Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-06

community is too apparent. Learn now its oc-
casion; and then join with in mnazemeu;
that Senator from South Carolina should at
| tribute our independence TO anything slavehold-
! ing" The records of the country, and various
voices, all disown his suggestion The State of
South Carolina by authentic history, disowns IL.
Listen, if you please, TO peculiar and decisive
testimony, under date of March 20, 1879, from
the Secret Journal of the Continental Congress
"The committee appointed 10 take into consid-
Grafton the circumstances Of the Southern States, and
| sthe ways and means for their safety and defence,
report that the State of South Carolina, Gas rep
| resented by the Delegates of the said State and
by Mr.. Huger, who has come here at the request
'of the Governor of the said State, on purpose to
sexplain the circumstances thereof is UNABLE to
make any efectual efforts with militia, by reason
of the great proportion Of citizens necessary tore
man at home, 10 Prepent msurvection among the
negroes, and to prevent the desertion of them TO
the enemy. That the state Of the country, and
the great number Of these people among Mem expose
sthe inhabitants to great danger, from the endeav
'ors of the enemy to excite them to revolt or de-
sert. - Vol l, p. 100.
| Here is South Carolina secretly disclosing her
military weakness, and its occasion; thus disown-
| ing in advance, the yaunt OF her Senator who
| finds strength and graduation in slavery rather
| than in freedom. 1t was during the war that she
thus shrived herself on her knees, in the confess
| SlOHill VI iHe SuHtiucnIil OOuSftSS. Dut tHc
| same important admission was made in debate,
| on the floor Of Congress, 3Oth March, 1900, some
time after the war, by Mr.. Burke, Representative
| from South Carolina:
| "There is not gentleman on the Door who is
| n stranger to the feeble situation OF our State,
when we entered into the war to oppose the Brit
ish power Wewere mol only soithout money, oithoat
an army on military stores, bit pe soere fen IN
7 number, and likely 10 be entangled oh our dones-
an, fLe JeJ ~ 1,,u IF
Congress, 1889, 1871, vol 2, page 1884.
Similar testimony to the weakness engendered
by slavery was also borne by Mr. Madison, in
debate in Congress-.
Every addition they Georgia and South
Cardinal receive to their number of slaves,
tends 10 aoeaken them, and render them less capable
cfself-detnce"-An Of Congress, uol. ], page
| $40.
The historian Of South Carolina, DR.. Ramsay
contemporary observer Of the very scenes which
he describes, exposes this weakness
The forces under the command of General
Provost marched through the richest settle
ments Of the State, where are the fewest white
inhabitants in proportion to the number of
slaves. The hapiess africans altured arith The
hope Of freedom, forsook their oaeners and repaired
in great numbers to the royal army. They en-
deavored to recommend themselves to their
new masters by discovering where their owners
had concealed their property, and were assist
ing in carrying it off, History Of South Carroll
ma, vol. !, page 3l2.
And the same candid historian, describing the
invasion Of the next year. says:
'The slaves second time .focked to the British
army Vol. |, page 1876.
And at still later day, Mr.. Justice johnson,
Of the Supreme Court of the United States, and
a citizen Of South Carolina, in his elaborate Life
of General Greene, speaking of negro slaves,
makes the same admission. He saws:
"But the number dispersed through these
Southern States was very great so great, as
10 render Il impossible for The citizens 10 muster
freemen enough to withstand Me pressure Of tie
British arms Vol Q, page 472.
Surely, sir, this is enough, and more. Thus,
from authentic documents, we learn the small
contributions of men and the military weakness
of the Southern States, particularly of South
| Carolina, as compared with the Northern States;
| and from the very lips of South Carolina on
| four different occasions, speaking by commit
| tee; by one of her Representatives in Congress
| by her historian; and by an eminent citizen, we
have the confession not only of weakness but
that this weakness was caused by slavery. And
yet, in the face of this cumulative and unim-
peachahle testimony, we are called TO listen, in
the American Senate, to n high-fying boast, from
a venerable Senator, that American independ-
ence was achieved by the arms and treasure of
slaveholding communities ~ an assumption,
haseless as the fabric of vision, in any way it
may be interpreted; whether as meaning boldly
that independence was achieved by those South
ern States, which were the peculiar home Of
slavery, or that ii was achieved by any strength
or influence which came from that noxious
source Sir, speak here for Commonwealth
of just renoYn, bnt ! speak also for cause
which is more than any Commonwealth, even
| that which | represent; and cannot allow the
| Senator with his syer-whte locks, to discredit
| either Not by slavery, but in spite Of il, was
| independence achieved: Not because, but not
| ,cithsfanding, there were " slavehodng commu-
| mites" did triumph descend upon our arms. II
was the inspiration of Liberty Universal that
| conducted us through the red sea of the Revolu-
| tion ms il had already given TO the Declaration
Of independence its mighty tone, resembling
through the ages. Let It be remembered
said the nation, speaking by the voice Of the
Continental Congress, at the close OF the war,
"that il has ever been the pride and boast of
America that the rights for which she has con-
tended were THE RIGHTS or HUMAN NATUREp
Yes, sir, in this behalf, and by this sign,
quered.
Such, sir is my answer on this head to the
Senator from South Carolina. If the work which
/ undertook has been done thoroughly, he must
not blame me- Whatever undertake, am apt
TO do thoroughly. But while thus repelling the
insinuations against Massachusetts,, and the as
sumptions for slavery, would not unnecessarily
touch the sensibilities of that Senator or of the
State which he represents. ] cannot forget that,
amidst all diversites of opinion, we are bound
together by the ties of a common country-that
Massachusetts and South Carolina are sister
States, and that the concord of sisters ought to
prevail between them but am constrained to
declare, that have throughout this debate sought
in vain any token of that just spirit which, within
the sphere Of its influence, is calculated to pro-
mote the concord alike of States and individuals
And now, for the present, part with the ven-
cradle Senator from South Carolina In pursuing
his inconsistencies, and in exposing them to
judgment, had almost forgotten his associate
leader in the wanton and personal assault TO
which have been exposed mean the veteran
Senator fran Virginia, Mr.. Mason who is now
directly in my eye. With imperious look, and