New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-10
THE ANNIVERSARIES.
SENATOR SUMMERS LECTURE.

great congregation who ceme 10 listen 10 the eio-
quence of the Massachusetts, Senator, CHARLES
SUMNER. From floor to roof the auditorium was one
almost unbroken concaye of earnest intelligent faces
of men and women gathered from every State
in this Union and many hundreds could not get into
the Theater at all. On the platform were the Hon.
Salmon p Chase, VIM. Lloyd Garrison, Wendell
Phillips, Judge Culver, John jay, james Mott
Francis Jackson, Henry c. Wright, and many other
leading men.
Judge WV. JAY, Chairman of the meeting, intro
ducod the speaker in the following remarks:
LADIES ANo GEsrLEMEN: have been requested the part
Of The Society, yeorm the pleasing but unnecessary once
Of introducing you the honored and weknown advocate Of
Justice Humanity and Freedom Charles sane IL Is not Tor
hs and eoquence that commend him 70 your aspect
M attention. for Learning eoquenee AID even theology e
have been prostuted in the service o. ~ INSTITUTION wen de-
fcfihed by John Wesey the Of al vlanes introduce
him 10 you Northern Senator whom nature he's confer
red unusual gift Of baekbone-a msn who sanding erect on
the floor Of Congress amid creeping thng from me NORM win
Fugitive sy and Nebraska perdy and in the Of Liberty
Humanity and Religion demands the repes OF those most afro
cious enaotments Msy the wocs be about to utter De I'M
pressed your conscenoes end influence your conduct
The appearance Of Mr.. SUMNER the signal for
most electrifying applause; as he stood with bowed
head before the thousands assembled, cheer upon
cheer and shout upon shout testified to the hearty SYM
pathy existing between the orator and his audience
In deep full and sonorous voice and with simple
manly dignity amid profound silence he said:
am not irsensble to this generous applause but
accept il not for myself but IN behalf OF the cause ad-
vocate and proud TO be introduced on this occa-
zion by gentleman whose name, ilustrous by
fathers renown If iusri0us also by his own generous
devotion to the rights of man.
Mr. SUMNER then began by saying that from de-
feat and dsparagement enterprises often rose into tn
umph. In ls35, but twenty years ago. the friends OF
the slave were few and weak In Boston feeble as
sociation called the Female Anti-Slavery Society,
which held ts meetings in the upper story of an OBJ
scure building was insued, the small companies of
Freedom everywhere persecuted and peited, and
its earliest apostle William Lloyd Garrison thrust into
prison to him from the fury of the mob. Most
of the large towns the scene of similar outrage
Even the force of law was brought into play in Rhode
Island Massachusetts, and New-iork to reduce the
rising cry against Slavery to whisper. But II
truth like Christianity was Graded in manager,
it has ike it grown into ample and glorious pro-
portion. Freedom of discussion, the first stage o
victory. he's been won. "Giye me where 10 stand and
will moyer said Archimedcs. Truth ASKS no more,
and that she has through much persecution aud much
sacrifice finally attained. He had been selected 10 M
the Of the present course OF lectures bur Ill heaith
had compelled him to close their march, Beginning
with the necessity Of the Anti Slavery enterprise ne
maintained the wrong of Slavery defined by exist
ing law lie would not dwell on those horrors which
every day send their cry from the children OF Dohdage
shame. He would not present before them such teas
of horror He would treat of undispuied facts and out
of its mouth condemn Slavery. BY the civilcode
of Louisiana and of another polished Slave State, anf
Strouds Laws of Slavery from which he quoted, man
created after the image of God is dvested ot hs hu
man character and declared TO be mere ehsttei lie
may be bartered, auctioncd, even s'akcd upon me
hazard of a die. He may seem 10 have we,
but he has not; he may seem TO have a chiid out
he has not both belong to another. Nor Is even
this all The law by cumulative provisions posi-
lively forbids that slave shall he DC taugh, 10
read Hear this fellow-ctzens, and confess that no
barbarian of despotsm no extravaganza OF tyranny,
no excess of inpiety can be more blaspheInous OF
deadly Train up the child in the way he should 90
is the lesson of sacred wisdom; but the law OF slaves
boldly prohibits any such training and dooIns the emu
TO hopeless ignorance and degradation. Lex mere
be- light was the Divine utterance at the very dawn
of creation-and this commandment traVeihg WIN INC
ages and the hours still speaks with the voice Oh uo
but the law Of Slavery let there be darkh
II is nyerred that sayenastcrs humane and slaves
trented with kindness. What matters such sverinent
in the face of the letter of the law which Is the express
sion of the mass. When they ssction the law they
sanctions the brualities il permits VI what use 10
sax that individuals do not practice these atrocities
while the law stands To thcenterpnse when "ouiu
strike down the foul loahsome law, two objections are
opposed. The alleged distinction OF race ana sanction
of Christianity. Ii this distinction OF race Is no. Is
tabshed then every argument by which our own free
dom and freedom in every quarter OF the cart Is 'ihu
Gated speaks trumpettongucd against the deep uaia
ton Of Slavery Ii is said the curse pronouNeu oy
Noah ON the posteritv of Ham has fallen on his pos
terity TO whom the African belongs. But the text, as
Mr. Sumner clearly established, warranted no such de
duction even if there not monstrous absarqity
in the attempt to found such a revolving wrong on
Drawn from the musiy roll Of Noshs Ark .,
Some stray suggestions of science have been seized
on TO sanction this small bigotry. But no science as
10 stocks and races il sustained could shake the
everlasting truth which makes al men the children
of one father, and entitled 10 hte, liberty, ana
the pursuit of happiness here and hereafter
To refute the objection of the alleged SANCTION OF
Christianity, Il IS unnecessary to enter INTO cOnniet
OF supposed conn eng texts. The example, the teach
il % ana the life OF the SAVIOUR rebuke the blasphe-
nous argument which would throw his seamless gar
ueni over this shocking wrorg. Nor however much
might SORROW 10 tnd M sier OF that saviour at
TEMPT thus recently at Boston, To pesNert tex anu
invent authority they can hardly feel surprised when
thew remember that another clergyman absolutely pu
forth book 10 prove that the Afrlcan trade IN neroe
wss consistent with the principles othumanty ana re-
"yealed religion" The cl Sile of Paul 10 Philemon,
cent bv Onesimus the servant, on which 81 much
stress has been laid by this class Of casuists, lie
however, clearly showed TO convey mean
ing wholly different, and that there was no
justification for this tortuous perversion OF the bene-
ieeni teaching and exampe Of the Great Apostle. But
j. this enterprise even if right practicable Inc ior-
mer includes the latter Truth Il too beautiful ever 10
he impractcabe. Already even zealos admit that the
abuses should be removed Take away then that gross
central assumption which DECLARES 10y law that man Is
chntie, which ispractcable even now, and one py
ore the surrounding abuses may be subracted- Ine
"abuso which substitutes concubInage Tor marflA-e1
the abuse" which ennuls the parental relation t
"abuse which closes the portals Of low Isbor Of
"abuse' which tyrnnnically usurps the iaDot ".
anol er, now upheld by positive law, mn! oy P.r H
law lie abolished. But what COMPENSATION Nnil !, o1 =
given and how The abolition oil rsh' eou n'-
on a deep wrong Is entitled 70 no AZ - ,ha
ton. The compensa,on, if any, Is due 20 me
xron,sd Rn, for the ccnsummaton we seek,