Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-09-09

asserts its perpetual supremacy; now threat
ening to wrest Cuba from Spain, by violent
purchase or more violent war now banker
ing for another slice of Mexico in order to
give new scope to slavery; now proposing
once more to open the hdeous, heaven defy
ing slave trade, and thus to repenish its
shambles with human flesh; and now by the
| lips of an eminent Senator asserting an auda-
cious claim to the whole group Of the West
Indies, whether held by Holland, Spain,
| France, or England. as "our Southern Is
lands" while it assails the independence of
| Hayti and stretches its treacherous ambition
! to the distant valley of the Amazon.
In maintaining its power it has applied
| new test for office, very different from that of
jefferson; " Is he honest is he capable? is
| he faithful to the Constitution :" None OF
/ these things are asked, but simply, Is he
faithful to slavery" (Cres Of " That's
fact With arrogant ostracism it excludes
| from every office all who cannot respond to
this test So complete and irrational has this
! tyranny become, that, at this moment, while
| l now speak, could Washington, Jefferson, or
| Franklin once more descend upon the earth
and mingle in its affairs, to bless it with their
| wisdom, not one of them, with his recorded
| opinions ON slavery, could receive a nominal
! ton for the Presidency from National Con-
vention of either of the great political parties,
nor, stranger still, could he be confirmed by
the Senate for any political function under
| the Government Had this test prevailed in
earlier days, Washington could not have been
| made Commander in Chief OF the American
| army Jefferson could not have taken his
| place on the Committee to draft the Declare
ton of Independence and Franklin could
not have been sent to Franz with the COM
mission of the infant republic to secure the
| invaluable alliance of that powerful kingdom.
In view of these things our duties are mani
fest. First and foremost the slave power itself
must be overthrown, Lord Chatham once eX-
| claimed, in stirring language, that the time had
| been when he would have been content to
bring france to her knees-now he would not
stop till he had laid her on her back. And we
must not stop till we have laid the slave power
on its back. And, fellow citizens, permit me
to say, not till then can the Free States be
absolyed from all political responsibility for
slavery, and relieved from that corrupt spirit
of compromise which now de5ases at once
their politics and their religion nor till then
can there be any repose for the country.
| Immense cheering.) Indemnity for the past
and security for the future must be our
watchwords. applause. But these cannot
be obtained until slavery is dispossessed Of its
| present vantage ground, by driving it back
exclusively within the limits of the States,
and putting the National government every
| where within its constitutional sphere, openly
| actively, and perpetually on the side of Free
| dom. The consequences of this change of
| policy would be of incalculable and far-reach-
| ing benehcence. Not only would freedom be-
| come national and Slavery sectional but the
| National Goyernmet would become the mighty
| instrument and spokesman OF Freedom, it
| is now the mighty instrument and spokesman
IS I+- &c
ronage would all be turned, iii harmony with
| the Constitution, to promote freedom. The
committees Of Congress, where Slavery now
rules, Congress itself and the Cabinet also
| would all be organized for Freedom. The
| hypocritical disguise or Remuneration of Anti
| Slavery sentiment would cease to be neces-
sary for the sake of political preierment; and
| the save-holding oligarchy, driven from the
| National Government and despoiled Of its ILL
| gotten political consequence, without ability
to punish or reward would cease tie be feared,
| either at the North or the South, until at last
the citizens Of the slave States Of whom
large portion have no interest in slavery,
would demand Emancipation; and the great
work would commence. Such is the obvious
course of things. To the overthrow of the
slave power we are thus summoned by a
double call, one political and the other phi
lanthropic first, to remove an oppressive
tyranny from the national government, and
secondly, to open the gates of Emancipation
in the slave states. Loud applause.
But while keeping this great purpose in
view, we must not forget details. The exis-
tence of slavery any where within the nation
al jurisdiction-in the territories, in the Dis
trict of Columbia and on the high seas, be-
meath the NATIONAL flag, is an unconstitutional
usurpation, which must be opposed. The Flu
|
unconstitutonalty, is usurpation, which
must be opposed. The admission Of new slave
States, from whatsoever quarter, from Texas
Or Cuba, (Applause) that Or New Mexico,
must be opposed. And to every scheme of
slavery, whether in Utah. Mexico,-on The
high seas in opening the slave trade-in the
West Indies = the valley of the Amazon -
whether accomplished or merely plotted,
whether pending or in prospect, we must send
forth an everlasting No. (Long continued APP
plause). Such is the duty of Massachusetts,
without hesitation or Compromise
Thus far l have spoken of our duties in ma
tional matters but there are other duties of
pressing Importance here at home which must
not be forgotten Or postponed 1t is often said
that ''charity should begin at home" Better
say, that charity should begin eueryeohere But
while contending with the slave power on the
broad field of national politics, we must not
forget the duty Of protecting the liberty of all
who tread the soil of Massachusetts,. CIm-
mense cheering). Early in colonial history,
Massachusetts set her face against slavery
At the head Of her Bill of Rights she solemn
ly asserted that all men are born free and
equal; and in the same declaration surround
ed the liberties of all within her borders by
the inestimable right of trial by jury But
recent events on her own soil have taught the
necessity of new safeguards to these great
principles,-to the end that Massachusetts may
not be vussal of South Carolina and Virgin
| ia,-that the slave hunter may not range at
will among us-and that the liberties of all
may not be violated with impunity.
But am admonished that must not dwell
longer on these things. Suffice it to say that
our duties, in national and state affairs are
identical, and may be described by the same
formula: In the one case to put the National
Government in all its departments, and in the
other case the State Governments in all its de-
partments, openly, actively and perpetually
on the side Of Freedom. loud applause.)
II. Having considered what our duties are,
the question now presses upon us, hoac shall
they be performed By what agency, by what
fundamentally, or in what waya
The most obvious way is by choosing men
to represent us in the national government,
and also at home, who shall recognize these
duties and be everloyal; (cheers) men who at
Washington win not shrink from the conflict
with slavery, and also other men, who, at
| home in Massachusetts, will not shrink from
the same conflict when the slave hunter APP