The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-08

was to found here what the world had never
seen-a Church without a Pope, and State
without King. Immense cheering l know
that that despotic power from which they fed,
under the darkness and the cover of the
night-for you know that it was under the
darkness and the cover of the night that those
old men who laid the foundation of the Massa-
chusetts Colony escaped from the graves of
their fathers and the scenes of their child
hood know, gentlemen, that that despotic
power from which they fed pursued them into
the wilderness.
l know that the flag of st. George Aoated in
every sea, over the kidnapped children of Africa;
but know that the colonists rejected the at
tempt to fasten here in their midst the system
of mental bondage. They loathed the idea.
They had found out, long before, the sublime
truth that God had made of one blood all
nations of men who dwell upon this earth.
Loud cheering.l And hence say it. and
say it gladly here tonight, that Virginia, the
mother of dead heroes and dead patriots and
dead statesmen, but, thank God the mother Of
living empires-Virginia was the first among
the family of nations to raise her voice against
this internal traffic. Applause. And now we
are to be told that the Union was formed for
the purpose of perpetuating it. Ideny it. Loud
cheers say that the history of our countrS--
and you know that history never lies-falsiies
the assertion. have only to turn you to that
history.
Bear with me a moment while cali your
attention to the fact that the people in the State
of Virginia, in all or nearly all her COMMITTEES,
met in her primary assemblages, before the frat
blood flowed at Lexington, and protested against
this traffic. Applause. beg to read here one
or two resolutions, because they happen to bear
directly upon that question of Freedom or Sla-
Cd ell "a IL
in June, IVA, there was a general meeting of
the freeholders and inhabitants of Prince
Georges county, in Virginia, wherein it was
resolved, among other things, "that the African
trade is injurious to the colony, because it OBJ
structs the population of it by freemen, prevents
manufacturers and other useful people from
settling, and occasions An annual increase in
the balance of trade against the colony" Be-
cause it obstructs the population of it by Free
meni
find that a similar meeting was held in Gull
pepper county, in Virginia, at about the same
time, and another in Nansemond county, and
another on the 18th of July, in the county of
Fairfax, George Washington, Esquire, in the
chair, enthusiastic applause, at which it was
resolved, that it is the opinion of this meeting,
that during our present difficulties and distress,
no slaves ought to be imported into any of the
British colonies and in this connection we take
this opportunity of declaring Sour most earnest
wish to see ansentire stop putforever to such
wicked, cruel, and unnatural trade" Loud ap-
plause. They had no idea of putting it under
the perpetual safeguard of the Union laugh
ter and applause they wished to put stop
forever to such a cruel, wicked, and unnatural
trade. Cheers. This sentiment was not con-
fined to Virginia; l told you that it wac every
where-that it run through all the colonies.
l note, amongst other things, the resol ation
and declaration of the State of Georgia, in the
year IT'S, in the very same spirit. They de-
clared their disapprobation and adherence of
the unnatural practice of Slavery in America.
Next the State of Georgia issued resolve
against the perpetuation of Slavery. AS s step
further, Congress assembled at Philadelphia,
and entered into what is known as the Cart
cles of Association" and I regret that have
them not here this evening. These constituted
Articles Of Association and of the public polty
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 have no intercourse with any State
that continues the unnatural and internal traffic
in the souls and bodies of men, [cheers and
find, my fellow-ctizens, as one OF the sigpers of
those Articles of Association, the natae of
George Washington. Long-continued cheers.
step. Anterior to the Declaration of indie pend
ence, they framed an address against the griev-
ances imposed by the British King, AND then
they appealed from the Throne, and from Par
lament, to the great heart of the British ration
and issued an address to that people di ectly,
and this was signed also by the Represent atives
Of each of the thirteen Colonies, and among
these signatures stands, in letters of living
light" the immortal name of Washington,
I4k2 H. i
| strongly denouncing traffic in slaves. And
those words ought to blister the faces of those
men at the American Capitol who try to pros
titute the Constitution and the Union Of the
States to the unhallowed purpose of pefsetua-
ting American Slavery, cheers "a sgstem
which had its Judgement in the several States,
which was wholly local, and with whi' the
United States has nothing to do. An a tempt
was made to introduce Slavery into the ionsti-
tuition.
Mr.. Butler, of South Carolina-I do ne wish
to speak unkindly of South Carolina, l 10 not
intend to say anything disrespectful &c that
State, but l say that she is unfortunate laugh
ter and cheers it was left for the rep esent-
alive of South Carolina alone to do this, and
am sorry to say that he bears the name of the
distinguished chairman of this meeting. Laugh
ter Well, Mr.. Madison, who is sometimes
called the Father of the Constitution-abd be-
lieve rightly-said that that clause must cot go
into tha Constitution of the United States
"because we intend this Constitution to be the
great Charter of Human Liberty to the unborn
millions who shall enjoy its protection, and who
should never see that such an institution as
Slavery was ever known in our midst" Cheers
Why, these men intended that the institution
should die, as they had found out the great
truth that lie cannot live forever, that it mast
die. Cheers 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. Cheering.l Why, they never
dreamed of perpetuating Slavery. The very
bell which with iron tongue summoned these
old men together, to frame the immortal Decla-
ration, in which they declared q that all men
are created free and equal and that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalien-
able rights" that old bell had inscribed On it
these words: proclaim Liberty throughout
all the land, to all the inhabitants thereof" Yet
they wanted to establish a Union, in order to
place the institution of Slavery under safe
guard, or, in the words of President Pierce, ain
the sense of defence and protection" Laugh
ter.
Well, gentlemen, an Alabama Senator named
Clay-it was not the Clay-it was not the i'm.
mortal man whose ashes sleep in the shades of
| Ashland, from whose flaming tongue leaped
those burning words $50 long as reason holds
a seat in my brain, so long as God allows the
vital current to flow through my veias, never,
never, never, by word or vote or action, will
help to give one rood of free territory to the
blighting curse Of human bondage / say,
Mr.. President, it was not that Clay, bet another
Clay altogether laughter Clay of Alabama