Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-24

Washington SO long and had yet the buying
and selling Of men, women and children. which is going
on here continually under the eye and the authority
the American Government Did he, ask suppose MIR.
Husemann TO be ignorant Of the fact that the American
Government the great for American slave
holders Did he suppose him ignorant Of the fact that
the great American slave trade finds in the American Go
its great patron and that this slave trade is
carried not only under the general protection but
der the specific regulations Of Congress! Did he sup
pose him TO be ignorant of the fact that many both the
North and South, claim that American slavery is ma
tonal institution-made SUCH indeed by the American
Constitution 1t is at any rate made such by the
ments of Congress- the decisions of the judiciary and the
acquiescence of the American people.
1t is common remark that at the North have no.
thing to do with slavery and that the slave States only
have to do with it, But well may you, when you
urging me up hill with heavy load upon my back and
your lash upon my back, tell that have nothing to
do either with the load the lash The North feels the
load and the lash of slavery Did Mr. Marcy suppose
Mr. Hulsemann to be ignorant of the fact that this Ad
mnstration surpasses oil its predecessors in shameless
pledges and devotion to the slave powers Certainly
Secretary with all his signal ability fell into very great
mistake ut this point. would call it very ludcrous
mistake were it not suggestive of wckednes to be
painful rather than a ludicrous mistake
But sir, wish to do Secretary perfect justice
and should leave this matter here might leave the i'm
preston upon the minds of my hearers that the Secreta
ry enoined absolute obedience to this commandment Of
God which he presumed to quote. Now he did such
thing He remembered American slavery and the fugi-
tive slave act and provided for their safety The Secre
tary that to obey the Divine command to do
unto others ms would have others do unto US, only
when there is command of men the contrary In
word he adopts the American theologythe pro-savery
/ theology-which exalts the wisdom of above the
wisdom of God, the authority of man above the au-
shority God Christianity says the Secretary requires
to do unto others would have others do unto US,
except when zee acting under legal restraints
Now, sir, this exception is sheer Interpolation of the
Secretary. This law, find it in the authentic and
sacred record of Christianity is absolute The Admins
tration therefore guilty of deliberately corruptng
Christianity. Sir admit that the Administration was
under strong temptation in this to corrupt Chris
ianity admit it, and yet hold that this temptation
should have been resisted
that if the Administration had put the JUS
tihcation of Captain Ingrahams conduct upon simple
Bible truth, they would, in doing, have opened wide
the door for the of American fugitive slave
they would have justified the of Shadrach of
ton they would have justified the celebrated rescue in
my neighborhood-l mean the of Jerry of SYRIA
cuse; they would have justified the shedding of
blood at Christiann nay sir they would have justified
the liberation of every slave in the land
Now sir, to suppose that an Administration which had
sold itself in advance to the slave power that Admin
lsraon which had surpassed every other in its devotion
to that power which its hopes and its very being
that power-to suppose, say, that such Adminstra-
ton would take the simple Bible ground which would
would practice the Such ngratitude
could not have failed to exasperate that power-that
mighty dominant power, before which only oil Anne
rcan Administrators but the American people them
selves fall down abjectly did Nebuchadnezzars
people before the image which he had set up.
And yet, sir hold that the Administration had no
right to give up Christianity for slavery Important as
1t be to maintain slavery, it is nevertheless more i'm
portant to maintain Christianity and neither this nor an
other Administration shall with my consent deliberately
corrupt Christianity either to slavery any
other purpose. And if the immortal John Wesley was
right in calling American slavery the sum of all villa
MES then 1t is certainly very poor bargain give up
Christianity for it..
Sir this doctrine that the law of God shall not prevail
he lavR ,f Al
lily the law of God with the law Of man. doctrine as
perious to man is dishonorabe God 1t not only
leaves rights to God but it leaves no rights to man
What sir if the Turks had statute declaring that every
man, Austrian born, might be kidnapped? Then &C
cordng to this doctrine of the Administration could
not have rescued Koszta because his kdnappers were
acting under legal restraints"
will suppose too that there statute in Turkey
providing that every man might be kidnapped who is
American born then, according this doctrine of the
Administration, could not American citizens IL
kidnapped IN Turkey But sir suppose the Secretary of
State himself were kidnapped, the President Of
the United States then according the doctrine of the
could not reclaim either Of these great
men, Now, the supposton that such great men may be
kidnapped ensaved is by no means absurd The great
Cervantes ensaved the great Arago was enslaved
and may be that even those great to whom have
referred may yet be enslayed. know, sir, that such
men are casting their mighty influence for African sla
very, and for the multiplication of its victims know
that they dream not Of the possibility of their ever being
enslavedof that chalce which they present to the lips of
such retrbution, yet terrible than this life
can afford may be the retrbution for such stupendou
treachery and hostility to the human brotherhood Ma
poleon Who when at the zenith of his greatness had the
noble but ifated Touisant P0uverture carried across
the waters to die in prison. little dreamed that he him
SELF in few short years. would be carried across the wa
tiers to die in q prison
Sir at that last great day. for which, has been sub
timely said "al other days made" when men shall
be judged for the deeds done in the body not be
among the number of those who have welded civil pow
er to bind and multiply the victims Of oppression When
consider the tendency of power to such perverson
confess that shrink from possessing it. lest too might
be tempted to lend it the instead Of the op
pressed /" SO returned" says the wise man. and
considered all expressions which are done under the sun
and oehed the tears Of such oppressed and they
had no comforter for on the side Of their
there was power, but they had no comfort
Again. sir this doctrine Of the Administration goes to
blot all over that page of history Of which Americans are
so proud refer 10 that which records the brilliant
achievements Of Decatur and his companions in the
Mediterranean. This doctrine Of the Administration
that we should do to others would have them do tn
US, except when under legal restraints this doctrine
say, being right would justify the Agerues in that case
for insulting American citizens and would condemn us
for chassng the Agerines and by the way let me say
that they were very severely chastsed considering that
being the most ignorant Of all classes of
they the least guilty.
Sir, this doctrine Of the Administration goes to con-
denim every war that have been engaged in for
when have waged against any others than those
acting under legal restraints" When tell me when
Alas SIR what pitiable spectacle does our Admnistra
ton present in thus wlfuy ccrruptng christianity for
the sake OF saving vile and abominabe a thing az
slavery And then, sir what pitiable spectacle do the
american people present in choosing such Admins
Taton and Ia remaining patient under il! How deep
ana broad and glazing is the brand Of hypocrisy upon
inc prov Of the American people Here stands America