Washington sentinel., 1854-03-29

BILE, in more regards than one, the modern in
vention OF q chain bridge, which, provided the
abutments and fixtures are perfectly strong
and provided there is no defective link in the
whole chain, are amongst the finest and most
useful specimens of human ingenuity but sir,
when we reverse the proposition. when the
abutments are not sufficient, and there is one
| single link which is defective-one is AS good,
as bad rather, as thousand-that one is fatal
| to the whole structure, and souSe down into
the water comes the unwary passenger, who
| trusts himself to the treacherous edfce. There
are artists, indeed, and some of them not far
off either, who have the skill to elaborate those
technical regular arguments Of induction with
such exquisite finish Us to defy the eye, or even
the touch of any man alive; but, while they
puzzle and confound the understanding, they
can never convince il, because they lead us to
such monstrous and frightfu conclusions that
no fair exercise of that reasoning faculty which
has been given US by our Maker for our guide
can bring plain man to. Here is case in
which, II it be not safe to reason TO conclusions
which, perhaps, is too much my habit is
quite safe to reason from conclusions. When
ever any chain of reasoning, however learned
and ingenious it may be, leads to conclusions
so monstrous as to offend the common sense
of mankind, / say that, although you may not
be able to detect in which link ofthe argument
the defect is, yet you know, from the results to
which it carries you, that it is radically defec-
tive-that there is something somewhere about
it, although neither your eye nor your touch
can detect it, that renders it radically defective
and unworthy of trust and if / were called on
for an Illustration, could give it, and would
give it, in the opinion of the Supreme Court in
the case of Cohens against the State of Vir-
ginia.
Sir, know there are gentlemen, not only
from the northern, but from the southern States,
who think that this unhappy question, for such
it is, of negro slavery, which the Constitution
has vainly attempted to blink, By not using the
term, should never be brought into public no
tice, more especially into that of Congress, and
most especially, here. Sir, with every due re-
spect for the gentlemen who think so, differ
from them, toto coelo. Sir, it is a thing which
cannot be hid--it is not dry rot that you can
cover with the carpet, until the house tumbes
about your ears you might as well try to hide
volcano, In full operation ii cannot be hid
it is cancer in your face, and must be treated
secuaaum aftem it must not be tampered with
by quacks, who never saw the disease or the
| patient, and prescribe across the Atlantic it
must be, if you will, let alone but on this
very principle of letting it alone, it is that
have brought in my resolution. ! am willing
| to play what is called child play--let me alone
and will let you alone; let my resolution
alone, and will say nothing in support Of it;
| for there is a want of sense in saying anything
in support Of resolution that nobody opposes.
Sir, will the Senate pardon my repeating the
words of great man, which cannot be too Of
ten repeated? A small danger mcnacing an
| inestimable object, is of more Importance, in
the eyes of wise man, than the greatest
danger which can possibly threaten an OBJ
jeet OF minor consequence. The question
before us is, is this an object Of inestima-
BILE consequence? l do not put the ques-
ton to you, sir. / know what your answer
will be. | know what will be the answer of
every husband, father, son, and brother, through
out the southern States; | know that on this
depends the honor of every matron and
maiden, of every matron, (wife or widow be-
tween the Ohio aud the Gulf Of Mexico: /
know that upon it depends the lifes blood of
the little ones, which are lying in their cradles
in happy ignorance of what is passing around
them; and not the white ones only: for shall
| not we too kill-shall we not react the scenes
which were acted in Guatemala, and elsewhere,
except, hope, with far different success for
if, with superiority, in point Of numbers,
as we'll as OF intelligence and courage, we
pushed, we should deserve to have negroes for
our tasls-masters, and for the husbands of our
wives. This, then, is the inestimable object
4 which the gentleman from Carolina views in
The same light that do, and that you do too,
| sir, and to which every southern bosom re-
| sponds-a chord, which, when touched, even
by the most delicate hand, yibrates to the heart
of every man in the country | wish ! could
maintain, with truth, that it came within the
other predicament, that it was a small danger,
but it is o great danger. 1t is danger that
has increased, is increasing and mast be d.
nlinished, or it must come to its regular catas-
| trophe
| Mr.. President, within the last thirty years, or
thereabopts, for have been contemporary
with the facts, q total change has taken place
in public opinion. In Great Britain, which al
ways acts, as possessing common language
and almost literature and laws in common
she must and she ought to act, with great force
on US, and in certain other parts of other
countries, which shall not now designate, in
reference to this question, there was time,
| sir, when the advocates for the abolition of the
save-trade found in almost every bosom pos
sessing common humanity and common sense
a friend. There we're some few, to be sure, old
veteran Swiss Of State, who, upholding all ad.
mnistrations, and all abuses ani corruptions,
had gone more than knee.deep in corruption
foil jwers perhaps of Dundas, fellows Of old
George Rose, pledged FIVE fathom deep in cor
ruption, who still upheld that abomination
/ There were some few, indeed, Of a very differ
ent description. From my early childhood, all
my feelings and instincts were in opposition to
slavery in every shape, to the subjugation Of
one mans will to that of another; and from
the time that / read Clarkson's celebrated
pamphlet, was, am afraid, as mad as Clark
son himself. read myself into this madness,
as have read myself into some agricultural
| improvements; but, as with these last, worked
myself out of them, so also / worked my
self out Of it. At the time, sir, that the abo-
lition Of the slave-trade was made piracy, and
we had as good right to make it treason, if
the Constitution had not already defined trea-
son, for it is as much treason as it is piracy
did say as good right7-I say you have the
right, it has been settled by practice here at
least alreadv vou ran define treason bv Inv