Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-04
WASHINGTON. D. e.. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY A. 1854

slave trade, are put forth with distinct object !;
that ia, the attainment or maintenance OF po-
liiical place aud power, by the sacrifice Of
truth and Justice, and the d,ctrinc vi universal
equality Of natural rights among men. The
remedy is with tile people, and thank the
President for thus bringing the subject before
the nation.
These negroes, standing upon the deck OF the
Amistad, breathing the free air Of Heaven, felt
the inspiration Of their own immortality inn
pelling them to vindicatc their manhood, to
strike for liberty The President insists that
they had no right to do that. Wc say that God
had endowed them with freedom, a,,d it was
their duty to regain it, They thought Of their
homes, their country the Loved soenss of their
childhood, of parents, OF brothers and sisters,
and wives and children From all these they
had been torn by ruthless violence. They felt
the wrong which had been perpetra4ed against
them, against humanity and against Gods
higher law; and they rose in viniication Of
that law and Of those rights, and thanks be To
God, they succeeded.
But the report to which have alluded, aud
which the President commends to our imita-
tion denounces thcm as z pirates and robbers
for that act and, inasmuch as the courts de-
clared them to possess the right of maintaining
their liberty, the President thinks we should
overrule that decision, and that the people Of
Ohio and the other free States ought to pay
the piratical slave dealers the value Of their
blocd and bones and sinews. Now, sir, on this
proposition the Free Democracy Of this nation
will take issue. We are prepared to 20 to the
country with it, to argue it before the people,
to submit it to the decision Of that tribunal
before which public men are accustomed to
| trembe
We ask no favors at the hands Of those who
advocate this slave trade; and will frankly
say to them, that apprehend they will recedc
| from the position which the President has as
sumed that they will not dare sustain him
But will remind them that this example OF
the negroes on board the Amistad is exceed
ingly dangerous to the interests Of Slavery
| And if Congress also maintains the doctrine ol
the Supreme Court and insists that this Gou
ernmeat Wds constituted to maintain the right,
of all men under its eaclusipe jnrisdiction to hf
and Hbertg we Of the free States will soon be
exempt and purified from the crimes and gull
OF Slavery, and the doctrines of the Free De
mocracy--the doctrines of Jefferson and Of the
Congress Of l776-will be established firmly
and forever.
This, sir, is the great issue between the sup
porters of Slavery and the advocates Of Liber
ty, and we are as willing to meet that issue OF
this Amistad case as on any other subject
Principles are uniform and universal, ant
should guide statesmen in all cases. He VIII,
holds that all men are created equal" vii
never deny that these Africans were clothed
with all the attributes inherent to our race; h,
who holds " that all men are endoDed By thet
Creator gtth the inalienabie right 10 liberty
will never vote to pay those Spanish slav
dealers for their failure to enslave those Il
whom God had granted the inestimable boor
of freedom he who holds that this Govern
ment Das constituted to secure the right Of life
liberty, and happiness" to the people, will neye
vote TO prostitute its powers to encourage thu
slave trade, to maintain oppression or dishsuor
our race.