The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-15
An Address 80 the Anti-Siayery Christians
of the United states.


of the United states.
FRIENDS AND BRETHREN; We address you in
behalf of the American and Foreign Anti-Slav'
ery Society. Approving of the principles
avowed and the measures pursued by that asso.
citation, we beg leave to submit to you the con-
siderations which peculiarly entite it at the
present iuncture to the active sympathy and
! effectua aid of the friends of the ani.slavery
cause. .".. -. f." ..~..
While the advocates of Unconstitutional govern.
ment in Europe are lamenting widespread
reaction in behalf of despotic authority, the
friends of the inalienabe rights of man behold
with grief and modification similar reaction in
our own republic, in behalf of despotism more
I memorable, and more hostile to human progress
and happiness, than any which atfilcts the East.
ern continent In both instances, the reaction
is more apparent than real. Opinions in favor
of human liberty remain the same, but tae eX'
preston of them has to a greater or less degree
been slfed by a sudden, mighty, and combined
effort of capitalists and politicians, aided to II
great extent by ecclesiastical influence, and in
each case accompanied with violated pledges
and revolving perfidy.
In our own community, the cause of christian
tuorals has been deeply wounded, and new
impulse given to infiety, by the various modes
adopted by merchants, politicians and divines TO
conciiate the slaveholding interest. Doctrines
have been advaDeed on high authority respecting
the supremacy of human lava, which, if true.
convict the noble army Of martyrs" including
the blessed apostles themselves, OF being bat
felons and traitors. Public men, and even pub
\ lie meetings, have professed in unqualified terms
their ignorance OF higher law than the federal
Constitution Rich men among us have given
of their abundance to reduce to slavery the
fugitive from bondage and lawyers, heretofore
REGARDED "a reputable, have not shrunk from
taking reward against the innocent, and prns.l'
! tuting a noble profession to the service of the
slave catcher. The sympathy heretofore felt
for tho victim of oppression who had escaped
from his prison house, and the rcpugnancc man.
ifested 10 aid in his arrest, have been denounced
, as 'prCIudices to be conquered" aud lips which
once uttered noble words ia behalf Of human
, rights, have been busily employed in procsiming
TO republicans the duty of catching slaves
Nav, some prolessed ambassadors of the merci
full Jesus hve announced from their pupts
that He has sanctioned the conversion into arii-
cles of merchandise Of being. charged with 10
crime, made little lower than the angels, aud
q redeemed by his own blood law has been
passed for The recovery Of fugitive slave, Which
for its cool violation Of all the received and &C
knowlcdgcd principles OF judicial justice, for lis
outrages on humanity, and for its arbitrary re
uuirement OF every citizen 10 assist Ia slave
nunt when commanded by an official mental, il
unexamped in the legislation Of any chri tiar
country. Yet an active agency in the execution
of this most detesiabie law has been made, even
by professed ministers OF the gospel, a test Of
christian obedience.
The success which has thus far attended the
combined effort 10 which We have referred, has
been in great measure owing TO the fanciCd
security of the north and the slim uated violence
Of the South.
EXTENSION or SLAVERY AND rAEIc ABOUT THE
UNION.
The war against Mexico was waged for the
acqisi,ion Of slave territory, and great was the
fear felt by the North that human bondage
would be extended TO the shores Of the Pacific.
No less than fourteen States protested, through
their legislatures, against any enlargement OF
the area OF .lavery. The voice Of Daniel Web
ster was raised 10 warn biz coun,Tymen Of The
impending calamity, and TO approve and enforce
/, the great principles announced by the Free Soil
conye7tion al Buffalo. The innate love Of LID.
crty was awakened throughout the North, aud
its Representatives IN Congress bowed 10 the
will of their constituents; aud all the devices
. of the Shareholders 10 procure terri oral gov.
the slavery nf a portion Of the inhabitants, were
defeated. Soon the Wmot pfOvi.o applied
with the MSS uanre Of Daniel Webster, TO Ore
gon, secured that important territory TO freedom
This va, followed Ly the joyful intelli ence
that New Mexico and California had both adOp
ted State constitutions prohibiting slavery. A
shout Of victory a.csndcd from the North, and
; the greatness OF the triumph was supposed to
, be attested by the waiings Of des Grafton ut.
tered bv the Shareholders. IL was at this mo.
a ment Of fancied security that the capitalists and
politicians couIrived panic about the Union
and traders ia Southern votes and merchandise
. devised the patriotic work Of saving the Uoon
by surrerdefing the territories Of New Mexico
, and Utah 70 the Shareholders, and making slave
hunting national duty. under regulations oi
, extraordinary cruelty. The work was FASTENED
, on BY the most astounding treachery, supported
by the au1acious assumption that the law Of
physical geography and Asatic scenery rendered
il physically impossible that any portion Of the
-. vast reCon conquered from Mexico could ever
, be trodden by slaves.
II A dissolution Of the Union could have nc
other eff ct on The slavehd1dng interest than to
/ break down those bulwsrks which the federal
government, from its beginning, has been busy
in raising around il, aud 20 rouse all beyond the
Il slave territory into active hostility. But al
4 though the Union was in little danger, the word
of saving il was 40 less profitable than patr
4 otto, as il tended TO prevent the political ard
. commercial nOn.intercourse threatened by the
I'll South ard the proceedings Of Unionsavine
9 committees we're found convenient mode oil
i advertising for the trade and votes Of the slave
y holders In this manner an influence was ex
2 erted, which, aided by the supposed security Of
u the North, led to the socalled compromise, IL
h which the fruits Of the recent victory were al
8 thrown away, with the single exception of the
J., anti slavery constitution Of California. Some
II thing was, indeed, gained to the character of the
national capital, by prohibiting the importation
Y Of slaves for sale, but nothing 10 the cause o
d humanity, since the traffic was only transferred
II from Washington TO Alexandria. In return fol
the Californian constitution, which Congress
o could not have prevented and did not dare tc
: annul, we have had the prodigious enlargement
a OF the slave State If Texas, the abandonment
Of New Mexico and Utah TO slavery, and the
4 II