Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-12-30

J.
bcstow unqualified praise on our Government
for the koszta affair. In one of the passages
in the letter of Mr. Marcy to Mr. Hulsemann
of rare rhetorical beauty he ventures to insi-
nuate the dcspotsm of Austria, He would
not say this was impudent hypocrisy, but it
was in bad taste, for America is a far greater
guilticr opprcssor. Austrian despotism com
pared with ours, which degrades men tu
chattcls, is as the little finger to the loins.
Secretary Marcy mentions in his justification
of Captain Ingraham the divine law" Do
unto others rs we would have them do unto
us" Was not this the very acme OF presuml-
tiOn for an American Secretary to quote this
while the nation is trampling under foot mil
lions of its inhabitants Did Mr.. Marcy sup
pose Mr.. llulsemann stone blind, and that he
had lived in Washington SO long as never to
see the buying and selling of men, women and
children going on continually And did MIR.
Marcy suppose Mr.. Ilulscmann ignorant of
the fact that this Government is the great
sluvecatcher for the Shareholders Did he
suppose Mr.. Ilulsemann did not know that
the slave trade finds in the American Govern
ment its greatest patron that it comes not
only under general regulation but specific re-
gulation of Congress Did Mr.. Marcy sup
pose Mr.. Ilusemann was ignorant of the fact
that this Administration surpasscs all its pre-
decessors in shameless pledges anu devotion to
the slave power The Secretary oXa.,a the
wisdom of man above che wisdom ut ,t,.
when he says Christianity requires us to do
unto others as we would have others do unto
us, except when acting under lcgal restraints
This latter is sheer Interpolation of the Secrc-
tary The Administration is guilty at this
point OF attempting to corrupt Christianity
in the sacred and authentic record. The
Bible command is absolute. lie was aware
that had the Administration put the justica-
tion of Capt. Ingraham's conduct on simple
Bible truth it would have opened the door
for the rescue of every American slave. He
supposed the Administration had sold itself
istration had no right to give up Christianity
for slavery. 1t should not have inoddlcd with
the Bible.
Mr.. Preston said-Living as he did in a
Slave State, and confident Of the propriety of
holding that kind of property ty-bclir,ing
firmly in the rights which were recognized
by the founders Of the Government, who laid
Its basis deep and strong, and which, he
hoped, would endure iorcyrr-bclcvng that
Il degree of patriotism as great as that Of the
gentleman from New York animated their ho-
SONS and their descendants, and with all the
strength of conviction which language could
express as to the justice of holding slaves, he
was not one Of those who could listen with
Indifference to the gentleman S remarks. He
trusted he could show that the Southern Re
prcsentativcs were not the upholdcrs Of the
most oncrOus tyranny, but men Cf scnsc-
not misguided by wild enthusiasm, such as
would shake the fabric of our institutions.
In the letter of Mr.. Marcy the doctrine an
nouncod was that Koszta was clothed with
i.
tion to become an American citizen. When
he went to Smyrna he was beyond the reach
of Austrian capture and the reach of the
House Of Hapsburg; but he would ask the
gentleman if II solemn treaty did not exist by
which the faith Of the American Government
was pledged for the release Of kOszta We
have something more than treaty and COM
pact. With the Constitution of our country.
and Bible in hand, the gentleman implorcs
one hundred and twcnty-siX members here, To
commit perjury, and acting on the higher
law, speaks about the surrender Of property
contrary 70 the guarantees of that instrument
which binds the States in union. We hold
our slaves, he said, because there are two
races which were planted here before the pre-
sent government was founded. We hold them
because we are not willing to amalgamatc,
any more than the people Of New York, with
the negroes. We want to keep our Teutonic
blood pure, to he worthy descendants of our
great race We will keep them till God shall
POINT the time when they are entitled to free
dom. The ordinances Of the Almighty are
strange, beyond our comprehension lie then
eloquently traced the progress of slavery ar
guing that emancipation must be of slow pro-
gress-not violent. Let us, said he, wait and
God in his good time will accomplish the OBJ
Ject,