The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-31
For the National Fra.
PROPERTY IN MAN.


l. IS now manifest that tremendous conflict
.ooarsutly-though perhaps not really Sec
,;ooal one, impends over our country, hihng
49, mind Of every intelligent citizen with anxi-
= o,J alarm; and various proposals are now
In, made TO avert the dreaded catastrophe
: ,b;s embittered strife. AS Kansas is con-
,5ered the commencing battle-ground of this
,o7,sst. all eyes are turned to that region; and
Z, T. expected that the settlement of the ques-
ian If Freedom or Slavery there, will bring
,sses and quiet to this Union. There seems,
toreyer. no prospect of any such settlement
sp-;ng the present session of Congress, as the
40 Houses are opposed to each other, and
.py proposal from one will be invariably re-
;seed BY the other; and should any compro
Mise for Cancellation be acceded to, which
should secure the rights of the people of Kan
.as it would not be likely to be faithfully en-
.grced by the present Administration. The
news Of the excited meetings at the North,
and the hopes of the Republicans, now rest
qpon the overthrow of this Administration,
and the election of Fremont and an Anti-Sla-
very Congress; but, besides that this happy
.Tent is yet uncertain; besides, that if accom-
,,isaed there is still but little hope of an Anti
S..verr Senate it is to be feared that the rem
,iy thus expected is too distant to be effectu-
a. The march of events may not wait eight
n,nths. till the 18th of March and in the in
,esim, by the opposing desperate resolutions
Of tie free and the slave States, the doom of
Kansas, and the agony of the political contest,
nav be precipitated upon US. Any political
principle which can be so irresistibly demon
strated as TO bring both parties to an agree
nent, IS now of momentous Importance, and
demands the earnest attention of every intelli-
gen. citizen of the Republic. To offer such an
one, IS the object OF this communication.
To remove or prevent any evil, it is general
u wise to investigate and eradicate its root
And we therefore now inquire, What is the radi-
cal cause of the dispute between the free and
the slave States, on tie now paramount ques-
ton Of Slavery? This does not lie, as is usually
imagined, in the opposing political interests of
the parties, Or the love of power or passions Of
the statesmen Of the South, impelling them to
the extension Of Slavery. These sentiments
undoubtedly serve to invigorate the conflict,
but do not constitute its source; this is to be
found in mutual misapprehension. 1t is not
want Of principle, or grasping ambition, but
sincere delusion, which marks the writings and
speeches of liberal and intelligent slavehold-
ers the position of the North is not understood
by them; aud, on the other hand, the true
ground on which the question stands is but lit
applied to refute the plausible claims of the
South to an equal participation in the Terrific
ris:; the parties do not really meet each other,
even in Congress-each aims at different and
false issue
Ia the Convention which formed the Consti-
t2,ion Of the United States, it was a wellunder-
stood principle, that no recognition should be
gwen OF the rights of property in man. Mr..
Madison, himself STAKEHOLDER, declared that he
9la not assent to any phrase in it which
aoCid imply that recognition, nor would the
4'lesates from the free States have assented to
The Constitution, had any such recognition been
implied in it. Accordingly, neither the words
slave nor slavery" is to be found in it, nor
sly equivalent phrase, denoting that condition
IS existing, still less as admitted. On the con-
rary, there are expressions of universal Free
dom, absolutely incompatible with the allow
an1e Of Involuntary human servitude. 1t ought,
therefore, to be held as settled principle of
our Union, that neither the free States, nor the
United States as whole, are to be consider
ed as admitting the rightfulness of Slavery, of
property in man, nor in any way bound to make
~A' admission; and from this it results, that
ASy act of Congress which duplicates the Uni
led States or the free States in the maintenance,
increase, Or extension of Slavery, is unconsti.
'aaonal-in violation of the original compact
Of the Union.
ihese propositions are undeniable; and if
Tue, We can directly meet with them the claim
y Shareholders, Of the right to carry their slaves
il'O 'he Territories, as well as that of the peo-
p 0i tie tree States to carry their property
Ie'e' We ear say to them that, not acknowl-
0s'ng these negroes to be property, we can
''4''Oer them only as freenen; and the Uni
90 S's'es Government have no more right to
Fe'ent the ingress of these men into the Ter
'Ho'ies than the migration of any other free
''lleh', and have nothing to do with the COM
'I'''oh by which they are carried. All laws
=. - Territory, which forbid the entrance of
.'4SS Or colored people, are unconstitutional
@HD void. Garry your slaves, then, into the
,'''''0leS by thousands, if you please! We
10 so.
Out nov the question arises, In what charac-
'uau these alleged slaves be considered by
ieoerai Government, which has the full
exclusive rule of the Territories, when they
-'''e iS them, and are settled there? Accord
" Inc shove principles, they could not be
Sea TO be property, and consequently must
'eeAed to be free citizens and if any such
rl,sOa Should quit his alleged master, and
=, 'H ais freedom, no honest judge, acting on
principles of the Constitution, could re-
~ H'm into involuntary servitGde-all who
n..' %im must be set at liberty. 1t is obsious
.I a NIis decision would at once and forever
- 'en Slavery in all the Territories; this was
: 'N'as In which it was abolished in Massa.
eNs' and this Judgment is applicable to
-! community, where the right of Slavery
a.; ~ acknowledged. Let this principle and
O. measure be urged upon Shareholders in
e.r 1sfs'S' and there is not point in it they
nationally withstand.