The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-01
Nrosn the D. dham GassAe.
THEODORE PARKER'S FAST-DAf

the trial and return of Sims, the Fugitive slave
this sermon was preached at the Nicholson, III
Boston. The occasion and the preacher natur-
i ally led US to expect an outpouring OF indignant
and scathing eioquence. refreshing 10 those
Whose spirits had been mortified and saddened
by the deeds of nhuman depravity and unutter'
able baseness, which have secured To Boz on
and portion of the creatures which pollute it,
SOIL an Immortality of scorn and infamy But
the effort OF Mr.. Parker surpassed even the
highest expectations He has carved with IN.
struments Of keener edge and harder metal, and
painted with blooder and more terrible colors
than ever before. George Il. Curtis, the mlnlon
and tool of the shareholders, set up at md day
in the blazing sun, with his naked flesh stuck
full of poisoned arrows, and bis vile blood ooz'
ing from every wound, writhing amid the Jeerss
and taunts of an outraged popuIace, ready ana
eager to tear him limb from limb, would mol
present picture more terribly real ana Amor
.ent to the senses, than he does as ne appears
in the following destroying and consuming SEN
fences which we extract from this DISCOURSE
Could he exchange the sensations and heart OF
tho kidna-per for the more civilized and human
lied affections and dispositions OF the hyena, nc
would gaze but moment in the mirror which Is
thus help up to him, and then take himself for
The whole sermon is published in the weekly
Commonwealth, and it contains matter and argu
ment enough to convert everybody, worth con-
verting, in the Commonwealth The following
portrait will answer both for Hallet and Curtis
| The memories of these miscreants will be pre-
served as long as the sentiments of detestaton
and scorn shall occupy place in the human
breast.
Last Thanksgiving day, | said it would be
difficult to find a magistrate in Boston TO take
the odium of sending fugitive back to slavery
believed, after all, men had some conscience
although they talked about its being duty to
deliver up a man to bondage. Pardon me, my
country, that rated you too high! Pardon me,
town of Boston, that thought your citizens all
men. Pardon me, lawyers, that thought you
had all been born Of mothers! Pardon me, ruff
fans, who kill for hire! thought you had some
animal mercy left, even in your bosoms! Par
don me, United States commissioners, marshals,
and the like, / thought you all had some
shame! Pardon me, my hearers, for such mis-
takes. One commissioner was found to furnish
the warrant Pardon me, did not know that
he was commissioner if had, never should
have said it,
Spirits of tyrants, look down to you Shade
/ Of Chin, thou great first murderer, forgive me
that forgot your power, and did not remember
that YOU were parent of so long a line And
YOU, nv brethren, it hereafter tell yon that
there is any limit Of meanness or Wickedness
which Yankee will not jump over, distrust me,
and remind me Of this day, and will take it
back!
| Let us look at the public conduct of any
commissioner who will send an innocent maa
from Boston into slavery. Iwond speak OF al
men chartably, for know how easy it is to err,
yea to sin. | can look charltably on thieves,
prowng about in darkness-on rumsellers,
whom poverty compels to crime-on harlots,
who do the deed of shame that holy womans
soul abhors aud revolts; can pity the pirate,
who scours the seas doing his fiendish crimes
he is tempted, made desperate by a gradual
training in wickedness The man born at the
South owning slaves, who goes to Africa, and
sells aduterated rum in exchange for men to
sell at Cuba-I cannot understand the conscious
ness of such a man yet can admit that by
birth and by breeding he has become imbruted,
he knows no better. Nay, even that he may
perhaps Justify his conduct to himself. ! say |
think his sin is not so dreadful as that of COM
missioner in Boston, who sends a man into
slavery A man commits MURDER in1amed by
jealousy, goaded by desire of great gain, excited
by fear, stung by malice, or poisoned by revenge,
and It's horrid thing. But to send man into
slavery is worse than to murder him. would
rather be slain than be enslaved. To do this,
inflamed by no jealousy, goaded by no desire Of
great pain-only ten dollars excited by no
fear, stung by no special malice, poisoned by no
revenge-I cannot comprehend that in any man,
not even in hyena; beasts that rave for blood
do not kill for killings sake, but to feed their
| flesh Forgive me, OH We wolves and hyenas,
that bring you into such company. can only
understand it in a dspH!
When man bred in Massachusetts, whose
constitution declares that all men are born
free and equal" within sight of Faneui Hall,
with all its sacred memories; within two hours
of Plymouth Rock; within single hour of
Concord and Lexington in sight of Bunker
TIill-when he will do such deed, it seems to
me that there is no life of crime long enough to
prepare man for such pitch of depravity; ]
should think he must have been begotten in sin,
and conceived in iniquity, and been born :" with
dogs head on his shoulders" that the concen-
tration of the villany of whole generation Of
scoundres would hardly be enough TO fit a man
for deed like this
You know the story of Sims. He crept on
board Boston vessel at Savannah. Perhaps
he had heard Of Boston, nay, even Of Faneuil
Hall, of the old Cradle of Liberty, and thought
this was a christian town, Mt least human, and
hoped here to enjoy the liberty off man. When
the ship arrived here, his first words were
" Are we up there!" He was seized by man
who at the Courthouse boosted of his cruelty
towards him, who held him by the hair, and kept
him down, seeking to kidnap and carry him back
into slavery. He escaped
But few weeks pass by, the man-stealers
are here ; the commissioner issues his warrant
the marshal served it in the night. Last Thurs
day night--when odious beasts of prey, that
dare not face the light of heaven, prowl through
the woods--these ruffians of the law seized on
their brother man. They lie to the by-tanders
and seize him on false pretence. There is
their victim-they hold him fast. Can you I'M
derstand his feelings! Let us pass by that
His I" trial." Shall speak Of that He has
been FIVE days on ,rinl for more than life, and
has not seen Judge! A jury9 No. Only a
commissioner, Oh justice Oh republican
America Is this the liberty of Massachusetts
Where shall find a parallel with men who
will do such deed--do it in Boston! will
open the graves, and bring up the most hideous
| tyrants from the dead Come brood of mon