Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-02

from the fact that he was "acting under legal
restraint Surely, it will not be pretended,
that our transgressions of the Divine law are
excused by our legal restraint" and that the
like transgressions, on the part Of others, can.
not be excused by the like cause. Surely, II
we may put in the plea of illegal restraint"
against Divine laws, 30 may Others
Alas, what disgusting spectacle does the
Administration present in its deliberate cor.
ruption of the Bible for the guilty purpose Of
sparing 80 abominable and vile thing as Sla-
very Alas what pitiable spectacle Of self
degradation does this nation present. in choos-
ing such an Administration, and in remaining
patient under it! And how rank, and broad,
and glaring, is the hypocrisy upon the brow OF
this nation who whilst her feet are planted
on the millions she has doomed TO the horrors
and agonies and pollutions Of Slavery, holda,
nevertheless in one hand that precious, Heav-
en- sent volume, which declares, that God
I" hath made of one blood all nations Of men,
for to dwell on all the face Of the earth;0 and
in the other, that emphatically American pa
per, which declares, that aall men are created
equal n And how greatly is the guilt OF this
nation, in her matchiess expressions, aggraya
ted by the fact that she owes infinitely more
than ever did any other nation to Christianity
and liberty and knowledge; and that she is
therefore, under infinitely greater obligation
than was ever any other nation to set an example,
blessed in all its influences, both at home and
abroad Other nations began their existence
in unfavorable circumstances They laid their
foundations in despotism, and ignorance, and
superstition But Christianity, aud liberty, and
knowledge, waited upon the birth OF this ma
ton, and breathed into it the breath of life
My hour il nearly up, and will bring my
remarks to a close After all, the Administers
ton has done us good service, in attempting to
qualify the Divine command, to do unto others
as we would have others do unto US for, ia
attempting to do this for the sake OF saving
Slavery it has by irresistible implication, adj
mittcd, that the command itself requires us to
& let the oppressed 60 free
This precious law Of God contains, as they
are won't to insist ample authority for all the
demands Of the Abolitionists--that despised
class of men, to which am always ready to
declare, that belong. Hence, the Admins
tra.ion, in quoting this law as the great rule Of
conduct between men, has, in no unimportant
sense Joined the Abolitionists. | say it has
quoted this law---this naked law. cay 80, not
because | forget the words with which it at
tempted to qualify the law, but because, mas
much as the law, which God has made abso-
lutte, man cannot qualify, these qualifying
words fall to the ground, and leave the naked
! law in all it, force. admit, that the Admin
stration did not quote this law for the sake OF
manitesting its union with the Abolitionists !;
for, yet while at least, it expects more advan-
| tage from its actual union with the slavehold-
ers than itcould expect from any possible union
with the Abolitionists No; the Adminstra-
| ton quoted this law for the sake of serving q
purpose against Austria and it fiattered itself
that by means of few qualifying words, it
could shelter Slavery from the force Of the
quotation. But, in this, it fell into great
mistake Its greater mistake, however was in
presuming to quote The Bible at all. The Ad-
| ministration should have been aware, that the
Bible ia n holy weapon, and is therefore fitted
to Anti-Savery, instead of pro-siavery, hands.
| 1t should have been aware, that it is more
dangerous for pro slavery men TO undertake to
1 wieid this weapon, than il is for children to
play with edge tools. The Bible can never be
used in behalf of bad cause, without detri-
ment to such cause
conclude, Mr.. Chairman, by expressing the
hope, that this egregious bunder OF the Admin
istralion, in calling the Bible to its help-a
blunder, by the way, both as ludicrous and
wicked az il is cgregious--will, now that the
blunder is exposed, be not without its good ef-
feet, in the way of admonition. | trust, that
this pro.slavery Administration, and, indeed.
| all pro-slayery parties and pro-slavery persons,
will be efectually admonished by this blunder
| to let the Bible entirely alone, until they shall
have some better cause than Slavery to serve
by it.