The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-26

us Take the Christiana case IL conylcts
our Government of attempting to 60 further IN
this Internal constructive treason" in some
respects, than did the bloody Jeffries himself
for Jefries never sought TO establish treason
against persons not entitled TO the protection
of the Government while in the Christiana case
some of the persons charged with treason, were
known to have been declared outlaws by the
Fugitive Slave Law We all know that this
infamous law strips many of the citizens Of the
free States of every political right and autho-
rizes kidnappers to seize them by force, and
even aids in the crime by furnishing men and
money aud offers a standing bride of five dol
lars to every man who is mean enough to act
as commissioner in this solemn mockery of
judicial proceedings to ascertain whether an
innocent man has "A right to himself! The cltl-
zcns Of Chrlstiana, for acting out their nobleSt
nstinctsin sell-detencc against violent and per-
sOnal attack, were charged by our Government
with treason" What an insult to the Ameri-
can people! What disgrace to human ma
ture And this we call constitutional liberty,
do we, Is it promoting the general well
fare to declare, by a law of Congress, part
of our population outlaws without any dlsoy-
atty on their part and then TO charge them
with treason for defending themselves against
I
God our courts have not quite come yet to the
SUPP ort of such an Infamous doctrine rs that of
constructive treason Had the Government
succeeded in this conspiracy against the liber-
ties of the people and undertaken to enforce
the penalty for treason, Mr.. Fillmore and all
his coadiutors would not only have discovered
the striking parallel in their conduct to that Of
James IT. but would have experienced like
disastrous fate. They would have been permit
ted to remain in this country only as inmates
of pententiary or a State prison. No, SIR
this principle of constructive treason can
never be permitted TO take root in these Uni
ted States The Wing leaders have made
rapid strides in this age Of progress-haye risen
far above the sectional views Of Washington,
Jefferson. and Hamilton, who were for locali-
zng crcumscribing, and discOuraging sla-
very
The Wing party was told by its leaders, at
! the Baltimore Convention, that, if they would
do what had never before been required of
them, viz: endorse the kidnapping law, and
pledge themselves to discOunenance freedom
Of speech, they should not surely die, but
live forever; that they would become great |
and successful party that, in this process, the |
party would become natiOnalized; cOmprehen- |
siye in its views practical in its movements
brilliant in its career 1t remains to be seen
whether this be true or false prophecy. But, |
if we are to judge from isolated cases that |
have come under our observation it would |
seem that this process Of naturalization is,
after all q hazardous experiment. Mr. Cass
was nationalized" by the Nicholson letter
in 1913. We know the result McGauhey
Walden, and Eliot Representatives of the free
States, were nationalized !" two years ago, in
voting for the Fugitive Slave Law Where
were they at the subsequent elections in their
several districts The late candidates for the
Presidency were Mathematical when each
promised in advance, if elected Chief Mags-
trate to defeat the will of the people, in given
case, by the veto power Where are they The
President too was "nationalized in signing
the kidnapping law, and making it operative
by calling out the army and navy. His name
was placed before one of the late Conventions
Sir YOU know the result And what shall we
say of the great eXp0undcr Of the Constitution
He was natiOnalized on the 9TH March, 1850,
in the Senate of the United States, by ridicu-
ling the WilmOt Proviso and has become still
more distinguished since by attempts to . con-
quer the preiudiceS - of Massachusetts and
establish the doctrine of constructive treason.
APPLY may he repeat, now, his famous ques-
tonS Where am | t' and Where am 90
ing i" The unrvalled Senator, and accom-
plishcd Secretary Of State after sacrificing all
to please his Southern friends, received not
single vote from them in return, when his name
was presented for their suffrage! Alas! these
men, in the language of the distinguished men,
her from Ohio, Mr.. GDDNGs,l "all died of
eating Southern Dirt Sir history is full of
such instructive lessons They are read in the
fate of Charles |, in the melancholy career of
Bacon WOlsey, and II host Of others.
Mr. Chairman, whatever may be the imme-
date result of this stigmatizing as well as ma
uoralizlng process upon the two old parties,
one thing is certain: the friends Of freedom
have gained somcthing-nay, a vast deal-in
that they have driven the leaders of party sla-
very to avow, openly and boldly, what the third
party has charged upon them for years, but
which has always, till now, been denied, viz
that they love Offices and honors more than the
great principles Of right and humanity. This
is a glorious victory We see now, more dis
tinctly the great national ulcer which is gnaw-
ing ut the very vitals of the Republic Sir, rs
soon as the great body of the American people,
who are neither expecting nor wishing Office, |
shall understand the real object in construct
ing such Infamous platforms, they will be swept |
away, with all who stand upon them, like the |
MIR. Chairman, having explained, briefly, the |
sources and character of dcspotism as it exists |
in these United States proceed to show what |
are the proper inStrumentalities for its over
throw and in doing SO, | need only point to
the means now in successful operation for the
attainment of this most desirable end They
are simple and easy-practical and certain in
their results They consist in persuasion and
argument and in II proper expression of correct
| sentiment through the ballot-box. They re-
quire as, when we pray for ust rulers to be
earnest and sincere, and see that our votes cor
respond with our prayers to vote for such men,
and such only, rs represent our principles, and
possess the integrity and frmness to maintain
| them, Mt all times, and under all circumstan-
CcS-men who reject the stale and false argu-
ment that we are 10 endorse one great political
wrong to destroy another, men who do not ex-
| pect to improve the condition of society through
unprincipled ma Orties and stratagem in legis-
lation but by II practical illustration, in them
selves, of genuine Democracy marching
steadily forward to victory-a victory that will
relieve the child Of misfortune, and let the OPP
pressed go free. Such are the means and such
| the motives of those who are ardcntly devoted to
this great work OF separating the Federal Gov
eminent from the voluntary political slavery of
the North, and the involuntary personal sa-
very of the South A history Of the many and
severe conflicts, during the last few years, be-
tween the advocates of freedom and the friends
of oppression, would be interesting and instruct
i've, but | have not time TO enter upon it now
Let it suffice to say that the little band of Free
Sellers, during the organization of the thirty
first Congress, by their integrity and iirmneSs,
drove the two old parties into an alliance with
each other for preservation, under the lead
ership Of Henry Clay and Howell Cobb. There
they have remained ever since and now stand
as II body-guard to slavery ON the same plat