The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-03-02

shall be received with or without Slavery
Here certainly can be no overthrow of an act
of Congress which directly concerns Territory
during its Territorial existence. ThirdlY. Dur
ing all the discussion of these measures in Con-
gress, and afterwards before the people, and
through the public press, at the North and the
South alike, no person was heard to intimate
that the prohibition of Slavery in the Missouri
"A ct was in any way disturbed. And, fourfhlY :.
The acts themselves contain a formal provision,
that nothing herein contained shall be con-
strued to impair or qualify anything" in GER
tain article of the resolutions annexing Texas,
wherein it is expressly declared, that in terri
tory north Of the Missouri Compromise line,
Slavery, or involuntary servitude except for
crime, shall be prohibited"
But do not dwell on these things. These
pretences have been already amply refuted by
Senators who have preceded me. Il is clear,
beyond all contradiction, that the prohibition
of Slavery in this territory has not been super
seeded or in any way contravened by the Slavery
Acts of 1850. The proposition before you is,
therefore, original in it's character, without
sanction from any former legislation and it
must, accordingly, be Judged by its merits, as
an original proposition.
Here let it be remembered, that the friends
of Freedom are not open to any charge of ag-
erosion. They are now standing on the de-
fensive, guarding the early intrenchments
thrown up by our fathers. No proposition to
abolish Slavery anywhere, is now before you ;
but, on the contrary, proposition to abolish
Freedom The term Abolitionist, which is 30
often applied in reproach, justly belongs on
this occasion, to him who would overthrow this
well-establshed landmark He is, indeed, no
Abolitionist of Slavery; let him be called, sir,
an Abolitionist of Freedom. For myself,
whether with many or few, my place is taken.
Even if alone, my feeble arm shall not be
wanting as bar against this outrage
On two distinct grounds "both strong against
the deed" | now arraign it; First, in the
name of Public Faith, as an infraction of the
solemn obligations assumed beyond recall by
the South on the admission of Missouri into
the Union as Slave State; Secondly. arraign
it in the name of Freedom as an unjusti6able
departure from the original Anti-Slavery pol
icy of our fathers These two heads propose
to consider in their order, glancing under the
latter at the objections to the prohibition of
Slavery in the Territories.
And here, cir, before approach the argument,
| indulge me with few preliminary words
on the character of this proposition. Slavery
is the forcible subsection of one human being in
porSOB, ldUOIj pIOpcI VIC WILL VI ouOohOi'
In this simple statement is involved its whole in
justice There is no offence against religion,
against morals, against humanity, which may
not stalk in the license of this institution, Sun
whipt of justicen For the husband and wife
there is no marriage for the mother there is no
assurance that her infant child will not be raw
ished from her breast; for all who bear the name
of Slave, there is nothing that they can call,
their own Without father, without mother,
almost without a God, the slave has nothing
but master. 1t would be contrary to that
Rule of RI ght which is ordained by God, if such
system, though mitigated often by patriar-
chal kindness and by a plausible physical COM
fort, could be otherwise than pernicious in its
influences. 1t is confessed, that the master
suffers not less than the slave And this is
not all The whole social fabric is disorganized
labor loses its dignity; industry sickens edu-
cation finds no schools, and all the land of Sla-
very is impoverished. And now, sir, when the
conscience of mankind is at last aroused to
these things, when, throughout the civilized
world, slavedealer is by-word and reproach,
we, as nation, are about to open q new mar
ket to the trafickers in flesh, that haunt the
shambles of the South. Such an act, at this
time is removed from all reach of that pallia-
ton often youchsafed to Slavery. This wrong,
we are speciously told, by those who seek to
defend it, is not our original sin. 1t was en-
| tailed upon u.s. 60 We are instructed, by our an
cestors and the responsibility is often, with
exultation, thrown upon the mother country.
Now, without stopping to inquire into the val
ue of this apology which is never adduced in
behalf of other abuses, and which availed
nothing against that kingly power: imposed by
the mother country, and which our fathers
overthrow, it is sufficient for the present pur-
Co. cad 10 olra
Slavery our own original act Here Is a fresh
case of actual transgression, which we cannot
cast upon the shoulders of any progenitors,
nor upon any mother country distant in time or
place. The Congress of the United States, the
people of the United States, at this day, in this
vaunted period Of light, will be responsible for
it, so that il shall be said hereafter, go long as
the dismal history of Slavery is read, that, in
the year Of Christ 1854, new and deliberate
act was passed. by which vast territory was
| opened to its inroads.
Alone in the company of nations does our
country assume this hateful championship.
In despotic Russia, the serfdom which consti-
tutes the peculiar institution " of that great
empire, is never allowed to travel with the i'm
perial flag, according to the American preten-
sion, into provinces newly acquired by the
common blood and treasure, but is carefully
restricted by positive prohibition, in harmony
with the general conscience, within its ancien,
confines; and this prohibition-the Wilmot
Proviso of Russia-is vigorously enforced on
every side, in all the provinces, as in Besarabia
on the south, and Poland on the west, 80 that
in fact, no Russian nobleman has been able tc
move into these important territories with hit
slaves Thus Russia speaks for Freedom
and disowns the slaveholding dogma of ou1
country. Far away in the East at I" the gate
ways of the day." in effeminate India, slavery
has been condemned; in Constantinople, the
queenly seat of the most powerful Mahomed
an empire, where barbarism still mingles with
civilization, the Ottoman Sultan has fastened
upon it the stigma of disspprobation the
Barbary States of Africa, occupying the same
parallels of latitude with the slave States Of
our Union, and resembling them in the nature
of their boundaries, their productions their
climate, and the peculiar institution" which
sought shelter in both have been changed into
Abohtionists. Algiers seated near the line
Of SO deg 80 min, has been dedicated to Free
| dom. Morocco, by its untutored ruler, hai
expressed its desire, stamped in the forma
! terms of a treaty, that the very name of sla
, very may perish from the minds of men and
only recently, from the Dey of Tunis has pro
eeeded that noble act, by which, Sin honor
OF God, and to distinguish man from the brute
creation u quote his own words-he decreeG
its total abolition throughout his dominions
Let Christian America be willing to be taught
! by these examples. God forbid that our Re
public" heir of all the ages, foremost in the
files of time"-should adopt anew the barba
rism which they have renowned
As the effort now making is extraordinary ir
character SO no assumption seems too extraor
4. binary to be welded in its support. The pri
NAL truth of the equality of men, proclaim
cd in our Declaration of INDEPENDENCE ha,