The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-04-12

ment, land what else could the people have
intended; what else is the Constitution or the
Government good for? then the Federal Con
stitution is inconsistent with the Federal toi-
erance of Slavery, and the Federal Government
must wage war upon it, and overthrow 1t, or else
fail of securing the grand objects OF ITS orgahl-
cation. Examine for yourselves, item BY item,
fellow-citizens, and see.
~ "To form a more perfect analon nat
is there that endangers the union OF the states
but the existence of Slavery? Some may say
that it is the agitation of the slave question by
Abolitionists that endangers the Union. but
this is not the true statement OF the case.
Slavery is, Of s.ecessity disturbing force IN a
Republic; an element antagonistle 10 the iun
damenta idea of the Government. 1t Is the
opposite of that "liberty and equality which
republican institutions are designed and adapt
ed to secure Such an order of men as slave
holders, exercising unlimited power over their
feIlow-men, is an anomaly in Republic, ana
cannot but disturb the public harmony ana
union Shareholders constitute privileged
order, and claim rights inconsistent with inc
equal rights of their neighbors, whether non
slaveholding citizens or slaves. An element
of growing and constant discord IS thus intro
duced. The interests, moreover, OF lree ana
slave labor can never be reconcied. No sys-
tenn of public measures, of financial policy, OF
political economy, that is just and equal to
non-slaveholders, can ever give satisfaction 10
shareholders. Experiment has fully proved
this. The slave system cannot 1--we without
systematic depredations upon the non,slave-
holders; and the shareholders will continue to
WELD the National Government for its own ag-
grandizement. at the expense of the free States,
until the Federal Government shall have deter
mined upon the abolition of Slavery. 1t can
not be neutral; it never has been, and never
can be- Through its action, an incessant
course of aggression upon the rights OF the free
States has constantly been carried on, lnclu-
ding the effort to extend the area OF Slavery.
Until recently, it has been supposed that his
phase of the antagonism between Freedom and
Slavery could be adjusted by compromise"
But the repeal, by the South of the Missouri
COMPROMISE dictated to the North, on threat
of dissolution of the Union, in l82O,) has now
dispeled that delusion, and it is understood, on
both sides. that the struggle must go on, until
either Liberty or Slavery Is extlngushed
Now, the Federal Constitution was designed
" to form a more perfect union" than had pre-
viously existed, and consequently 1t was not
formed to tolerate, to protect, land consequent
ly to FOSTER the grand, the inevitable element
of National discord All the discord we now
witness has grown out of those expositions of
the Constitution against which | am contending,
and which recognise the constitutionality Of
The practice is itself an aggres-
sion, and embodies the elements of discord.
To say that Slavery is constitutional is equiva-
lent to saying that aggression, contests, discord,
and alienation. are constitutional for they can
not be separated from each other. The rules
of " strict construction of the Supreme Court,
and of the esprit and intent" of the instru-
nent, all harmonic here.
LITTER XVII TO BE CONCLUDED IN OUR NEXT.