10 a
square mile and this surely would not be a formi
dable number, even where colorphobia IL strongest
Suppose the Of family Of fourteen slaves
two grandparents too dccrepit for labor, sis ath-
letic sons or daughters, and six grandchildren.
What but affection should prevent the able bodied
and the profitable from escaping and leaving the
aged and the young on their masters handsS Az
fection indeed, would bind the parents 10 their
children, but they know too we'll how often this
bond is remorselessly broken by the master; and
besides an enlightened affection would look 10 fu-
turc children and their posterity forever, well
| 10 those they already have.
Will you make your laws horribly penal, in or.
der 10 deter slaves from escaping, by fcar' viii
you mutilatc them, or scourge them I'LL within
minute Of dcath' DO All such punishments
not only noursh the love Of freedom but breed the
purpose Of revenge; and il is kind Of lesson
which brutalizcd nature IL always prone 10 retail
late with Improvements. Will you make the act
Of escape a capital offence in slave, and destroy
the victim you cannot restraint Do 30. Though
you may infict death IN paroxysm Of wrath, yet
Of all your penal dispensations Il is the mer-
cful. II not only releases the slave himself but "
prospective and perpetual amnesty "a true act Of
Oblivion, for all his descendants Bot this extrem-
ty Of punishment is not likely TO be resorted 10.
In looking over the criminal codes Of the slave
States, think have noted cases where the slave