The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-09-02


The Cleveland Plaindealer, Democratic) gives
an interesting sketch of the remarks of Mr. Gerret
Smith in the Emancipation Convention at that
place. in which there gushes forth spirit Of kind
lness, liberality, and benefcence, towards the
South, unusual, in that quarter as 1t is cheering
and welcome. Let the whole North be penetrated
and warmed by the generous and manly feelings
towards their Southern brethren here manifested,
and we shall witness, in no long time, wonderful
change: acrimony and mutual opprobrum will
give place to- fraternal love and confidence, and
the two sections will once more live together
in peace, harmony, and fraternal regard.
We copy from the PIaindealer portions Of the
remarks, to which we invite attention ], A
GERRIr SMrTH's SPEECH--H Hon. Gerrit Smith
then rose, and was greeted with lond and long APP
plause His tall figure and fine features are calcu-
lated to give him very prepossessng and COM
manding influence, He wears his beard now
sprinkled with silver, quite long, and his general
appearance is that of man who thinks calmly, d.
gests successfully, and never doubts the right OF
his position His voice is one of rare excellence
for public speaking. It is powerful, yet sonorous
and agreeable to the ear, and his language and
sentences most classic and faultless We cannot
do justice to his remarks, and can only attempt an
outline Of speech which was received with bursts
Of applause, throughout its delivery.
He prefaced his argument BY saying that y
had fallen upon him to reply to the very able
speeches Of Mcssrs Pruyn and Watkins, who had
opposed the plan of compensated emancipation
which Mr.. Burritt had happily described as fra
ternal cooperation with the South in the liberia
ton Of American savery.--Why he had chosen 70
do this duty, he did not know. They had been
old abolitionists together. Together they had
fought shoulder to shoulder--to this point
their paths diverged.
Of this measure have to cope with, and they were
to be discussed seriously and in spirit of love and
philanthropy. at n sf,s. lI
SLAVERY NATIoNAL--NoT SEeTIoNAL.--We are
here to naugurate great cause, and our first step
must be to make the confession that the North,
from its completely with American slavery, must
bear its proportion of the great pecuniary loss
which its emancipation must cost the STAKEHOLDER.
Slavery is NATIONAL Sectional. We have
made it national-We have brought the whole
nation under the responsibility for its introduction
and continuation. !. The sin: of American slavery
lies as emphatcaly at the door of the North as at
that of the South. Northern commerce has reaped
Its profits from the system, and Northern politics,
Northern churches and Northern colleges have
each done their part to bow down and shoulder
the responsibility of the naturalization of slavery
Without the north, Texas would not be admitted
Without the North, the Missouri Compromise would
not have been repealed, nor would it have been
adopted More than all, the churches and col
leges have done everything in favor of cultivating
at the North, sentiment Of forbearance and sym
pathy towards the institution.
How Just it is then to propose that the North
should contribute its proportion to the cost OF de-
livering the nation Of the evil. :.
49,
A FRArEREAL SPIRIT CoMMENDED.-Finally, l
avow that we must approach this grand project
with feeling of love and fraternity towards the
South. 1t is great movement of love, the great
remedy for human wrongs within or without the
province of statesmen. Craftsmanship has always
been failure without love and humanity as its
soul and prompter. The abolitionists need to have
more heart for the stakeholder even as they have
had for the slave. The great reason whywe have no
had a stronger hold upon the southern conscience
and heart is because we have held ourselves 10 a
bold antagonism to them. Wemust show them a
fraternal and sympathetic spirit
The Republican party is hated at the South with
an intense feeling, because it evidenced no feeling
of love for the South but on the contrary, an in
tolerant and overbearing sectional spirit.
With this fraternal spirit, acknowledging our
responsibility as North for the sins of the nation
we invoke the cooperation Of all parties, Abolition,
Republican, and Democratic in this great moment
which we here inaugurate for the relief of the OPP
pressed, and the honor of the nation. We urge
all men, of all parties, at the North, and at the
South, TO put on this loving and hearty sympathy
for the stakeholder, and put the strong arm of
honest effort to this great work Of wping out the
blot upon the nations soil, and blight upon the
nations prosperity and glory. Great applause fol-
business committee time to mature a report.