Washington sentinel., 1854-04-07

When have they, unsparingly thrust out from
the bosom of society vindcated their kinship
with humanity only by scattering around the
seeds of pestience and death? Sir, the rela-
ton between master and slave is one of kind
ness and protection, and often, on the part of
the master, one of ennobling heroism. Go
with me, sir, to the plantation nestled in yon-
der sunny isle in distant State. On it there
are nearly thousand slaves. They are con-
tented, and quiet, and happy for they are un-
vexed by care and uncankered by want. Age
has its solace, manhood its comforts, and youth
its sports.
| But, sir, over the loveliness of that spot a
sickening haze is stealthiy creeping. Pesti-
lence, which smites the laurel-browed as well
as the lowliest, the white man as well as the
black man-pestilence is folding around it its
wing of darkness and death. Thick and fast
fly the arrows from the full culver; and on all
sides are the mournful memorials of their aim
and havoc. The very elements are most fear.
FULLY breeding death for the dews of night
distill pestilence, and the balm of the winds are
enyenomed into poison. Sir, the cholera, the
scourge of God, not yet crippled byscience-the
cholera is there 1t has swept from eastern
tens over ravaged kingdoms, shuddering waters,
/
cry; and now it pauses, and sullenly hovers
over that devoted spot, striking to the right
hand and to the left hand, and sparing neither
age, nor sex, nor color. Tidings Of this go
forth in search of the master. An..honored rep
resentative in the council hall of mighty
people, they find him. Surrounded by his
peers, occupied with grave interests, and with
all the pleasures Of society at his beck, they
find him. What does he do? He throws
aside his legislative robe, turns from his seat
in the council chamber, and goes forth to min
lister, with his own hands, to his pestilence
stricken African slave. Sir, / have drawn you
no fancy sketch; / have told you truthful
story; it is the story of an honorable colleague,
Mr.. AIKEN. That plantation is his; and,
scarce year ago, he left these halls, to minis
ter. with his own hands, to his suffering slaves,
though such ministry exposed his life to fear
ful peril, and almost certain death.
Tell me now, sir, what of harshness there is
in this relation?
/ Turn your eyes to yonder land of desert and
sirocco, and see its wild and savage inhabitants
engaged in ceaseless strife to win victims and
riyet chains, and tell me if there be less of
harshness in their relation of kinship Turn
them nearer home, among q people who had
slaves, but who sold them when they became
Proftless and then denounced slavery as piracy
among people, some of whom instigate our
slaves to midnight murder and confagration,
and when they have seduced them to their free
hills, leave them there to wander, to starve to
blaspheme, and to die-and tell me if there be
less of harshness in this relation of brother
hood.
My time, Mr.. Chairman, will not allow me to
discuss the doctrine of "squatter sovereignty"
| regard it as subyersive of the Constitution,
and in derogatiop of the rights of the south.
The right of selfgovernment under our system,
is connected with domicil in State; who
ever goes to q Territory has only the rights
which have been conferred upon the Territory.
1t the inhabitants of Territory are sovereign,
they may refuse 10 come into the Union; they
may establish what form of government they
please. If sovereignty be not in the inhabit-
ants Of the. Territory, it must be in the federal
government, or the States severally. We have
shown that it is in the latter, and that the for
mer IS but the agent or trustee of the States
| Then, Sir, the sonth has a right to demand an
equal participation in the Territories. No
measure can get my support which does not
secure this right. .
Sir, it is the duty of Congress-, under the
Constitution, to protect the claims of the citi-
zens OF the south to this common property
and not turn them over to the judiciary, the
weakest branch of every government. Sternly,
too, should the south demand that these ag-
gressions upon her rights and peace should
cease. Their aim is to wrap her in flames, and
stain her with blood, while her property is uni
versally confscated. The fanatical element
which is leavening the north with unrebuked
audacity declares this terrible purpose. The
vindictiXe leader Of this relentless crusade,
when told that abolitionism would blast the
south and southwest-would involve the whites
in indiscriminate butchery, or drive them from
their ruined homes in despair and beggary un-
sheltered from the ptiless blasts, and without
the subsistence of life-said "Let these horrors
come, though five hundred thousand lives
should perish" Sir, this is fercer curse
against the south than some Marat or Robes
pierre uttered in the frenzied excesses of the
French revolution, when he declared that "a
hundred thousand lives was cheap sacrifice
for the establishment of principle" True to
this bloodhound instinct, fanaticism has work
ed on to this end. We have been told that the
STAKEHOLDER is to be driven out from among
men, and that the south is to be girdled with
belt of fire; that like the serpent, girt with fire,
slavery is to perish of despair and confagra-
ton. | tell you now, sir, you cannot accom-
plish your reckless purpose. The sons of the
south viii not stand like hunted victims, while
/ PiuiliC hdiHCo aiC SiOsihs5 Aouiu thChA IL
rowing and still narrowing circles, powerless,
motionless, hopeless. No; light but the toreh
and they will burst the wall Of fire, though the
flames should shrivel their sinews and blast
their eyeballs, resolved to fall, if fall they must
struggling blndly it may be, but struggling
| like men.
As southern man, sir, demand that this
government shall protect constitutionally, our
slave property. But few years ago. thewhole
north sent up cry of distress and oppression,
when you reduced your tariff but few cents
You were told of blighted prosperity, Of stag
nant industry, and crumbling enterprises, when
your legislation in restoring equality to differ
ent interests, withdrew some of the enormous
gains of their capital, which had been fostered
by legislative bounty. While the north was
thus whining in sackcloth and ashes over their
fanced oppression, she had but about SO, ,000,
900 invested in manufactures. What, now, is
this government attempted to be used to do?
| ~ - 4. a. r