Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-18

probably to the aterkindy permits Northern man q
have his prooe opinion upon this matter proyidei hs
ovQies the institution OF slavery and this be adds
seen Cass refuses 10 concede lie might be ever 81
ayerse to slavery and would not complain he would
rigidly abstain from abusing u.s."
Once before and only once, heard this doctrine o.
the permissory right of Northern men TO think upon this
subject provided they shut up their thoughts in their
breasts The position OF public maa IN the North re-
quires the free expression 70 bis OF ms views
respecting slavery, well for his own sake as fsr the
Of his usefulness to the cause OF the Constitution
To rail at slavery is thing, and very foolish and
unjust thing submit TO the tribunal of public opin
ion Ia his State bis views upon the abstract question
while defending the right of the South 10 adjust prac
tcay for themselves, is another and quite different
thing and nothing but the very extremity Of intolerance
could confound subjects widely separated in their po-
| sition and so different in their nature.
Upon this question of the right of opinion and OF the
duty Of Withholding the expression of it. said in the
Senate in February ast Truth never permanently
injured by free inquiry You cannot control inyestiga-
ton and you must take it with its abuses, for the
blessings it brings with it, highly respectable and
spected member OF the House Of Representatives said
upon this subject time since, You concider slavery
great evil Very WELL think so but keep your thoughts
TO yourselves l am sure sir, this honorable member
have uttered this sentiment while feeling strongly
the asperons upon the South too frequent in the North
for he knows well any one. the mpessihity Of pre-
scrbng the right Of speech and OF cophning the thoughts
of to his bosom You might just rs well under
take stop the tide Of the stop the tide Of
human opinion and though both Of these mighty agents
in their restess march are felt Tor evil as well as for
good yet their healthfu action is infinitely better than
would be their stagn&nt quietuds But the speaker did
be had perfect right to do, without regard to this
prohibton he examined the whole subject in the hall Of
the nation and Of could not expect that his pre-
cept and not his practice would be followed by others
So much for THE Claim of occlusion this demand that
every Northern shall place his hand upon his mouth
and his aath in the dust whenever the word slavery Is
sounded III his ears py It's ends its foes And now
for the assertion of the Richmond Eogurer that had
transcribed the limits of legitimate Investigation by my
assaults upon slavery. very few words will dispose of
this charge to the perfect satisfaction of every but Of
him who made it. shall not commit the folly Of expect
ing his recantation. He who does injury, when the
injustice is exposed thereeforth often considers him
self the injured party.
have uttered reproachful word the SUBJ
ject of slavery not 1t is Of discussion
which suits neither my TASTE my habits, nor my age
and least of all am likely to adopt it when Of the
grnvest constitutional subjects that be presented to
the American people is brought forward for consdera
ton. ! have never, like the members Of the Virginia
Legislature, applied sgaonioas dparagiag to
it, and defy the writer of this article any body else
to iud in all my remarks single assertion cpl
thet that the most jealous friend of the institution can
justly censure In my Nicholson letter. speaking Of
slavery, said: t'
Thee is, and not by the act of the present generation,
and we must deal with il great practical question in
vorirg the most momentous consequences. We have pe
ther the right the to touch it whore it exists and
If we had both their exercise by heretofore
gested might lead to results which uise wead viii
without anxiety"
In the Senate said, in 1850 that
Slavery existing institution the South for which
living is responsible. 1t is interviewer into thu very
texture Of society Between three and four millions OF peo
pie dcrip- in and color from tho predominant
held in bondage Ihaye good deal c slavery and
believe its evils much magnihed and that the slaves
generally in our Southern States are treated with as much
Kindness and consideration compatible with the rela
tive condition Of bond ee and certainy well they
would be treated in The North il we had slaves there do
not myself how such Of human beings be
free Emancipation, unless the work may say Of ages
would equally destroy white and black God in his proyi
dence may bring it about do not that Itis
question which the Southern States alone They
have every motive to deal with it justly wisely every
interference from abroed but adds the difficulty Of po
stion and in every Southern mind
"We can give them however, opnion and dscusson)
right direction and that should be tho effort Of every
American in the avehodpg States whose feelings and
whose intellect have not been sesed captive by this strange
heucinaton He saoud stand for the rights South
by standing up for the obligations of Constitution and
exose that hollow philanthropy which socks through blood
and nre the emancipation of of beings be
come free in Gods good tme and when ho has prepared
them for it how know not but Who If mads free
would at least those of them who survived struggle
become the most miserable and absct population the face
TO touch (slavery) by the General Government would
be to shake to its whole political edce
Like other human institutions it has neither all the adyan
tages It's friends claim for it all the evils its de-
pore Believing il misfortune for any country regret its
establishment; but looking upon existing condition
free to confess that though may end and
nope II may peacefully and justly, way which
this can be effected but by leaving to hose interested
in it, and to the they may nd IL best adopt Any
external interference would only aRgsvse the evils the
dangers and this experience has already shown
the fghfu pictures which have drawn of cruelty on
side and suffering and wretchedne the other they
gross exaggeratops by whatever modern Guver fbr
Gated whether strong minded woman,
ignorance maevoence and mintering to the worst Of
| passions both at home and abroad" a.
Certainly objects of commsseraton every where to
be found even in the most prosperous communies Msor
tunes whether produced by Ourselves by the chances
he are nseparable from human society And there il
who cannot look around him and End objects enough
which to exhaust his benevolence whether contrbu-
tons confined to pulling sentrnentality extended
substantial offerings for the relief OF distress have no pa
ence with that costvo charity which negects the misery
lite neghbohood because that demands the the purse
and seeks subjects for noisy philanthropy reach
because words not wealth and professions cheaper
! than cath" sHs.s s.ts 3. 1t@ t.5 -
These the sentiments which have always felt aud
which have always expressed in the Senate popular
sembiages and i'll private conversation whenever this
subject was under dscusson; and call upon the En-
qurer to redeem itself from the oblequy which failure
would cast upon 1t to point out single instance in which
have assaulted the institution stimulated the fana-
csm Of the abolitionists by joining in their
| tion of Slavery j-
But let my views be sought in the acknowledged yor
sons of my speeches. and not in brief and hasy
written from recollection and for publication in oppo
ston journals. 1t is expecting too much from human
nature TO expect accuracy and mparaiiy under such
| circumstances.
AS to the distinction attempted to be drawn between
myself and MIR. Douglas Mr.. Bright, Mr.. Toucey and
other Northern and Western Senator'S il has no founda
tion in fact nor in honest argument. They supported
the bill, and did l. because it acknowledged in DO
tical community right to establish exclude slavery
for ITSELF But they likewise oontended, and so did
that slavery in those Territories revived by those
bills and that it could go there unless introduced
he rnrh Ia