The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-09-07
sILAs WRIGHT ON SLAVERY.


ton had FIRST pass through the purifying and chasten-
ing alembe of his clear and ytcal brain He had an
intense contempt for humbug and for mpaeeable issues
Hence il that when be spoke in the Senate upon
great question he shed food Of light upon it, No
who had preceded him. what he had say almost
always new because il wondrousy clear and the
point Mr. Wright died at a period when his
sought sort watchword for sectionam but had
he lived the present day lie would have been among
the very first discard the foes the excuses of
class of men who seek upon various preexs all of them
most absurd and mpractcable, keep up incessant
war upon the South. He would have crushed their
schemes like eggshells by simply subecting their ideas
the memorable and unang analysis of his active intellect
Think of inveiging slas Wright into the support of
heresy like that of taking ground against the admission of
any slave States of repeating the fugitiveslavs
law, of setting constitutional enactment defiance
The first voice be raised against such double madness
and guilt this would have been his His education
thoroughly based upon veneraton for the consu-
ton render his position doubtful any time such
issues.
AS useful "reminiscences Of the opinions Of Silas Wright
the question of slavery the fugye-save law, &c,
copy from an Grafton of his delivered Canton ST Law
renee county New York. the 4h of july 1885, the fol-
lowing eloquent and practical passages They deserve the
careful reflection ofnorthern
Another difficulty of equal magnitude and superior deli
cacy met our venerable fathers the convention l7S
the threshold Of their responsible abors One of the
earliest features in the policy adopted by Great Britain
wards her American colonies the firm and extensive
adjustment within them of the institution of domestic slavery
At the time of which speak, the institution existed in
large majority the northern and middle States and from
the of climate pursuits habits and various
other accidents of established and settled society," much
extensively and firmly incorporated with the existence
prosperity of the southern States Hitherto the slavery
existing the colonies had been subject which the
coons had had control, and for which they could be
held in responsible. The policy Of the mother
try was marked and settled and pursuit determined
and unyiedng Every attempt the part OF any of the
colonies check the growth ameorae the condition of
the institution, to demonstrate against the policy
the rebuke and the indignant frown of at
home This of things had continued for than
hundred years. when the termination of the of the
luton made the colonies free and independent Then for the
time devolved upon them to manage and direct this
fasy rooted firmly established, and widely disseminated
evil forced inheritance from unknd mother, it was
upon their handswas incorporated with the orgnniza
ton of their society," habits and pursuits 1t thus placed
as beyond the reach of sudden and violent remedies
that disease of the human body which has its seat in the
heart is dsed with the blood, every portion of
the system The idea of republic therefore, be
trey abandoned the seeming anomaly must be
tered organizing free republican conederacy with the
extensive existence slavery within the States which should
compose it, This the alternative presented to the
venon 1887 Gould the patriotic delegates who composed
that body-men whose devotion to liberty had made them
principal and prominent advocates for the war OF the
CLINTON and the independence of the coonesmos Of whom
Ind devoted themselves to- and encountered the per
the public service throughout that proracted and desperate
sruggeand many of whom, with their Industrious Presi-
dent at their head had followed the fortunes of the and
freely offered their lives the price of the liberty they
tended for-coud such doubt what their duty
what choice they should make? The fact of the slavery
the of its existence in the country not to be at
ectedcertainy not strengthened or magnihedby the plain
course right and The opposite alternatvean ut
ter abandonment of all effort to organize republic
indeed have avoided the apparent contradiction OF free
government with the liberation of domestic slavery by
nung the white in endless subsection to some des
poc and arbitrary power similar to that from which they
had just discharged themselves by the force of and
immense expenditure of blood and treasures by making them
the enduring objects of the oppressions exacons and
tumely of such power and thus constituting for them
slavery not perhaps perfect but, considering the
dtion the races far CALLING and uncomfortable to
them than that the African which holds him in nvoun-
tary servitude Then too might African slavery have pre-
served its existence in its full extent and yigor to this day
in all States where it instituted Were revou
ouary fathers be the authors OF superadded evils like
these to their country and their eowcitizens? Never
The delegates assembled in convention did choose and
present and happy institutions of government the
suit their choice The present greatly increased and rap
dly increasing population and wealth and power of these
States are the fruits choice And does who
hears medoes any American who loves his country her in
sutions and her prosperitybelieve, or feel that the
choice thus unwise unpatriocy Can any
himself believe that the venerable trainers OF the const
ptiop of the United States less lovers of their country
and of liberty than their descendants OF the present genera
ton that they less pure and patriotic and conscientious
than we are yet under the circumstances in which
they found Themselves placed they did not consider fatal
impeachment of their republican principles or violent out
rage upon conscences to tolerate domestic slavery,
when it became essential the establishment of free
eminent for The free citizens Of their country.
This was at taa time great and commanding interest
in the States the confederaoy Our proud and
erl and now free State then extensive holder of
domestic slaves Such that period the fact with
many other of the present free SatesY The interest there
FORE was be compromised by the convention their
labors must useless termination. They did
promise it and how
"The nature Of the Institution such required that
lis police should be left. Internationally, with the States
where il existed 1t left Its continuance or aboli-
ton was purely of State interest when the police
was devoyed upon their local governments and when all
questions private properly of course questions be-
tween State and its citizens, anG like all other
questions reference all descriptions OF property in all
the States be left TO the State administrations SO far
the only Of the convention not to inter
re with the soveeignties Yet there other
dera,ions connected with this delicate and troublesome sub
ect which could fail be pressed upon the convention
and to require action Theaws of the slave States
ogniscd the slaves only property but persons and
SO they parook Of the latter character they
ry formed ingredient that basis Of representation
which established population alone without refer
to property. recognition, too, Of the institution
M anomalous FORM in the provisions of the federal compact
matter of vital interest with the States of the South,