Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-02-21

taught by history, either sacred or profane, nor
the experience of the past or present.
10 the Hebrew race were committed the
oraeles OF the most High, slaveholding priests
adminlsted at his altar, und slaveholding pro-
phets and patriarchs received his revelations
and taught them to their own and transmitted
them to all future generations OF men, The
highest forms of ancient civilization, aud the
noblest development Of the individual man,
are TO be found in the ancient slaveholding
commonwealth of Greece and Rome. In
eioqeence, IN rhetoric, in poetry and painting,
IN architecture and sculpture, you must still go
ana search amid the wreck and ruins of their
genius for the "pride of every model and the
perfection OF every MASTER and the language
and literature of both, stamped with immor-
tality, passes on TO mingle itself with the
thought and the speech of all lands and all
centuries. Time will not allow me to multiply
illustrations. That domestic slavery neither
enieebes or deteriorates our race; that it is
not inconsistent with the highest advancement
OF man and society, is the lesson taught by all
ancient and confirmed by all modern history.
It's effects In Strengthening the attachment Of
the dominant. race to liberty, was eloquently
expressed by Mr.. Burke, the most accomplished
ana philosophical statesman England ever
produced. In his speech on Cancellation with
America, he uses the following strong Ian
guage: /" Where this is the case those who are
tree are by far the most proud and jealous Of
their freedom. l cannot alter the nature of
man. The fact is so, and these people of the
southern colonies are much more strongly, and
with higher and more stubborn spirit attached
TO liberty than those to the northward. Such
were all the ancient commonwealth, such were
our Gothic ancestors, and such in our day were
the Poles, such will be all masters of slaves
who are not slaves themselves. In such peo-
pie the haughtiness of dominion combines
itself with the spirit of freedom, fortifies it,
and renders it invincible."
No stronger evidence of what progress so.
ciety may make with domestic slavery can be
desired, than that which the present condition
OF the slaveholding States present For near
| twenty years, foreign and domestic enemies of
| their institutions, have labored by pen and
| speech, to excite discomfort among the white
race, and instructions among the black these
| efforts have shaken the National Government
to It's foundations, and bursted the bonds of
Christian unity among the churches of the
| land, yet the objects of their attacks-these
States-haye scarcely felt the shock In sur
| veying the whole civilized world the eve rests
| not on single spot where all classes of society
are so well content with their social system or
have greater reason to be so, than in the slave
holding States of this Union. Stability, pro-
gress, order, peace, content, prosperity, reign
throughout our borders. Not single soldier
IS to be found In our widely extended domain
to oyerawe or protect society. The desire for
organic change nowhere maniiests itself. With
IN less than seventy years, out of FIVE feeble
colonies, with less than one and half millions
OF inhabitants, have emerged fourteen repub-
| Stata mi L.. Z
inhabitants, rich, powerful, educated, moral,
refined, prosperous and happy; each with re.
publican Governments adequate to the protec-
ton of public liberty and private rights, which
are cheerfully obeyed, supported, md upheld
by all classes of society. With noble system
OF internal improvements penetrating almost
| every neighborhood, stimulating and rewarding
the industry of our people; with moral and
intellectual, surprising physical improvements ;
| with churches, schoo,-houses and colleges daily
multiplying throughout the land, bringing edu-
cation and religious instruction to the homes
of all the people, they may safely challenge
the admiration ofthe civilized world. None of
this great improvement and progress have
been even aided by the Federal Government ;
we have neither sought from it, protection for
our private pursuits, nor appropriations for our
public improvements. They have been effected
by the unaided individual efforts Of an enlrht.
ened, mora, energetic, and religious people Such
IS our social system, and such our condition
under it. It's political wisdom is indicated in
its effects on society; its morality by the prac.
tees Of the patriarchs and the teachings of the
apostles we submit to the judgment Of man.
kind, with the firm conviction that the adop
ton Of no other system, under our circum.
stances, would have exhibited the individual
man, bond or free, in higher development OF
society in happier civilization.