The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-02

eyes rested upon the glowing ensign, what cur
rents must have rushed swiftly through his
soul. In the early days of the Revolution, in
those darkest hours about Boston. after the bat
tie of Bunker Hill, and before the Declaration
of Independence, the thirteen stripes had been
first unfurled by him, as the emblem of Union
among the Colonies for the sake of Freedom.
| BY him. AT that time, they had been named the
Union Flag. Trial, struggle, and war, were
now ended and the Union, which they first
heralded, was unalterably established. To
every beholder these memories must have been
| full of pride and consolation But looking
back upon the scene, there is one circumstance
which, more than all its other associations,
fills the soul-more even than the suggestions
of Union which | prize so much. AT THIS
MOMENT, WHEN WASHINGTON TOOK HIS FIRST
| OATH TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES, THE NATIONAL ENSIGN, NO
WHERE WITHIN THE NATIONAL TERRITORY,
COVERED SINGLE SLAVE. Then, indeed, was
Slavery sectional and Freedom national
On the sea, an execrabe piracy, the trade in
slaves was STILL to the national scandal tole-
rated under the national flag In the States
as sectional institution, beneath the shelter
of local laws, Slavery unhappily found home.
But in the only territories at this time belong
ing to the Nation, the broad region of the North
west it had already, by the Ordinance of Free
dom, been made impossible, even before the
adoption of the Constitution. The District of
Columbia with its fatal incumbrance had not
yet been acquired.
The Government thus organized was Anti
Slavery in character. Washington was slave
holder but it would be Just to his memory
not to say that he was an Abolitonist also.
His opinions do not admit of question. Only a
IshO bof Con-, a. ha Nm al
Constitution, he had declared, by letter. "that
it was among his first wishes to sec some plan
adopted by which Slavery may be abolished
by law" and again, in another letter, that
in support of any legislative measure for the
abolition of slavery. his suffrage should not be
wanting; and still further, in conversation
with distinguished European Aboltionist a
travelling propagandist of Freedom Brissot de
Warville recently welcomed to Mount ernOn,
he had openly announced. that to promote this
object in Virginia, he desired the formation
Of IL SOCIETY, and that he would second it,
By this authentic testimony, he takes his place
with the early patrons of Abolition societies
By the side of Washington, as standing be-
meath the national flag he swore to support
the Constitution, were illustrious men, whose
lives and recorded words now rise in judy
ment There was John Adams, the Vice Pres
ident--great indicator and final negotiator
of our national OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SOUL
flaming with freedom, broke forth in the early
declaration that "consenting to Slavery is
sacrilegious breach of trust /" and whose immiti-
gable hostility to this wrong has been made i'm
mortal in his doS1 % dants. There also was
companion in arms and attached friend, of in
comparable genius, the yet youthful Hamilton,
who, a. member of the Abolition Society of
New York, had only recently united in a
| solemn petition for those who, "though free by
the lars of God, are held in Slavery by the lars
of the State" There, too was noble spirit
the ornament OF his country, the exemplar Of
f courage, truth, and virtue, who, like the sun,
ever held an unerring course, John Jay. Fill
ing the important post of Minister of Foreign
Affairs under the Confederation he found time
? to organize the Abolition Society of New York
and to act as its President until, by the nomi-
nation of Washington, he became Chief Justice
y OF the United States. In his SIGHT Slavery was
l. an "iniauty," "a sin of crimson dye against
o which ministers Of the gospel should testify and
}, which the Government should seek in every way
= to abolish Were in the Legislature" he
a wrote, 81 would present bill for this purpose
with great care, and would never cease moving
a il till it became a law or ! ceased to be a mem
s Der. Till America comes into this measure
u her prayers to Heaven will be impous."
D But they were not alone. The convictions
s and earnest aspirations Of the country were
: with them At the North these were broad
S and general. Al the South they found fervid
. utterance from Shareholders. BY early and
precocious efforts for "total emancipation" the
9 Author of the Declaration of Independence
l placed himself foremost among the Abolition
lists of the land. In language now familiar to
all and which can never die, he perpetually
denounced Slavery. He exposed its pernicious
influences upon master as well as slave; de-
clared that the love of justice and the love Of
country pleaded equally for the slave and that
f the abolition of domestic slavery was the
greatest object of desire" He believed that
the "sacred side was gaining daily recruits"
and confidently looked to the young for the
accomplishment of this good work. In fitful
sympathy with Jefferson was another honOrcd
} son of Virginia, the Orator of Liberty Patrick
} Henry, who, while confessing that he was a
master of slaves, said 81 will not, cannot
Justify it, However culpable my conduct,
will 80 far pay my devoir TO virtue, as to own
, the excellence and rectitude of her precepts
and lament my want of conformity to them"
At this very period in the Legislature of Mary
land, on bill for the relief of oppressed slaves,
young man, afterwards by his consummate
, learning and forensic powers the ACKNOWLEDGED
head of the American bar, William Pinkney,
in speech of earnest, truthful eloquence-bet-
ter far for his memory than his transcendent
professional fame--branded Slavery IA niqui-
tous and most dishonorable; :" founded in
disgraceful traffic - las shameful in its con-
tinuance rs in its origin and he openly de-
clared that "by the eternal principles of nat
ural justice, no master in the State has right
to hold his slave in bondage single hour"
Thus Mt this time spoke the NATION. The
Church also Joined its voice And here, amidst
the dversities of religious faith, it is instructive
toobserve the general accord The Quakers first
bore their testimony. At the adoption of the
Constitution their whole body, under the early
teaching of George Fox, and by the browning
exertons of Benezet and Woolman, had become
an organized band of Abotionists, penetrated
by the conviction that it was unlawful TO hold
a feow-man in bondage. The Methodists,
numerous earnest, and faithful, never ceased by
their preachers to proclaim the same truth.
Their rules in 1888 denounced in formal Ian
guage q the buying or selling Of bodies and
souls Of men, women, and children, with an in.
tention to enslave themo The words of their
great apostle, John Wesley, were constantly
repeated On tho eve of the National Conyen-
ton, the burning tract was circulated in which
he exposes American slavery as the vlest of
the world-"such Slavery as is not found
among the Turks at Algiers and, after de-
claring liberty the birthright Of every human
creature Of which no human law can deprive
him." he pleads: "lf, therefore, you have any
regard to justice Ito say nothing Of mercy or
the revealed law Of God render unto all their
due Give liberty to whom liberty is due that
is, TO every child Of man, to every partaker of
human nature At the same time. the Pres