The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-15

When Missouri applied for admission into the Union,
attempt then made for the first time 70 impose re-
strieons upon sovereign State and admit her into the
Unon upon unequal footing with her sister states,
and 10 compel her TO mould her constitution not accord
ing 10 the VIII OF her own people, but according 10 the
fancy OF majority IN Congress The attempt was serny
resisted and resulted in providing for her aimis-
sion but containing clause prohibiting slavery forever
in all the territory acquired from France outside Of Mssou-
r and north OF 36 deg 80 min north latitude The prnoi-
pie Of this law division of the common territory
The authority 10 prohibit even to this extent was denied
by Madison Mr. Jefferson and other leading Of that
day II carried By most ofthe southern representatives
combined with small number of northern votes was
departure from principle but il sayored Of justice Sub
sequenty upon the settlement of claim to Oregon 1t
lying north Of that line, the prohibition applied.
Upon the acquisition of Texas the line OF division
was adopted But when we acquired California and New
Mexico the South still willing to abide by the principle of
division again attempted TO divide by the same line lt
almost unanimously resisted by the northern States
their representatives, by great majority INSISTED upon
absolute prohibition and the total exclusion Of the people OF
the southern States from the whole of the terri
tories unless they dvesed themselves OF their slave prol
erty The result Of long and unhappy conflict was the
legislation Of 1866 by large body Of the represent
atives Of nonsayeoldng States sustained by the p-
probation of their constituents acting upon sound prinei
plies of constitutional construction duty, and patriotism,
aided in voting down this and dangerous usurpaton,
declared the equality Of the States and protected the
people OF the Territories from this unwarrantable inter-
ference with their rights Here we wisely abandoned
the shifting grounds Of compromise and put me rights
of the people again upon the rock OF the consttu ion
The law of 1864 commonly known as the
ka ac made to conform to this policy ard put car
red principles established in 1850 IL rghed
ancient wrong and will harmony because it
stores justice TO the country This legislation have en-
deavored TO show is just fair and eqn that II is sus
tanned by principle by authority and by the practice OF
fathers | trust- bclieye-that when the transient
passions of the day shall have subsidized and shall
have resumed her dominion il will be approved even APP
pauded by the collective body of the people, In every
ton of our widely-extended republic
In inviting calm consideration of the second point
in my lecture fully persuaded that even il should
TRUTH shall have aid from your sympathies in this
work. yet if the principles upon which our social system
founded sound the system itself Is humane and just
well necessary Its permanence is based upon the
idea of the superiority by nature Of the white race over the
African that this superiority is not transient and arthcal
but permanent and natural that the same power which
made his skin unchangeably black made him nferor In
tellecuay to the white and incapable OF an equal
struggle with him in the Of progress and elvlza
ton that necessary for his preservation in this strug
gle and for his interest well as that OF the society
of which he is member that he should be servant and
not freeman in the Commonwealth.
have already stated that African slavery existed IN all
Of the colonies at the of the American reyo
luton. The paramount authority of the Crown, with or
without the of the colonies had introduced and
II inexcably interviewer with the framework OF So
ciety especially in the southern States The question was
presented for decision whether it was just or bene
fetal the African him away by force or fraud
from bondage in his country and place him in like
condition in England and the Christian world had
long before settled that question for At the nai over
throw Of British authority in these States ancestors
found hundred thousand Africans among them az
productions chiefly in the present saveholding Staes 1t
became their duty establish governments for themselves
and these people and they brought wisdom, experience,
learning and patriotism TO the great work They sought
that system government which would the great
est and most enduring happiness to the whole society.
They incorporated no nopan theories into their sys-
They did so much themselves
about what rights man might possibly have in a
of what rights he ought to have in state
of society; they dealt with political rights as things OF
compact Of brhrght in the concrete and not in the
abstract They held and maintained and Incorporated into
their fundamental truths that II was the rghtand
duty of the State define and hx well as to protect and
defend the individual rights of each member OF the social
compact and to treat all individual rights subordinate
the great interests Of the whole society Therefore they
denied natural equality repudated mere governments OF
necessarily resulting thererom, and established gov
Of aws-hirteen free sovereign, and independ-
ent republics very slight examination OF our State
constitutions will show how little they regarded vague
notions Of abstract liberty natural equality in hxlng
the rights Of the white race as well as the black The
elective franchise the cardinal feature of system
have already shown granted WITHHELD or limited, ac
cordng their ideas Of public policy and the interest OF
the State. Numerous restraints upon the supposed alb
right of numerical majority to govern soce
ty all be found planted in all OF const-
tuons State and federal thus affirming this subordna
ton of individual rights TO the interest and safety OF the
State
The sayehoIdng States acting upon these principles,
finding the African among them in slavery unht to bo
rusted with political power incapable as freemen OF Sc
curing their happiness promoting the public pros
perty recognised their condition slaves and subjected
to legal control There abundant OF obtain
society accessible all who seek the truth. Wesay It's
wisdom yndica,ed by its results and that under 1t the
African In the slayehodipg States Is found in better po
stion than he has attained in any other age
try whether in bondage or freedom In support OF this
point propose him rapidly from his earliest his
tory the present time The monuments OF the ancient
Egyptians carry him back the morning Of tmc-oder
than the pyramidsthey furnish the evidence both Of hs
national identity and his social degradation before history
began We first behold him slave in foreign lands we
then find the great body of his slaves In their native
land and after thirty centuries, illuminated by both an
and modern civilization have passed over hn we
still find him slave Of savage masters, as incapable as
himself Of even attempting single step in civilization
we find him there st without government or laws or pro-
lection without letters arts or industry, without fe
zion or even the aspirations which would raise him TO the
rank OF idoator and in his lowest type his almost only
mark Of humanity is that he walks erect In the image Of
the Creator Annhilate his to-day, and you will hnd
no his existence within half score OF years and
he would not behind him single dneovery inven-
ton or thought worthy Of remembrance by no haman
family.
In the Eastern Hemisphere he has been found In oil ages
scattered among the nations of every degree OF civa-
ton vet inferior TO them all always in servile condion
VERY soon after the discovery aud settlement OF Amerea
the policy 81 the Christian world bought large numbers ot
these people their savage masters and counrymen and
imported them the Western World Here we are en-
sbed to view them under different and far more fyorsoe
conditions In Hnyh by the encouragement OF the ffenca
government after long probation OF slavery, ney ~
came free and led by the conduct and valor o. tus
mixed races and by the aid Of Overwhelming numbers
they the smo number of whites VINO lnnaoeu
the island and succeeded 20 the undispued sway oi ue
est and best Of the West India islands under tne
state Of cultivation Their condition 10 liayu ieit noehng
TO be desired the favorable experiment oi 'ns race
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