Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-08-18
Speech of Hon. Josiah ouincy, SEN.

sell lSnonOreu, self QlSgraceu, II L Offereu my
services and enlisted myself under the banner
of any party. came here with no intention
to volunteer word on any subject but did
come here with fixed determination that if l
was called upon | would respond, that you
should hear the opinions of an individual who
has in this world now but little to hope for,
and, thank God, nothing to fear, who has
behind him the memory Of the past, and be-
fore him an opening grave, iii which he must
soon be deposited. From such an individual,
and under such circumstances you have
right to expect the words of truth, of duty
and of soberneSs.
l come not here to utter any vituperative
demonstration against the Shareholders of the
South. They have used the powers vested in
them by the constitution, as probably every
| selfish combination of men would have II sed
| them under the same circumstances, placed
under the same temptations and with the same
powers. In every step Of the progress of the
| slave power, they have had men Of the free
States as fellow workers. If the free States
would regain their influence they must cult
waite a higher state of political morality among
| themselves. Applause They must disgrace
| the doctrine that /" everything is fair and hon
! orable in politics., and regard him who has
VIGOROUSLY sold himself for power and place,
| The " Nebraska Fraud" as it is called, is
| nothing more than the last act of a series of
| aggressions on the free States, which slave
holders have practisod for more than fifty
| years, in no one of which could they have
been successful except through the corruption
and the divisions OF the free States. So far
| from complaining Of this Nebraska fraud
why, rejoice at it 1t is said that it is the
last straw which breaks the camel's back
| fCheers. ] trust in Heaven, that this is that
last straw which will excite the spirit of the
free States-that this will prove the last straw
| which shall excite the Northern camel to rise
in its spirit and i'll its strength and toss from
its back, one, at least, Of the many burthens
with which it has hitherto been oppressed
| Loud cheers.
l shall leave the Nebraska fraud to the res
olutions and to others. 1t is not that burthen
which most presses upon my mind. There is
| another, nearer home, more immediate, more
important, and more insupportable. What
that bun then is. l shall speak distinctly and
without any hesitation.
| The obligation incumbent upon the free
STATES to deliver up fugitive slaves is that
| burthen-and it must be obliterated from that
| Constitution at every hazard. And such OBJ
| Iteration can be demonstrated to be as much
| tie interest Of the South as it it is of the
| North.
The circumstances in which the people of
| Massachusetts, are placed in consequence of
| that burthen are undeniable, and they are al
| so undeniably insupportahle. What has been
seen? what has been felt by every man, wo-
man, and child in this metropolis and in this
| community, and virtually by every man, wo~
man and child in Massachusetts. We have
seen our Court House in chains, two battal-
| ious of Dragons, eight companies ofartilleIy,
| twelve companies Of infantry, the whole con-
| stabulary force of the city police, the entire
| disposable marines of the United States, with
its artillery loaded for action, all marching in
support of Pratorian band consisting of
| one hundred and twenty friends and associates
of the United States Marshal, with loaded
| pistols and drawn swords, and in military
| costume and array,-tor what purposes 70
| escort and conduct poor trembling slave
| from Boston Court House to the letters and
| lash of his master
This display Of military force the Mayor of
this city officially declared to be necessary on
the occasion. Nay, more, at public festival
he openly took to himself the glory of this
display declaring that by it life and liberty
| had been saved, and the honor of Boston vim
| dicatedi
l make no comments. l state facts as the
| ground out of which spring the duties of the
| people of Massachusetts.
| state another fact still more conclusive and
| illustrative of those duties.
This scene (thus awful thus detestabe)
every inhabitant of this metropolis, nay, more,
| every inhabitant OF this Commonwealth, may
| be compelled again to Witness at any and ev-
cry day of the year, at the Will of the within
of the meanest and basest STAKEHOLDER of the
South. This also is undeniable.
Now, is there a man i'll Massachusetts,, with
spirit so low, so debased, so corrupted by
his fears or his fortune, that he is prepared to
say that this is condition Of things to be en-
dured, in perpetuity, by us, and that this is an
inheritance TO be transmitted by us to our
children for all generations: For so long as
the fugitive slave clause remains i'll the Con-
sttutlon Of the United States, unobliteraled,
it is an obligation perpetual upon them, as
well as upon us.
And is this Inheritance we are about to
transmit to our CHI ldren an inl eritance of
freedom No, felio -citizens-it is al inheri-
tance worse than That OF slavery.
There is not anegro in the South that can
he compelled, even by his master, to cut the
| throat or blow out the brains of his brother
negro. Yet. SO long as the fugitive slave OBJ
legation remains in the Constitution, there is
| not military man i'll Massachusetts whomay
not be compelled, tomorrow, to cut the throat
| or blow out the brains OF fellow citizen, at
| the will OF the basest Southern slaveholder-
! My fellow citizens, believe me-the time has
| come for the people of Massachusetts to look
| upon this slave clause 10 longer in the ever
shifting, ever dubious, eN er suspicious light of
| party spirit, but under tt e influence of an en-
| ighteued patriotism watchful of the signs of
! the times and anxious concerning their duties
| to themselves and their posterity.
But hear some timid brother exclaim-
| "Why, this is, in effect, dissolution of the
| Union. Did not the Southern shareholders
| tel us before the adoption of the Constitution,
that without the fugitive slave clause they
| would not come into the Union, and have
| they not told us every day since its adoption,
| that whenever that clause is obliterated they
| will 90 out ofit?" And do YOU believe them
any the more for this reiterated threat and
eternal cutlery? Does not the nature OF things
speak louder language than that of these
threateners Are the shareholders fools OF
madmen! They go out of this Union for the
| purpose OF maintaining the subsection of their
| slaves Why, the arm of the Union is the
very sinew Of that subect 1t is the slave
holders main strength Its continuance is his
foIlom hope.
But 1 go further, follow-citizens. believe
that in the nature OF things, by the law of
| God and the laws OF man, that clause is at
this moment abrogated so far as respects NOR
al obligation. There is principle OF common
law, which, if not strictly applicable, is suii-
GENTLY analogous to the obligations resulting
from that clause. 1t is cessa',te ratione ceSsat