New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-01
,r1IlnsnN AND sLAvrrY.

late stump speech OF Senator Atciison IN hssohri'
which We find reported in The Giasgoao TINES ailoris
fresh evidence Of tho activity Of the slavery men in
op,oslton TO the organization Of Nebraska, while it
Oilers remarkable example, Of yacillatiug judgment
and svervre purposes the part OF that very shallow
gentleman Mr.. Atchson made speech on the last
sy OF tie last Session of Congress on the subject OF
the organization of Territorial Government Tor Ne
braska We laid portion OF that speech before our
readers the other day containing an admission that its
author went 10 Washington year ago opposed to Ne
braska for the that slaves were excluded from he
territory by the Missouri Compromise 1t Also contained
an ayowal that be lad changed his ground during the
session. and lad determined vote for the organlza-
ton Of tie territory seen that he could not discover
spv WAY to get around the provisions of the COmpro
mise and be had no hope Of their repeal On that oc-
cason Mr. AtcbisOn had to try twice before ne could
make I'D bis mind fully 70 avow his real reasons why
he was against Nebraska at first aud why he had con
cuded 10 vote for the organization Of the territory at
last But he finally got the reason out and this afnls-
sion disclosed the secret Of the hostility manifested IN
the Senate on that question BY the speech before US
If appenrs that Nj Atchison has turned another SOM
erset and gone back to his original position He now
distinctly opposes the territorial organization of Ne
braska and ayows that be shall 90 against it, notwith'
standing bis last speech in Congress made in its
favor.
The subject of slavery in all its aspects is constant
source of misery to it's friends II is ghost that for
ever haunts their sleeping and their waking dreams
It is a phantom that constantly preoccupies their
thoughts and their Imagination. 1t is the skeleton in
the house only that they viii never be quiet upon it,
but Unnecessarily dwell upon its horrors. The Shareholder,
or the supporter of slavery in this our day. is emPhat-
csy over and above every other man, the creature OF
but one idea Slavery is lis meat and his drink. 1t
is the atmosphere in which LIE breathes 1t is his com
panion by night and by day 1t is the fountain OF all
his Own thoughts and it it the weight and measure by
which he estimates the thoughts of every other man.
Nothing comes to him on its own merits and unencum
bered either from the realms of mind matter.
Every truth of religion every dictate Of charity every
sentiment of philanthropy, every glowing hope AMI
every generous feeling every fact Of science and every
deduction of Logic before being accepted counten
anced by him. has 10 be examined in its influence upon
slavery And accordingly as its bearing is for against
so decided the question of its reception into the mind
And espec ally is decided the question whether it
shall be allowed to direct influence the conduct OF
the individual Tie support and defense of Chattel
Slavery necessates the most AFFECT mental seryitude
and creates a slavery Of the SOUL which to every truly
independent mind, is thousand times more CALLING
than tie worst letters of the worst physical bondage
We daily feel melancholy at the straits into
which the supporters Apologies and defenders
of slavery driven The natural instincts of justice AMI
right often prompt them TO do some good act They
no sooner begin than they arrested in it by the
fe genius that dogs their footsteps and whose sugges
tien is their law Tie beauty Of truth often seduces
them into a ready assent which is scarce half pro-
nounced ere the expression is checked qualified, or
WITHHELD enti5ely. For such mental bondage, such
slavery TO slavery such pererson of the powers which
alone elevate man in the scale of being such stutca
ton of the intellect and such self inflicted dungeon in
generation of the soul who help feeling pity AMI
cOmniseratiOn
Thus we even pity Mr.. Atchison, thoughwe confess
that we do not think that either his moral mental
organization is of such texture that it will suffer much
from the consciousness of his lodging tergyersatOns
But it is pits lie to any man who has been elevated
TO the position of United States Senator thus running
from one side TO another of question beating about
and lodging from hedge to hedge like stoned squirrel
on measure of legislation which he should approach
ike man. consider like man. and decide like a man.
That lie does not DO it in this case but faters and hes
itates deciding first one way and then another, foong
away what little capital of respectable medocrity he
had to begin with is because be Of the poor sticks
under that degrading subsection 70 Slavery, OF which
we have spoken lie is consistent in nothing but in his
featy to the peculiar institution To this degenerate and
nglorou condition how many of the public men Of our
day are meanly aiming believing it to be the only goal
of political success and distinction