The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-20
SPEECH
OF
CASSlUS N. CLAY, AT LEXINGTON, KY.
Delivered August /, 1851.
fCONCLUDEDI

CONCLUDED
Again we are told, We don't want cities nor
e.,al,tf,e.}.se, s.% ssS..-. ~ 'Sset 4zyc
80 ,erbape, content with their position
3, 90 .Ncss Is -i{y az %, ,.o.si0t
does cities are hui me expOnenlS OF indices
Of the property Of country. And manufac-
lures aud commerce are equal sources of wealth
with agriculture The truth is, we fail even in
that of which we boast for in agriculture the
South fall behind the North The South has
better lands and more better climates, and
tropical productions. which are n monopoly :
yet by the census Of 1910, the value of all of
the products of the South We're three hundred
and twelve millions: those Of the North. three
hundred and iOrty-two millions. Thus the free
States, in agriculture in 1889, produced thirty
millions more than the slaves States The
census of 1850 WILL when footed up show no
doubt an increase in the products of the free
States, above that of the slave States In the
whole category Of physical developments then.
the FREQ excel the slave States.
No cthere is no compensation for the evils of
slavery -nOne, none whatever. 1t depresses rs
in thekcale of social rank, dcprives us of educa-
ton nSehinery, manufactures and commerce
impoyefShes us by the competition of slave
labor, Drives us into the poor lands into the
UTuSHNoOl ana the UlOUHtdlIlS, UT else CAlicS us
from the home of our nativity We can now
understand what the shareholders mean by
slavery dying out of ITSELF" becoming ex-
tinet by. the natural law of competition of
lahOriD 1t means that we will become more
and more .ISeSed by this institution, in the
means Of iNDig till such time in the course of
human cveptAs when population shall become
dense and HtSd up to the far Pacific and there
is no longer room for emigration west or to the
free States we will have to stand our ground
till when our wives and children, like poor Ire
land, cry for brcad-wc will come to the slave
holder, and say, we have more intellect and
facility of muscle than the African; we pray
you give us the same wages, food shelter and
clothing, and we will do you more work Then
the master, forgetting the ties of the "patriarch-
al institution will say to the slave be free
go and take care of yourself can do better
without you That is what is meant by slave
ry dying out of itself" 1t means reducing us
below the slavery Of the blacks!* For one,
am not ready for it, for set-deicnce is the first
law OF nature!
think have made out my case, that slave
ry wars upon the interests Of the non-slnvehOd-
crs OF the State, the great ma jorty of the pco-
pie, and therefore ought to he overthrow
Still we are no abolitionsts in the technical
and now advocate the immediate voluntary
emancipation of the slaves ~ right and expedl-
ent-fbr ayOw my eternal faith that what is
right is always expcdient, in individuals and
Stntes-stlll, rs statesman, proposing the aboli-
ton of Slavery, have ever recognised the legal
right of the master to his slave ! hold that, in
republic, where the will of the majority pre-
walls, the law il omnipotcnt and the good con-
science and obedience to - the higher law re-
tulrcs only to use every honorable and con-
sttutional means for the overthrow of an un-
lust and immoral statute. That resistance to
law Is not sutfcrabe IN conscience except in
extreme cases. where the individual prefers to
bear the penalty of resistance TO the crime of
obedience, or where there is hope of better
times, in successful revolution against wrong
We respect the rights of shareholders therefore
And inasmuch we have not the means of
lberatng the present slaves by purchase, and
as 1T would be yet more unjust to tax the non
Shareholders, who have already suffered 80 much
from this institution to buy the slaves and
coonlzc them, we must bear in the future, ~
we have in the past, with the two hundred
thousand existing slaves But with regard to
the unborn, ! would put in the Constitution,
that after the year 1860, or earlier il possible,
all persons shall be free. In this right of the
State to regulate the future relations of the UNI
born, | am sustained by the highest authority,
Wing and Democratic, in our own State by
the example of monarchies and republics of
other lands, and Ivy the practice of the free
States of the North But | do not choose to
stand upon authority. am willing to come to
the ground of the masters, that they have the
same right IN the unborn of their slaves which
they have IN the increase of their cattle and
horses still we do them no injustice but place
them upon the same basis with ourselves in
our property The Constitution says, no mans
property shall be taken for public use without
paying him an equivalent; yet if railroad or
canal is run through the farm of the laborer.
twelve men are called rs jury, and they are
put upon their conscienccs and il they deter
mine that the proprietor is benefited more, by
the general advantages of the road or canal
than he is injured by the specific property lost
they do not pay him cent damages That is
the law of the land. Now | summon the great
people of kentucky rs II jury and put them
upon their conscicnccS and say if we cannot
make out our case, that the STAKEHOLDER will be
more benefited by the emancipation of the UNI
born, than he would be injured by the same,
then we lose our cause-we ask them 10 vote
against MS | have examined my own conscience ;
and think, If | know myself would not in
J"iN ''g '' Ph''i 81 NNlll, IL u WOulu put tHOu-
sands m my own pocket: and | can freely vote
the law, believing that the stakeholder would
DE infinitely Bothered 10y the change. Here,
then, is II plan of emancipation, that Is oonstitu.
tional and legal, just and in accordance with
the laws of nature, and rcpublcanism right
reason. and an enlightened conscience. .et az
suppose, then, such law inserted by an organi-
zed and predominant party by call of a con.
ventiOn, in the Constitution of the State-that
after the year 1860, all persons born here shall
DO free-what would be the result At once
all would begin 10 conform 10 the new state OF
things. Those Shareholders who prefer 10 hold
ON b. the slaves would move into Texas and
other more southern States, where slavery has
prospect of longer existence. These, no doubt,
would take out "A ajority of the existing
slaves. The condition of the slave would not
Henry Clay in a letter 10 Thos. lIankey, jr., of
London, dated May 10th, 1851, says My own
opinion long and deliberately entertained, IT, that
they (he blacks held in slavery for tho purpose
of necessary supply Of labor, Starry iciH ocase
trfaerer bg HE mcSoase Of Me Uhfe p0puIfion I5ee
ichiis hhOr ran b. procured oheapv Than M0t ofhs