The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-22

choate States, are really inhamed with desire
to change the domestic institutions of existing
States with seeking "an object which they
well know to be revolutionary one with en-
tering q path which leads nowhere, unless 1t be
to civil war and dsunion with being "per-
fectly aware that the only path to the accom-
plishment of the change they seek is through
burning cities and ravaged fields and slaughtered
populations with endeavoring " to prepare the
people of the United States for civil war by doing
everything in. their power to deprive the Consti-
tuition and the laws of moral authority, and to
undermine the fabric of the Union by appeals to
passion and sectional prejudice, by indoctrnating
its people with reciprocal hatred and by educa-
ting them to stand face to face enemies"
Sir, deny esch-every one-ay, all of these
charges. There is not the semblance of truth
in them. If the serpent that stole into Eden, that
beguiled our first mother, which the angels
Squat like a ioad close a Of Eve"
had glided into the Executive Mansion that SER
pent could not have Kissed into the Presidents
words more skllfnlly adapted 10 express the
precise and exact opposite of truth Sir, these
accusations against as intelligent and patriotic
men as ever rallied around the standard of Free
dom, are untruthful and malignant, showing that
the shafts hurled in the conflict through which
We have just passed, rankle in his bosom.
Senators express their surprise that we on this
side of the Chamber should utter the indigna-
ton which men who have any spirit, any sense
of honor, should feel At these malignant and false
charges of the Chief Magistrate of the Republic.
Sir he has undertaken TO arraign us before the
world, "a making pretensions to one line of poll
cy, when intended 10 act up to another. He
has charged us with engaging in revolutionary
movements. He has charged us with having
tered on line of policy that has possible out
let but civil war and disunion. He has charged
us with thus acting, in the full knowledge that
our path leads over ravaged fields, burning cities
and slaughtered populations. He has charged us
with undermining the Constitution and laws of
country; with arraying the people of one
section against the others, learning them to
stand face 10 face as enemies. Sir, we should
meet the scorn and contempt of all honorable
men, if did not utter the feelings which these
unjust, untruthful, and malignant aspersions upon
the people whose representatives are, excite
in our bosoms. To us, TO the people he has
so bitterly assaulted, these expressions of the
Presidents personal opinion are of very little
Importance. We know his weight of metal, and
the limited range of his vision. The New Hamp-
shire Patriot, the Boston Post, and the Washing
ton Union, are little calculated to convey to the
Executive that exact, full, and accurate Informal
ton, which would entile his personal opinions to
much consideration. These charges, however
derive some little Importance from his high posi-
ton.
There is one member of his Cabinet, whose
hand some think they see in the message, who
knows full well the character of this production
mean the learned Attorney General His vast
acquisitions and tireess industry his early ASSOC
Citations and correspondence with the Abolition
lists of New England, all teach him that these
accusations against the people of the North are
without any foundation. For years he was in cor
respondencc with the leading Abolitionists of the
Intt
in his night-dress, dictated by the poet Whittier,
which he wrote to secure Abolition votes /
remember too, sir, that when Wise made the
insolent threat that they would introduce Slavery
into the North, he Indignantly answered, that
before they could introduce Slavery into the
North, her cities and villages would be levelled
in the dust, so that squadrons OF cavalry could
galop over them unimpeded, as the steedS sweep
the boundless praries of the West. He
should have restrained the pen which libels more
than one hundred thousand sons Of his native
State, whose only offence is that they have resov-
ed that Slavery shall never be introduced into
the North" Sir, these aspersions ofthe Executive
upon Northern men will recOl upon his own
head lie will go out of power with the stern
condemnation of hundreds ofthousands who were
instrumental in elevating him TO that lofty posi-
lion from which he has hurled his envenomed
shafts.
The first charge is, that associations have been
formed of persons pretending To seek the restric-
ton of Slavery in the Territories, but who desire
to interfere with Slavery in the States. This does
not apply To the Garrison Abolitonists--they do
not pretend To act in favor of the restriction of
Slavery in the Territories; the Gerrt Smith Abo-
litionSts do not make that pretension. These
words apply To the Republican party of the
United States-a party that has given larger
vote in the free North, 10y nearly one hundred and
fifty thousand than any party ever gave there
| belore-a vote within few thousands as large
rs Taylor received in S4S, or Scott in So, in
the whole Union
But the Senator from Ohio Mr.. PCGH under
took to break this charge, the other day, by tell
ing us, on this side of the Chamber, that if our
positions rs stated them to be- the Pres
| ident could not have intended this attack upon
us that he meant il for the little organic alton of
Abolitionists in the North was surprised that
| the Senator should have invented such an excuse
| for the Chief Magistrate tell the Senator, and
tell other Senator'S that this excuse will not do.
| The President intended to arraign the electors
who voted for Fremont his words DO not apply
10 the Garrison AboitionistI, To that class OF
radical Aboltionists who supported Gerrit Smith
| for the Presidency
| Sir, Senators who have undertaken TO sustain
| or rather to apologize for this extraordinary
course of the President, have condemned the dis
| cusson of the Slavery question during the past
few years. ] commend to Senators who censure
| the people for these discussions, the words OF
| JAMES MADISON, that ---' 49,
| Everything which tends 70 increase danger,
| involve national expense or safety, becomes of
| concern to every part of the Union and is 4
| proper sul.ec for the consideration of those
| charged with the general administration of the
| Government
| Surely Senators cannot be surprised at the dis
| cussion of questions so vast as those which grow
out of the slavery OF nearly four millions of men
| in America American Slavery, our connections
with it. and our relations to it, and the obligations
these connections and relations impose upon us
| as men, as citizens of the States and the United
States make up the ovcrshadowing issues of the
| age in which We live. PhilanthropiSts who have
| sounded the depths and shoals of humanity
| scholars who have laid under contribution the
| domain of matter and of mind, of philosophic
| inquiry and historical research; statesmen, who
are impreSsing their genius upon the institutions
of their country and their age-all are now illus
trating, by their genius, learning, and eloquence
| the vast and complicated issues involved in the
| great problems We, of this age, in America, are
| working out The transcendent M gntude OF
the interests involved in the existence and expan-
| sion of the system of human bondage in Americs
is arresting the attention of the people, aud STIR
ring the country to its profoundest depths.
The Senator from Tennessee Mr.. JOKES
| quoted a remark Of mine, to the effect that this
agitation of the Slavery question would never
cease while the soil of the Republic should b,
trod by the foot of slave. That sentiment
| repeat here to-day. believe it. GOD is III,
great agitator. While his throne stands agta
ton will go until the foot of slave shall no
press the soil of the eastern or western continent
| Would that Senator suppress all aspirations 10
human Liberty? | commend 10 the Senator tn
words OF Henry Clay whom he followed so de
votedy while living by whose bedside he stoo'
when dying, and whose memory he cherishe
and reveres. OF those who would repress al