The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-01-09

ts merce and greater agricultural power. Sh
a. was creator than all, stronger than oil, tho
1t the institution Of slavery then existed In Nev
N England in fact, bot in . much lesser dcgre
ID than in Virginia.
,fl What Is Virginia now, compared with
n those Statss, in wealth, strength, and pow
u er alone land / spsak only Of these. lie'
d tree white population, i'll remember right.
q ~, h less than million; the population oil
% New England ID something like two million
. seven hundred thousand or two million,
b eight hundred thousand. What Is her com
merce? l refer the Senator TO the descrip
o ton given Of her commerce by the present
o Governor OF Virginia - IL has taken to itseli
d wings and flown away. What Is her agri'
8 culture? Docs Il compare, rich as she is In
= native resources, with the agricultural pro.
. ductions Of even New England. barren and
4 sterile as she is described TO boz What ID
: she any In particular II mean rs power
8 full Stats2 What is she in anything, except
/. IN the patriotism, learning, and ability OF
! her sons p for there do not pretend to
: question her equality; but in all else, In
{ population, In commerce, and manufactures,
. even in agriculture - in everything that
, tends to make great and strong State -
how does she compare with New England?
What has done this? believe we be-
lieve at the North, that Virginia, with her
greater natural advantages, with her water
power, which is unsurpassed, with the mines
that are in her bosom - everything that
could mako State great and powerful -
would not be what she Is but for the insti.
tuition which she has % loved and cherished.
In looking ut paper which came to me
this morning, met with On extract, which
| will take the liberty 10 read, not with any
invidious feeling. do not know but that
the Senator from Virginia can inform me
whether It is correct or not. Ii professes to
DO an extract from q speech Of n Mr.. Mar
shall, who is described rs son of the late
Chief Justice Marshall, delivered in the
House Of Delegates Of the State Of Virginia
in the year 1882.
"Slayery is ruinous TO the whites-retards
improyement-roots out industrial popula-
tion-banishos the ycomanry Of the country
-deprivcs the spinner, the weaver, the smith.
the shoemaker, the carpenter, Of employment
and support. The evil admits Of no remedy;
IL 10 increasing, and will continue to increase,
until the whole country will be inundated
with one black wave, covering its whole ex-
tent, with few white faces here and there
floating on tho surface. The master has no
capital but what is vested In human flesh;
tho father, instead Of being richer for his
sons, is at n loss how to provide for them;
there Is no diversity Of occupations. no in
centiyes TO enterprise. Labor Of every spc-
cies is disreputable, because performed most
ly by slavc'. Our towns are stationary, our
villages almost everywhere declining, and
the general aspect OF the country marks tho
curse Of wasteful, idle. reckless population,
who have no interest in the soil, and care
not how much it is impoverished.
% Public improvements are neglected, and
the entire continent does not present region
for which nature has done so much and art
50 little If cultivated by free labor, tho
soil Of Virginia is capable Of sustaining vast
population, among whom labor would DO
honorable, and where the busy hum of men
would tell that all wero happy and all were
free"
Mr.. Collamer. have tho whole speech.
Mr.. Fesscndcn. should have finished
what had to say long ago If honorable
Senators had not put 30 many troublesome
questions to me. l answer the honorable
Senator from Delaware thus We are States,
but we are q nation; we are people, yet q
united people. What is interesting TO ono
ought to DO interesting to oil. What
strengthens part Of this great country
strengthens the whole. What weakens u
part weakens tho wiole. What diminishes
the power of one section diminishcs tho pow
er Of the whole country, directly, necessarily,
inevitably. What strengthens part hJs
the same effect upon the whole country. |
have been surprised to hear gentlemen from
the South ask us, "Wby do you have the
impertincnce to interfere with this question?
What is it to you? Why not lot US alone
to manage this matter, which Is matter
solely of our own concern?" So itisamat-
Of your concern In the States where this In.
stitution exists. We have agreed that II
should be (; and say to you that for one
am opposed, and always have so expressed
myself, TO interfering with that question
among you In the slave States ut all. direct
ly or indirectly; for what have no right to
do directly | have no right to do indirectly.
But when II comes TO the question, whether
an institution which has produced such ell
icClS, WHICH ~ ~ uceSpoa'hy'
the great whole Of which ] am part, and
Of which my State is part, and which has
produced the blightinS effects there stated:
shall DO extended over Territory vast as all
tho Territory which now goes TO make up
the States OF this Union, and this black wave
shall bc left to sweep over 1t carrying with
], effects 80 blighting, II becomes not only
my right, but my solemn duty, to stand here
and protest against II, and to 60 before my
constituents, and before the world, where.
ever and whenever can, and protest and
act against result which believe will be
attended with such enormous evils. That Is
my answer I, tho question which Is put 10
me--how our rights and our institutions are
to be interfered with by allowing this Gov
ernment 10 permit the extension oil slavery
over Territory which Is now free, and which
ought to be left free?
Mr.. President, one word moro. do not
look upon this question rs question oil
States. Tho States, as political corporations,
have no direct intercstin the Territories
do not recognize the State Of Virginia, or
the State Of Texas, rs State, as having q
particle Of interest in them nor the State oil
Maine, nor the State Of Massachusetts,, nor
New York. nor any other free State. IL Is
q question with the people Of the United
States. One has Just rs much interest and
right rs another has. When you come
here and talk 10 us about the institution OF
slavery as connected with your States, ask,
w there no institution in tho fifteen States
composing the South except the institution
Of slavery Is that all which goes to mako
up these great empires, as they are in the
matter Of extent to say the least, and should
DO in the matter Of power. You talk tous
hero as II there were nothing else in the
South but slavery. IcAnnot put out OF
sight tho results Of tho census. or all the
shareholders in the Union, properly such,
there are lees than FIVE hundred thousand;
and, including their wives and children,
and all connected with them, they form
certainly decided minority Of the white
free people Of tho slave States themselves;
Are these FREQ white people ever represented
hAE N, Int