The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-22
AID AND COMFORT TO SLAVERY


correspondent would be glad to hear from
MS statement of the amount of aid and COM
fort given to Slavery by the American Gov
eminent the American Press, the American
Pulpit, and the American Church. We have
been making this statement for fifteen years
and have not yet completed it. 1t our cores
pendent could lay his hands upon five volumes
of the National Era and ten or eleven volumes
Of the Cincinnati Herald and Philanhropia
and read all the editorials and ESSAYS, and
speeches and reports, contained in them, he
would be furnished with some materials to aid
him in the solution of the question he has sub
mtted
| But, we must not leave him without "a word
or two
If he will look to an extract of a speech on
our first page, from Senator Downs, of Louis-
ana, he will find Southern testimony to the
vast support given to Slavery by the American
Government. After he has fully digested that
he can then weigh the following facts
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
the United States, and majority of Judges of
that Court; are from the Slave States
The President of the United States, though
n citizen of a free State has signalzed his Adj
ministraton only by his zeal in the mainte-
nance and enforcement of measures dictated
by the Slave Power.
The Speaker Of the House of Representa-
tives and the President of the Senate are from
the Slave States
The organization of both Houses is under
the control of Shareholders
Nearly every important committee in both
branches has Il slavehoding chairman, and
a majority shareholders In the Senate, Mr.
Mason Of Virginia is Chairman of tho Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, backed up by
Messrs. Mangum and Underwood, stanch Con-
servatiyes from the Slave States-Douglas and
Norris being the only members from the
free States. OF the Committee on Finance,
MIR. Hunter of Virginia is Chairman three
out of the five members are shareholders,
though one, Mr. Bright, is from Indiana Mr.
Shields of Illinois is Chairman of the Com
mittee on Military Affairs but every member
besides is from the South In the Committee
on the Militia, the Chairman is from a Slave
State, and but one member from free State
Mr.. Atchison of Missouri is Chairman of the
Committee on Indian Affairs, and all the men,
bers, but one, (Mr, Cooper of Pennsylvania
are from Slave States Mr.. Butler of South
Carolina is Chairman of the Committee on the
Judiciary, and all the members, but one, (Mr
4 Bradbury Of Alaine,) are from Slave States
1The Committee on the Post Office and Post
Roads is composed Of three from the slave
States, and two from the free, the Chairman
being from slave State. The Committee on
the Library, which has a censorship over the
literature of Congress consists of three men,
bers two from Slave States, one MIR Dodge
of Iowa y from free State
| There are six other committees of consider
able Importance on which the Free States
furnish majorlties but if we analyze them,
we shall find that the Shareholders have been
careful to take security in the character of the
members. Mr.. Gwin of California is Chair.
man OF the Committee on Naval Affairs but
he is an cmigrant from Mississippi. and has
acted quite uniformly with the Shareholders
Mr. Stockton, who stands next to him, we
all remember MS having pledged New Jersey
and other Northern States to go with the slave
holding States in the event of dissolution of
the Union. Two other members are from the
Slave States Mr., Fish of New York il the
only representative of Free State sentiments,
and he IL passive rather than active Mr..
Dodge of Iowa, who always goes with the
South, MIR. Underwood of Kentucky, and Mr.
Pratt of Maryland constitute the majority of
the Committee on the Public Lands Mr.. Brod-
head, who has always glored in his loyalty to
the Slave Power, Mr. Whitcomb who has al
ways bowed reverentially before it Mr., Bayard
of Delaware, and Mr. Pratt of MARYLAND,
make up the Committee of Claims, with Mr.
Wade Of Ohio, who, being Free Soil Wing,
is placed ut the tail Two shareholders, two
Northern men with Southern principles, and
one Free Soil Wing compose the Committee
on Pensions. The Committee for the District
Of Columbia has but one Shareholder on it, but
two Northern men, Bradbury of Maine, and
Norris OF New Hampshire, will always 60 with
him against any action on the subject Of Sla-
very in the District Of Columbia, and these
three constitute the majority. The compost
ton of the Committee on Territories speaks
for itself-Douglas Chairman Houston of
Texas, Gwin Of California, lately of Missis-