The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-29

Mr.. SELLERS, of Maryland Mr.. Chair.
man, what is the question before the House!
The CHAIRMAN. Mr.. Orr. Of South Carolina
Does the gentleman from Maryland rise to
question of order
Mr.. SELLERS. do.
The CHAIRMAN. What is the gentleman's
question
Mr.. SELLERS. want to know what is the
subject before the House
THE CHAIRMAN. The subject is the refer
ence of the Presidents Message.
Mr.. Sellers. The gentleman from New
York is making an Abolition speech, and | do
not see its relevancy to the question before the
House.
-THE CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from New
York is entitled to the floor. and he is in order
Mr. SMITH. The gentleman from MARYLAND
says, that | am making an Abolition speech
am. and ! hope he will be patient under it.
!, in my turn, will be patient under an Anti.
Abolition speech.
But-l will proceed in my illustrations of the
sbsurdity of this atheistic doctrine of the Ad-
minstration. What, too, if there we're stat
ute of Turkey, declaring it right to kdnap any
person, who is American born. Then. accord.
ing to this corrupt theology OF the Admins
an American citizen, who might be kidnapped
in Turkey. Aud what, too, if acting under
human authority, OF, in the language Of the
Administration "under legal restraint" the
people of one of the Barbary States should
kidnap Secretary Marcy, and even President
Pierce himseif-then, also, according to this
God-dethroBing doctrine of the Administers
tiOn our hands would be tied and we should
ho, III - L.. -. IL
men. The suppositon, that such distinguished
meD can be kidnapped is not absurd The
great Cervantes was a slave in one of the Bar
barry States. So, too, was the great Arago
And it is not beyond the pale of possibility,
that even the great Secretary and the great
President may yet be slaves | am aware,
that they, who stand up 80 stoutly for Slavery,
and for the multiplication Of its victims, dream
not that they themselves can ever be its vic.
tins. They dream not, that this chalice, which
they put to the lips of Others, can ever be re-
turned to their own. And, yet even this ter
rible retribution, OF one still more terrible than
any which this life can afford, may be the ret
ributi0n of such stupendous treachery and en-.
nifty to the human brotherhood Little did
Napoleon think, when with perfdy unuttera-
BILE, be had the noble but ill. fated Toussaint
EOuverturc carried across the waters, to perish
in a prison,
" That he himself thon greatest among men,
Should, in like manner, be SO soon conveyed
Athwart the deep
to perish also, in prison.
10 that great day flor which, as it has been
sublimely said, all other days were made) when
every man shall receive the things done in his
body" let me not be found of the number Of
those, who have welded civil Office to bind and
multiply the victims of oppression When
witness the tendency of power in human hands
be it civil or ecclesiastical, or any other power
to such perverson ! shrink from possessing it,
lest |, to-, might be tempted to lend it to the
oppressor instead of the oppressed $50 re-
turned" says the wise man, and considered
all the expressions that are done under the
sun and behold the tears Of such as were op-
pressed, and they had no comforter: and on
the side of their oppressors there was power
but they had no comforter"
proceed to say, that this detestable doe.
trine of the Administration goes to blot all
over that page of history, of which Americans
are 80 proud. ! mean that page which record,
the famous achievement of Decatur and hi,
brave companions in the Mediterranean. For
it must be remembered, that the Algerine slave
holders, who were so severely chastised, and
that, too notwithstanding, being the most gno
rant, they were the least guilty class of slave
holders. say, it must be remembered, tina
these Algerine shareholders acted under hui
man Government, or, in the words Of the AID
ministra,ion, under legal restraint anC
were therefore, according to the wisdom of tn,
Administration, released from all obligation
10, a 20 nth tbos, l., Al.
do unto them and were at entire liberty to en-
slave Americans as well az other people
| add, that this blasphemous doctrine of the
Administration leaves unjustifed, and utterly
condemns, every war; which this nation ha
waged for every such war has been against
people acting under the authority of their Gov
eminent, or IN tho language of the Admins
tration, "under legal restraint" What if on
enemy, 10 fighting against us, was guilty o
fighting against God was guilty of tramplin,
under foot the Divine law? Nevertheless, &C
cording to the sage teachings of the Admins
tration his guilt was OVERLAND with innocence
from the fact that he was "acting under lega
restraint" Surely it will not be pretended
that our transgressions of the Divine law ar,
excused by our illegal restraint" and that tn,
like transgressions, on the part of others, can
not be excused by the like cause. Surely i
we may put in the plea of legal restraint
against Divine laws 80 may others.
Alas, what a disgusting spectacle does tn,
Administration present in its deliberate cor
ruption of the Bible for the guilty purpose o
sparing 80 abominable and vile thing as Sla
very Alas, what pitisble spectacle of self
degradation does this nation present, in choos
ing such an Administration, and in remaining
patient under il And how rank, and broad
and glaring IL the hypocrisy upon the brow o.
that nation, who, whilst her feet are planted
on the millions she has doomed TO the horror,
and agonies and pollutons of Slavery, holds
nevertheless, in one hand, that precious Heav
en- sent volume, which declares that God
hath made OF one blood all nations of men
for 70 dwell on all the face of the earth" and
in the other, that emphaticalIy American pa.
per, which declares that q" all men are created
equal" And how greatly is the guilt of thu
nation, in her matchess expressions, aggrava
ted by the fact that she owes infinitely more
than ever did any other nation to Christianity
and liberty and knowledge and that she is
therefore, under infinitely greater obligation
than was ever any other nation to set an example
blessed in all its influences, both at home and
abroad Other nations began their existence
in unfav0rable circumstances. They laid their
foundations in despotism, and Ignorance, and
superstition. But Christianity, and liberty, and
knowledge, waited upon the birth of this ma
ton, anu breathed into ii the breath of Life
My hour is nearly up, and will bring my
remarks to n close After all, the Admnstra.
ton has done US good service, in attempting TO
qualify the Divine command to do unto others,
az We would have others do unto us; for, in
at emptiDg to do this for the sake OF saving
Slavery, it has, by irresistible implication, ad.
mitted, that the cpmmssd itself requires us to
" let the oppressed 20 free"
This precious law of CID contains, ss they
are wont to insist ample authority for all the
demands of the Abolitionists--.hat despised
elias. of men, to which ! am always ready to
declare, that belong. Hence, the Admins
tration, in quoting thls law rs the great rule Of
,onduct her ween men has in no unirn Dorta