Washington sentinel., 1856-05-13


pulse TO public opinion throughout the State
and may add throughout the Union.
The honor Of the South has been saved BY
the Compromise. The Wilmot Proviso is for
ever dead, and slavery viii never be abolished
in the District of Columbia whilst il continues
to exist in Maryland. The receding storm in
the South still continues to dash with violence
but it will gradually subside, should agitation
cease in the North. All that is necessary forus to
do is to execute the Fugitive Slave Law, and to
let the Southern people alone, suffering them 10
manage their own domestic concerns in their
own way. A Virginia farmer once asked me
ifthere were two neighbors living together, what
/ would think if one of them should be eter-
naly interfering in the domestic concerns of
the otherl Could they possibly live together in
peace?
Without reference to the harmony aud safety
of the Union, what a blessing would this policy
ofnon-interference be, not only to the slaves and
free negroes, but even to the cause of constitu-
tional emancipation itself!
Since the agitation commenced, the slave has
been deprived of many privileges which he for
merly enjoyed, because of the stern necessities
thus imposed upon the master to provide for his
personal safety and that Of his family,
The free negro, for the same over-ruling
reason is threatened with expulsion from the
land of his nativity in the South; and there are
strong indications in several Of the Northern
States that they will refuse to afford him an
asylum.
The cause of emancipation itself has greatly
suffered by the agitation. If left to its constiu-
tional and natural course, laws ere this would
most probably have existed for the gradual abb
olition of slavery in the States of Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, and Missouri. The current of
public opinion was running strongly in that d.
rection before the abolition excitement COM
menced, especially in Virginia. There mea-
sure having directly in view the gradual abol
ton of slavery, offered too by the grandson of
Thomas jefferson, came within one vote, if my
memory serves me, of passing the House of
Delegates. Throughout Virginia, as well as in
the other three States which l have mentioned,
there was then powerful, influential, and grow
ing party in favor of gradual emancipation,
cheered on to exertion by the brightest hopes of
success. What has now become of this party?
II is gone. 1t is numbered with the things that
have been. The Interference of Northern fa-
natics with the institution Of slavery in the
South has so excited and exasperated the peo-
pie, that there is no man in that region now
bold enough TO utter sentiment in favor of
gradual emancipation. The efforts of the
abotionists have long, very long postponed
the day of emancipation in these States.
Throughout the grain growing slave States,
powerful causes were in operation, which must,
before many years, have produced gradual
emancipation. These have been counteracted
by the violence and folly Of the abolitionists.
They have done infinite mischief. They have
not only brought the Union into imminent per.
il, but they have inflicted the greatest evils
both on the slave and on the free negro, the
avowed objects of their regard.
Let me then call upon your powerful and in
fuential meeting, as they value the union Of
these States, the greatest political blessing ever
conferred by bountifnl Providence upon man;
as they value the well-being of the slave and
free negro; as they value even the cause of reg
ular and constitutional emancipation, to exert
all their energies to put down the long contin-
ued agitation in the North against slavery in
the South. Is it unreasonable that the South
should make this demand? The agitation has
reached such height that the Southern people
feel their personal security to be involved. II
has filled the minds of the slaves with vague
notions OF emancipation, and, in the language
of General jackson, threatens ito stimulate
them to insurrection and produce ali he hor-
rors of servile war; Although any such at.
tempt on their part would be easily and speedi-
ly suppressed, yet what horrors might not in
the mean time be perpetratedl Many a mo-
ther now retires to rest at night under dreadful
apprehensions of what may befal herself and
her family before the morning. Self preserva-
tion is the first instinct of nature; and, there
fore, any state Of society, in which the sword Of
Damocles IS all the time suspended over the
heads of the people, must, at last, become in
tolerabe. To judge correctly of our relative
duties towards the people Of the South, we ought
to place ourselves in their position, and do unto
them as we would that they should do unto us
under similar circumstances. This is the gold
en- rule. 1t was under its benign influence that
our Constitution Of mutual compromise and con-
cession was framed, and by the same spirit alone
can it be maintained. Do the people of the
North act in this Christian spirit whilst stig.
matizing their brethren Of the South with the
harshest epithets, imputing to them high de-
gree Of moral guilt, because slavery has been
entailed upon them by their forefathers; and
this, too, with knowledge that the conse-
quences of these assaults must be to place in
peril their personal safety, and that of all they
hold most dear on earth. Irepeat that this con-
slant agitation must be arrested by the firm de-
termination and resoluie action OF the vast ma.
jority Of the people of the North, who are
known to disapprove it, or the sacrifice Of our
glorious Union may and probably viii be at last
the consequence
2. | shall proceed to present to you some
views upon the subject OF the much misrepre-
sented fugitive slave law. It's now evident, from
all the signs Of the times, that this is destined
to become the principal subject Of agitation at
the next session OF Congress, and 10 take the
place Of the Wilmot Proviso. It's total repeal
or its material modification will henceforward
be the battle CRY Of the agitators Of the North.
And what is the character Of this law7 Ii was
passed to carry into execution plain, clear,
and mandatory provision Of the Constitution,
requiring that fugitive slaves, who fy from
service in one State TO another, shall be de-
livered up to their masters. This provision is
so explicit that he who runs may read. No
commentary can present il in a stronger light
than the plain words Of the Constitution. II
is well known historical fact, that without this
provision, the Constitution itself could never
have existed. How could this have been other.
wise Is il possible for a moment to believe
that the slave States would have formed
union with the free States, if under Il, their