The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-09
SPEECH OF GEN. CASS At DETROIT.
Defence Of Constitutional Rights Separated from
The Dehs:s Of Slavery.
yINDICATIoE OF TIE DOCTRINE OF
sQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY.
Views cg the Fathers Of The Aerubn, and Of
EriiIsh Statesmen OH the Subject.
Declaration OF Personal Independence OF the
STANDARDIZATION from Their Men, but
Adhesion TO ts,c Constitution,


Gen. Csss delivered an elaborate speech at tie
City Hal in Deficit On the evening of tn 4tA inst
he embraced the occas'o. 70 src ? full coL-sidera-
ton of the Kansas Nebrasss act, tho principles Of
which met his entire d 70 bat N. We have select.
cd for publication OILY Tat part of his speech
referring to the attacks made upon him by the
Richmond Erguiy.r. After calling upon the West
ern and Southern democracy to staod up for the
rights o the Soah, aoi to resist with all their
energies the dangerous and subversve abolition ten
denotes Of the age, threatening the most fatal COL
sequences 10 the Union, Gen. CAss said:-
That there is natural feeling in the huma1
breast against the existence of slavery, do
not question. Mr. Jefferson called it vrtu
Gus feeling" 1t oiigpates undoubtedly In viz.
tuous moiives ss do sl emotions caused by mis-.
f,rture through the world. We should take care
q at their Indulgence works injustice to the posi-
tion OF views of Others. As American citizens you
nave noting TO d. with the of slavery out Of
your State except 10 carry into effect the pro-
vision Of the constitution for the surrender Of fug
tives from labor aud faithfully to observe its stipu
iatious respecting the principles Of taxation and
representation connected with that institution.
Here your duty is exhausted. And you must not mis-
take your objections to slavery for right to inter
question, as upon any other abstract ques
ton, of good or evil, can give no just Cause
of offence while expressed with becoming
moderation. But you must no. assume these
sentiments as the measure of your rights or
of your obligations. The question for an honest.
patriotic American, when he comes to exercise his
functions as citizen. is not whether he regrets ths
existence OF slavery but what right he has to touch
lila and ia i,fiou ,rs =
former. The constitution alone can justify the lat.
ter.
A short time since made some remarks before
he Democratic State Convention, assembled in this
hall, explanatory of my views and course in rel alton
to the Nebraska and Kansas bills Entrusted with
portion of the legislative power Of the State in the
general government. appeared before respectable
body OF my constituents to render an account of my
stewardship. An effort was every where making,
and everywhere 1t had been more or less successful
to produce the impression that all those who gu D
ported these bills In Congress were proslayery ueu
to use the cant phrase of the day. and that their ad
vocacy Of these measures conclusive evidsnce Of
their alteration from the principles of freedom and
of their devotion to those of slavery l chose to
put myself right upon this point, and while main
tanning the just poser Of other portions of the
as they pleased, to express my belief that slavery
was misfortune for any country. chose to have
tdstinctly understood that it was cot the insttu-
t On itself was defending, but the political rights
o. other sections Of the country under the coastta-
tcn. Certainly could DO little ju rtice to mys slt
tile benefit to constitutional principle which is
dear to me, by sndesvoring to conceal these sent
ments, ami by placing myselft false position before
rhn hal al . hair ind
ment upon the condition of slavery by exclu ding
from the State. And ia conformity with these
views, i stated that considered slavery social
and political evil misfortune for any country.
And this is the substance of wha. thea said, as it
is the substance Of Vhat had said before here and
in the Senate and VII, re- at home and abr Dad.
was reported to have added that slavery was also
moral evil did not say SO. do not think 50, ua-
der the circumsta ices in which it exists in the
Southern States, Such an assertion would have been
inconsistent with the main position assumsd-that
the present inhabitants of those States not res
ponsibe for the introduction of slavery, nor dill /
zee bow it was possible for them to abolish it.
For the expression of these views have been AZ
rasued by the Richmond Enquirer, in terms not
less arrogant than virulent-irst denounced and
then reuonnced. have been fnslly expelled from
the democratic psrty, by its decree Of exsom NUM-
cation. But, as i am not in the habit of submit
ting to assumption, nor presumption, so shall not
submit to both, even when united in the columns OF
that once Justly and highly esteemed journal. How
are tie mighty fallen.
As well ss can analyze the objurgatlons of the
Enquirer, its eoitor, or its ex cathedrs writer,
seems net Gully to make i. . cause OF offence that
have entertained and expressed these sentiments
respecting slavery but that have done SO at this
time, ga though this were the first time had done
it. Why have thought it proper recently sgan to
explain my views, have just stated; and it never
occurred to me that any reasonable or dsp sssonate
man North or south, would object to SO reasonable
measure; and indeed, have yet to learn taas any
such man has so objected. II is not the first II in
deed il IS the twentieth TINS, have found it
say to separate the defeace Of constitutional ghts
from the defence of slavery, and editor is s for
mis- position who deems my sentiments upon this
suhjs CT worth conn entary, aud who censu-el ny
course Without ascertaIning what It has BEEN, or,
haSizg ssee,tainsd it, chooses 20 misrsprese8t t..
Ny cIir cn. thai slsvers Is al evil, hes been spread
before toe coursry time and sgain, aad n re than
once urcer circumstsn e. to Gain .cr very gene Al
attention. In 1912 Ia the psGvolst pu0iisaei IN
Paris exposing the consequen 6 and i1jussce OF
the Quintuple Treaty, ssic-
We are no stakeholder we never have been We mover
shan be We dePrecste It's existence in principle ami
pray for its abolition everywhere where that be
ieeted Justly, pcaceably and wisely
In ny ester to Mr.. Nicholson, ia Dssember, l5i7,
said
We may well regret the existence Of slavery in the
southern states aud wish they hal been Tree from il, In
PRODUCTION.
These views we've ktoFn 70 ev - Southern PoIlIi-
cian BEIGE Toe Baltimore CoBveBlo1 ~ 1873
on We l2to o. FebrnGry, 1860, remarked IN 10
Genatt.--