The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-17
SENATOR suMNER,s LEcruRE.

4
The vast capacity of the Metropolitan Thess.
tire was tasked to It's utmost last evening, to &C
commodate the great congregation who cam
to listen to the elosuence of the Massachusetts.
Senator, Charles Sumner. From floor to rooss
| the auditorium was one almost unbroken col
cave of earnest, intelligent faces of men an
women, gathered from every State in thi
Union, and many hundreds could not get int
the theatre at all. On the platform were tn
| Hon. Salmon p. Chase, VIM. Lloyd Garrisora
| Wendell Phillips, Judge Culver, John Jay, JaE
Mott, Francis Jackson, Henry c. Wright, am
many other leading men.
Judge VIM. JAY Chairman Of the meeting
introduced the speaker in the following re-
marks:
"LADrEs AND GENTLEMEN: / have been re
quested, on the part of the Society, to perform
the pleasing but unnecessary Office of introdu
cling to you the honored and well-known advo,
cate of justice, humanity, and freedom, Charlie,
Sumner. 1t is not for his learning and elo
quence that commend him to your respectful
attention; for learning, eloquence, and ever
theology itself, have been prostituted in thu
service of an institution well described by JohI
Wesley as the sum of all villanies. introduc,
him to you as Northern Senator, on whom Ma,
ture has conferred the unusual gift of back:
bone-a man who, standing erect on the foo
OF Congress, amid creeping things from tho
North, with Christian fidelity denounces thu
stupendous wickedness of the Fugitive Law
and Nebraska perfdy, and in the name of lii.
erty, humanity, and religion, demands the re
peal of those most atrocious enactments. MAJ
the words he is about to utter be impressed OF
your consciences, and influence your conduct
The appearance of Mr.. Sumner was the sig
nal for most electrifying applause as he stood
with bowed head before the thousands assem-
bled, cheer upon cheer and shout upon shout
testified to the hearty sympathy existing be-
tween the orator and his audience. In deep,
full, and sonorous voice, and with simple,
manly dignity, amid profound silence, he said
~ am not insehsible to this generous APP
plause, but / accept it not for myself, but III
behalf of the cause i advocate; and | am
proud to be introduced on this occasion by q
gentleman whose name, ilustrious by a fathers
renown, is illustrious also by his own generous
devotion to the rights of man."
Mr.. Sumner then Began by saying, that from
defeat and disparagement enterprises often rose
into triumph.
If truth, like Christianity was Graded in a
manger, it has like it grown into ample and
glorious proportion Freedom of discussion,
the first stage of victory, has been won. "Give
me where to stand, and / will move the world,
said Archimedes. Truth asks no more, anc
that she has through much persecution and
much sacrifice finally attained.
The Anti-Slavery enterprise has already &C.
complished incalculable good. Even now il
touches the national heart as it never before
was touched, sweeping its strings with might
to draw forth emotions such as no political
struggle has ever evoked. 1t moves the young,
the middle-aged, and the old. 1t enters the
family circle, and mingles with the fame of the
household hearth. 1t reaches the souls OF
mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, filing all
with new aspiration for justice on earth, and
awakening not merely sentiment against Sla.
very, such as prevailed with our fathers, but a
deep, undying conviction of its wrong, and a
determination to leave no effort uninterrupted for
its removal With the sympathies of all Chris
tendon as allies, it has already encompassed
the slave masters by moral blockade, invisible
to the eye, but more potent than navies, from
which there can be no escape except in final
capitulation. Thus it has created the irresisti.
BILE influence which itself constitutes the begin
ming of success. Already there are signs OF
change. In common speech as well as in wri-
ting, among slave masters the bondman is no
longer called a siave, but a serrdat-thus, by a
soft substitution, concealing and condemning
the true relation. Even newspapers in the land
of bondage blush with indignation at the hunt
of men by bloodhounds thus protesting against
an unquestionable incident of Slavery.
Other signs are found in the added comfort
of the slave; in the enlarged attention to his
wants; in the experiments now beginning, by
which the slave is enabled to share in the profits
of his labor, and thus finally secure his free
DOM and, above all, in the consciousness
among slave masters themselves, that they
dwell now, as never before, under the keen OBJ
servation of an sver-wakeful Public Opinion,
quickened by an ever-wakeful Public Press.
Nor is this all. Only lately propositions have
been introduced ilto the Legislatures of differ
ent States, and cC'untenanced by Governors, to
mitigate the existing law of Slavery; and, al
most while speak, lg, have received the drafts
of two different lemorials-one addressed to
the Legislature : Virginia, and the other to
that of North Cirolina-asking for the slave
three things, viii ,h it will be monstrous to re-
fuse but which, if conceded, will take from Sla-
very its existing character: | mean, first, the
protection of the marriage relation; secondly,
the protection of the parental relation; and,
thirdly, the privilege of knowledge. Grant these,
and the girdled Upas tree soon must die.
The enterprise had, too, an inherent dignity to
recommend it. II seeks to benefit those it has
never seen, and who are ignorant of its labors.
1t has met aspersion. 1t has been styled fanati-
cal, and has been said to lack the authority of
eminent name. Thus has it ever been with
every noble struggle. 1t is too true that many
neglect the duty Of this combat, or satisfy it by
some small contribution. But it needs strong,
incessant, organized effort, to kill this foul enact
ment. The people of the North are deeply in
volved in the abolition of a scandal which
stains the common national capital, national
a. Al Al
is inflicted by an oligarchy of but three hun
dred and fortyse, en- thousand slavemasters in
this vast Union, who absolutely exclude from
office all who Il not uphold their hideous
traffic. Not alosie this, but men who revolt
from the sickeni e duty are to be forced by
law to aid in bI nging back their fellow-men
who may have .imed. that right of freedom
which God gives all who are crimeless. AS
those who were ie agents of the Stamp Act
were blasted wi public ignominy by the
fathers of the Re ublic, so should the agents oil
this cursed Fugi We law be blasted by the exc,
crations of theii sons. With peroration OF
soul-stirring enel y, in which he held forth the
importance of uI on and the claims which the
struggle in which they were embarked had or
every man who owed humanity and freedom,
Mr.. Sumner concspded amid an applause which
had frequently Interrupted him in the course Of
delivery of his eloquent lecture.
Throughout the two hours and a half which
Mr.. Sumner occupied in the delivery of his lee
ture, the audieKe manifested the most pro-
found attentioRxat intervals applauding his
efforts right generously.-N Y. Tribune.
SENATOR WILSON'S LECTURE
Notwithstanding heavy rain, last evening,
large assemblage greeted the new Massachu-
sets Senator's " first appearance on any stage"
at the Metropolitan theatre. After being intro
dnood To the audience hu Henry Ward Roonhor