True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-05-21

tlce OF slavery IN AInSFiCo' NeAl luz
State Of Georgia issued a resolve against
the perpetuation of Slavery, As, step
further, Congress assembled at Philadel-
phia, and entered into what is known as the
4" Articles of Association" and ! regret
that l have not them here this evening.
These constituted articles of association,
and of the public polity of the United
States, and beg leave here to state that
to all these articles are appended, without
one exception, all the representatives in
this Congress, and that they declared that
."they would hold no intercourse with any
State that continues the unnatural and in
fernal traffic in the souls and bodies OF
mem" [cheers] and find, my fellow citi-
zens, as one of the signers of those Articles
of Association, the name of GEORGE
WASHINGTON. [Long continued cheering ]
Then we follow this movement into
another step, Anterior to the Declaration
of Independence, they framed an address
against the grievances imposed by the
British king, and then they appealed
| from the throne and from Parliament to the
great heart of the British nation, and issued
an address to that people directly, and this
was signed also by the representatives o.
each of the thirteen colonies, and among
these signatures stands, 6" in letters oI
living light" the immortal name of Wash
ington, [cheers] and in that address occur
words strongly denouncing traffic in slaves
And those words ought to blister the faces
of those men at the American Capitol
who try to prostitute the Constitution and
the Union of the States to the unhallowed
purpose of perpetuating American Slavery
[cheers]- system which had its lodgnent
in the several States which was wholly
local and with which the United States had
nothing to do.
An attempt was made to introduce Sla-
very into the Constitution by Mr.. Butler,
of South Carolina-I do not wish to speak
unkindly of South Carolina, l do not in
tend to say anything disrespectful of that
State-but say that she is unfortunate.
Laughter and cheers.] 1t was left for the
Representatives of South Carolina alone
to do this, and / am sorry to say that he
bears the name of the distinguished Chair
man of this meeting. [Laughter.] Well,
Mr.. Madison-who is sometimes called the
| Father of the Constitution, and | believe
rightly-saiG that clause must not 60 into
the Constitution of the Uuited States
" Because we intend this Consttut ion to
be tile great Chatter of human liberty to
the unborn millions who shall enjoy its pro-
lection, and who shall never see that. such
an institution as Slavery was ever known
in ourmidst." [Cheers.] Why, these men
intended that the institution should die, as
they found out the great truth that lie
cannot live forever-that it MUST die.
| GCheers.1 And the idea that one man has
the right to make merchandise of the bones
and sinews of another, is stupendous lie
and cannot live. Why, they never dream
ed of perpetuating Slavery. The very bell
which, with iron tongue, summoned these
old men together to frame the immortal
Declaration in which they declared "That
all men are created free and equal, and that
they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights" That old bell
has inscribed on it these words: "Proclaim
liberty throughout all lands, to ALL the in
habitants thereof" Yet they wanted to
establish Union in order to place the in
stitution of Slavery under safeguard, or
in the words of President Pierce, " in the
sense of defence and protection" Laugh
teri ID. ... ..... ...
Well, gentlemen, an Alabama Senator
named Clay-it was not THE Clay [cheers
and laughter]-it was not the immortal
man who said that Gas long as God allow
ed the vital current to flow through his
veins. he would never, by word or rthought,
bv mind or will, aid in admitting one rood
of Free Territory to the everlasting curse
of human bondage" [long continued cheer
ing]-but another Clay altogether [laugh'
ler,] Clay of Alabama [renewed laughter
in the Senate of the United States--had
found out, in reading some speeches in that
instrument of free thought, that internal
machine, the unfettered press of the North,
that one William II. Seward ldeatening
cheers] had ventured to say that this thing
should not be perpetuated and he consid-
ed it an objectionable sin to say that the
institution was not to last forever. Now
the people of the United States, and espe-
cially OF the Free North, nave no hotloh
of that kind; they understand we'll enough
til t there is nothing eternal but God,
Truth and Justice. Their hope and conf
dence has always been in the ultimate tri-
umph of truth and Justice. Itell you that
the great, throbbing, pulsating heart OF
every lover of Freedom throughout this
land, have caught the spirit-stirring echoes
of your own immortal poet (turning to Mr..
Bryant Immortal, say, before he has
yet tasted death three cheers for Mr.. Bry-
ant say the spirit of the. great heart
of the American people have caught the
truthful and immortal sentiment of your