Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-04-05

l.
INV ne;ohlor as for myself. To sacrifice m
liberty for the sake of union is impossible
God made me free and cannot be IN bono
ACE To any man. These l believe to be Il ,
sentiments OF the free States, and therefore
is MS a friend of the union, that L prote
against this bill. - ~,
Rnt there is another feature in this bill,
which deserves to be considered. Inc conse
ouence Gifts passage must be the aestrucuo
of the Indian tribes within the teriltory Wihc
il uroposes TO establish. These poor red me
had already begun to cultivate land, and We
advancing in civilization and ehristianit
when. in defiance of hundred treaties, the
were savaeelv torn up by the roots and tram
nlonted to their present location, and in Il
removal one third of their whole number pei
ished. Every guarantee that could bind
moral agent was given them, that they shoul
remain unmolested in their present resden,
forever. They are now rapidly improvin
their condition. They have schools admirabl
conducted, churches of Christ under the care
almost every Protestant denomination the
are introducing manufactures, and, in fac
will lose nothing by comparison with th>
whites in their vicinity. Shall these Chrii
tan men and women be again driven away
Shall the most solemn treaties ever ratified
the Senate of the United States be again vic
lateds Shall an act Of cruelty, unparalleled
the history of civilized man, be perpetTatt
because the victims are weak, and their skin
are reds Has no man any rights unless b 5
skin is white: or has just God given permits
sion to white men to defraud, and enslave, an
murder their fellow men with impunitys
Lastly, protest against the passage of this
bill as Christian.
1t is my firm belief, Mr.. President, the be-
lief on which / rest my hope of salvation, Thu :
the Son Of God assumed our nature and die
for our sins, that we might escape the con
domination deserved by our transgression. {
believe that he died for the redemption Of cur
whole race. for the ignorant and down-troC
den African, as much as for his naughty Al
glo-Saxon oppressor While on earth, he che )
the lot ola poor man, and of an oppressed MAJ :.
thus showing us that it was this class whic .
shared His deepest sympathies. He came Sc
preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim Ill
erty to the captive, and the opening of Il
prison doors to them that are bound" II
himself died by the hand of oppression, an
He has taught us that the poor and the op
pressed are his representatives always remain
ing, and that we must manifest our love
him by charity TO them. "Inasmuch as
have done it to one of the least of them, \,
have done it unto me- flake heed" sal
he, sthat We offend not one of these lit
ones" Taking Christ then, for my exampl,
and striving to imbibe his spirit, can l d
otherwise than take to my bosom every o.
pressed and down-trodden child of humanity
Jesus Christ, my master, is not ashamed I
call them brethren, and can / have any par
nership in an attempt to trample them unde
FOOT The Union itself becomes to me an at
cursed thing, if / must first steep it in ii
tears and blood of those for whom Chris.
died.
ID IL, IL &c
of these black and red men, whose deare,
rights are sacrificed by this bill, are, in Il
strictest sense, our Christian brethren. Son
are Episcopalans some PresbytenaDs, but
far the largest part are Baptists ard Metho
dists They sit down with us at the same ia
Bile of the Lord; they are, equally with u
members of his body; they share with us til
same gift of his Holy spirit, and hope within
to be ever with the Lord. And can Chris
tan men joisA hands with the oppressors
their brethrens Can we allow it to be de
clared in our name, as American Christians
that throughout this vast region our Chris
tian brethren shall be delivered sNver to bru
violence, and that it shall be mad a crimet
teach them to read the word Of their Savior
and ours Can we do this, and hope to b
forgiven
And here Let me appeal to Christians at tn
South. have conversed with many of thel
on this subject; they have confessed SLAYER,
to be wrong, and they have mourned over ii
blighting influence on religion and morals
They have told me, and believe them, tina
it is Their daily prayer that this curse may b
removed that they would cheerfully max
any sacrifice for its REMOVAL but that, at pres
ent, they see no way Of escape from it. Blu
could my voice reach them, / would say
brethren, can you, as disciples of Christ, ali
to be wrongs Can you pray God to remoy,
slavery from our country, while you are seek
ing to fasten it upon the country forever
Could / address Southern statesmen, ]
would address to them similar appeal.
have conyersed with many of them, men o
whom any country might be proud. The.
have told me that slavery was the curse of tn
Southern States, that utterly indefensible il.
principle, in practice it wrought unmixed evil
in every relation of life, civil, social and do
mestic. / would say to them, can you as low
ers Of your country, extend over this vast ter
ritory an institution which you in private al
low to be unmeasured evil, an evil already SO
gigantic that you are already unable to cope
with it, Nay, more, are you willing, in or
der to extend and perpetuate this wrong, to
overturn the foundations of the constitution
and violate your solemnly pighted faith; Can
you expect that after this we can look upon
you as brethren: If you will trample on the
essential principles of the constitution, and
annul contract which You declared should
be binding forever, IN order to attain uncon-
trolled power over the free States, how may
we expect that power to be exerted after it
has been attained If such things are done
in the green tree what shall be done in the dry
Once more, could I hope that my words
could reach the ear OF the President Of the
United States, with the respect due SO the
Chief Magistrate of my country, would adj
dress him somewhat in this wise: sit has
pleased Divine Providence, sir, to place you
in the most responsible situation now held by
any man on earth. Itrests with you to decide
whether this vast territory, comprising it may
be, twenty independent States, shall become
the abode Of happy freemen, or Of down
trodden slaves; whether man shall be recog-
nized as being formed in the image of God,
or degraded to chattel, he shall be sold in
the shambles like the beasts that perish;
whether in the conflict between freedom and
despotism, for which the civilized world is
preparing, the mighty influence Of this great
republic shall be thrown in favor of the OPP
pressor or the oppressed. You have the right
to arrest this measure as grave departure
from the principles of the constitution, and
violation Of solemnly pledged national faith.
Let me then entreat you to look beyond the
mists Of passion that surround you, and gaze
for moment on that eternal justice which is
the habitation of the throne of the Most High.
Decide this question in such manner as will
be most pleasing to that Great Being, the ele-