The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-05
NO. 800.
THE SLAVE QUESTION:.
..ENARKS OF MR.. PRESTON,OF KENTUCKY,
Ie1iper1d in Tie Ho Of Rps, Dec 20, 1853.

on the Presidents bees@se, Nr. GERRIT
SMITH addressed the committee. Having
concluded
Mr.. PRESTON said:
have listened, Mr.. Chairman. not without
a certain degree of interest to the gentleman
from New York Mr.. SMITH who has lust
addressed the Committee, and now desire its
indulgence for brief Response, though nothing
could have been further from my intentions
than the design Of Offering any remarks today
in relation to any subject that engages the
Legislative attention.
Living, as | do, in STATE recognising
Slavery, and firmly convinced, ash am, of the
propriety of protecting our property in slaves,
vet ! do not desire to reply in adv intolerant
shirt TO the views which have BEEN advanced
bv the gentleman from New York. feel con-
scious that the great and wise men who ushered
our Government unto existence, and laid it's
foundations deep in truth and justice were not
inferior Ia religion or philanthropy to those
who assail the rights Of the Southern members
of the Confoderacy, asSai their institutions. and
decry their people. And although may feel,
with a strength Of conviction that my language
cannot adequately express, the injustice of as
sailing those rights yet it is far from me to
desire to evade or etrangle discussion by de-
nunciation or violence. | trust to the power of
not the representatives of a people,enduring
The odious tyranny that the gentleman asserts
that they are not men tOlerating and fostering
a wrong against every dictate of humanity and
Justice. but entertaining far wiser and more
practical views than those misguided enthu-
siasts who would shake TO its centre Govern
,neat planned By patriots and statesaAn, and
cemented by the public prosperity.
Enthusiasm, sir, IS respectable, even ID error.
Il is attractive when clothed 10 the fullness of
appropriate language, and marked by elcouent
delivery; but this should not blind Us to the
pernici0us sentiments contained in the remarks
we have heard, The gentleman from New
b York has sought to institute aparallel between
q the principles Of Abolition and those contained
in the letter of the Secretary of State to the
Chevalier Hulsemann in relation to the sur
render Of Martin Koszta. To institute com
parison which would unite principles so dissim-
liar would be to create a monster in the polit.
zeal world more deformed than the Sianese
twins in the physical world.
The sum of the doctrine IN the Koszta letter.
rs asserted by the American Secretary, is, that
Martin KoeZta having taken the initiatory stems
TO become a citizen Of the United States, and
having filed his declaration of intention in our
courts. became clothed with such nationality
that. having gone into The city Of Smyrna, in
the peaceful pursuit of business or of pleasure,
that he was still under the protecting power
OF the American flag and beyond rccapture
by the power Of Austria. But, let me ask the
gentleman, if 6 treaty had existed between
Austria and the Government of the United
States, 10y which the sol,mn faith Of the Amer
icn Government were pedged to restore such
refugees, as we stpulatt for the extradition of
felons with Great Britaio, under the Ashburton
treaty, whether, without violation of faith,
We could have refused to surrender the fugi-
tive! There can b. but one solution to the
question. Yet, haze rot the States of the
American Union something more solemn and
more obligatory than mere treaty to compel
the extraditon of fugitive slaves; something
more than c0nIrct, as Webster expounded
it in his memorable reply to Hayne; some
thing more solemn and more binding than
treaty or compact-the very Constitution itself
upon which our Government exists? A SOW
ereign can recede rom treaty or a compact,
and no tribunal oneartn but itself can judge
it: but il our Coz titution-the most solemn
form Of obi CATION aat society knows-a tribu-
nal, the SupreIneI burt, is established to assist
in the enforcement of the rights of the people
composing the toniederacy. This Consttu-
49,. so,emniy Iatret, & .aranties 10 tile slave
l1!dmg States the protection of their property,
and the cxtralitan Of fugitive slaves, when
they escape into ster States where the insti-
tu.ion il not roc, missed. Shall those solemn
promises be fulfilled or shall the pseudo
phianthropist, viii the Bible in his hand-the
Bible upon which The founders of our Govern
mont, and the t,0 hundred and thirty eight
gentlemen here assembled were sworn to sup
port The Co1stituton-invoke our body to dis
regard its Frccept aud commit meditated per
jury by Dating Ia provisions Yet such is
the morality that fanatical enthusiasm pro-
poses.
The logic If theSecretary of State has been
assailed upon the ground that he has chosen
to place 40 ,nwEranted limitation upon the
Divine injua,tion that you should " do unto
others as you Eouli they should do unto you"
yet woald ak Of the gentleman who has so
kcenly criticised tie expression, il it is not
plain matter u an unsophisticated mind, that
We should fluff fe promises that we make to
others And v Imdcr this principle, the peo-
pie Of the No,l are not morally bound to
iuIhii their PFC es to their Southern breth-
ren
The coTrespOl,4nce in relation to the seizure
o. kosz;a does II to tue Administration and
the Government but while the Secretary sus
tanned his yiew' With great ability, trust
may BE- pardonod the depression, if ! remark
ma, IN my opmin, the acts OF ,ngress in re-
iAtuh ~ haUtir3i litlOn Still further fortified his
position. Ourmtle theory of the right of expa-
trlation Is IN cUHict with the English, and,
bcheye the gaeral European law, which
maintains that a.ubject has no power to divest
haiset OF the allegiance due to the Government
under whose JURISDICTION be is born. 1t is clear
That II koszta bal received his final letter of
Naturalization, tia according to our theory, it
was undoubtedly our duty TO protect him
Untli the year 1913, QUE naturalization laws
required an alien D reside in the United States
o''H'h"ouAy for he years before the final let
'efs were granted Any non residence or ab-
sonce from our Ja:sdiction vitiated his rights
IA 1913 an act yas passed by Congress, per-
m''ung the time be computed during the
"2sence OF the aen, which, by implication
authorized HIM to;o abroad during the period
oi ms acquiring citizenship. This act as
CONCEIVE, gave fuiaurhority to Koszta to visit
nyrha, and the nited States were as much
Douhd 20 ahord h. the protection of our Gov
m m' i-s they Uuld have been 20 an alien
""'uraizsd, 70 a native citizen.
me gentleman ON New York, Mr. Chair
man mas not only isiciaed the letter of the
N'CIctary, pu' h& chosen to make this the
occasion Tor a genell denunciation Of the in
sutut'cn CT slaveryn the Southern States. /
know, sir that thssubiect is trite and ex-
hauSted, but feel willing that the remarks
some reply. -
ne southern STATE since their earliest CO.
IG 10 i'ir history have peopled by two races,
Oh dilferent color aad of different civilization
we hoiu them IN bInage because we are IN
wiling to smalganat with them, and desire
10 Keep our Teutopi, Todd pure and uncor-
rupsed by any baser .draixture because we
prefer that their unit tored labor should be