New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-29
Nttp1ork DAILY @riba,ts
NO LAW FOR SLAVERV
NO SLAVE HUNTS IN FREE STArH
SPEECH OF GERRIT SNIFF
at the State Anii-sIavery Convention, In Mavnt,.,
June IL, 1857.

~
have not como here to deoounce slsvshoyds,.
10 cav that they are worse than other mon. n A..
arc worse, is owing to the misfortass Of the -,
cum.tsnces II, o. many suppose, they ere U. va,
worst Of men, it is because they arc the suhss
victims Of the very worst education.
In the whole land there is no class OF persons w.
unless il be their slaves, are so much 70 be piled n
tbs .layeholders For where, with this excspsios |.
there A class so much wronged and ipjuredl Tia,
souls are copspred against by merchants aud mss.
facturers priests and politicians and the conspiaGs
are no lees effective than cruel. The conspirssou IN
not confined to the South. Every part Of tho NosR
sbounds in those who minister quieness 10 the ss,.
science Of the STAKEHOLDER, either by positively desy
ing that Slavery is sin, Or by ignoring and slsnae
over its sinful character as the American Tsd Sec.
e,y has recently DONE Our Christians So u
evils ard vices which attend the dspos "a
background and theatre; and they straightsu
prescribe Il ese amusements as themselves evil
and vices But alas they can refer to " those moral
evils and vices which slavery IA known to promote"
not only without intimating that slavery V itsed n
evil and vice. but in such way IS to Intimate thai
X is not
South. give shelter to Slavery, Is surely not saags
that the ssvehoder should De blnd to it: snfalsss.
Where there are many and 90 ." 'O,ssss
bid him be at peace win himsen' IL o. q" ~ssC
that he should bel .,
of the wickedness Of his relation beyond coutrov9
~ DepSrsb howsvH ss sn soodSsss vs
the rlavtholder can certainly have. Washington
STAKEHOLDER, and strikngly were the nobler virtues
Cronped in him. We must dismiss our prejudces
against the STAKEHOLDER and DO hun ia Justice In in
nsmsrable instances is he graced with beautiful traits
nj character. OF course this could not be, did hs
Snov the wickedness of his relation. Were he b
know that and yet to continue IN the ses hk
sin and yet to cling to it, his whole soul would De g
debasedthat nothing vrtuous, nothing generous could
snrno mn or live IN It. CncOnsciOusness OF hs wroog
sTniains the possibility OF bis goodness. 80.
That the STAKEHOLDER should persist in remsinipgs
sayebolder ought not to surprise US; hor ought web
regard him as preemine nty wicked for such pessis
erce. Think how rarely, even among ourselves, maa
bscomss in the full and emphatic sense OF the word
Abolitionist. All over the world new educetoah
needed-an education into simple, honest loved
manhood. and into deep and abiding reverence Ia
- U,thstto At the North as well at the South, on
schools and churches have not been such a. to In
press men with the dignity and grandeur OF their coz
mon nature In every part of our country the woh
is still undone of bringing men to believe
Thst the sacred thing beneath the cope Of Hssh
Oman the ewes of tho STAKEHOLDER to the greatae&
and glory of man-even OF the most bruised ana Bat
tered apecimen of man-and no is at once an Aboli-
ZIONIST. The like discovery can aioae usns.ofm a pc
whose heaven anointed veion stand revealed the d.
vine image and the moral sublmity Of man-al thos
and none others, are AbOlitiOnists As impossibh
would il be for him who 10 blessed with this rsvel'
ton 10 opprees or despise his brother as to
tempt upon the pyramids among the works Of men, OK
upon Mont Blanc among the works of God.
Nor have CT me here to speak against the annsxa-
ton of Cuba though am well aware that % spes,s
against il is made indispensable evidence Of sound
mesa on the question Of Slavery. l confesE that
would be in favor of the exation were 1t peacefI
and unbought-were it called for by the free OF bon
countries, ard had | reason to believe that lne q
lowed to open their mouths. Men forfeit nons OF thek
rights by the calamity Of becoming slaves. II tie
detolate bondmen Of Cuba and America would have
common country ;heir psbs wsns' ;ps
men. Happy, doubt not, for the cause of FreedOn,
we're ell the slaves Of the earth under one naionl
power and were all the other national powers thereby
were it to take place in such circumstances a. have
indicated, far from being measure for Sustaining
Slavery, would prove to be very efficient oas tR
overthrowingit. Moreover, this would not be- ih oay
happy bearing. In other directions also-in c.Ast
and important points Of view-the measure w0sld DO
found very useful. And Anti Slavery men are nevx
to forget that IL they would most properly and ps6te
bly, study the welfare Of their country and the ws9
they must not contract their vision a. to take u
the subject Of Slavery only. They must not b. nea
of one idea Although personal liberty cannot be Over
rated there nevertheless many other great nter
ests to be looked after by him who would improve ~
condition Cf nations and benefit mankind. .
Nor have come here TO oppose the doctdns q
" cOmpeDsatiop"-a doctrine un welcome 20 ne
mass Of Anti.Slavery men. On the contrary, we!s
the shareholders to emancipate their slaves, shoala
be glad to have the nation give five hundred millions
Of dollars to the enancipatOrs and bestow sometnss
the III abcipated also. Indeed, inasmuch ~ ne
Northhas sought her own commercial gains and hsf
own political and ecclesiastical advantages, in siow'
ing not to say encourag ing the South to e1eenq the
area Of Slavery and multiply her investments IN avss
Of ems ncipation Such loss there would be. Isdmit
that time would turn into great GAIN But for tho
present it certainly would be loss.
Deny it as we may, our Slavery is nevertheless
national and not merely State affair 1t v with the
consent Of the nation that the Federal GOvernmeat
maintains Slavery in the District Of Columbis; asl
authorizes and regulates the cOast$ise commerce 70
men; and serves in the Fugitive Slave act thu gsst
watchdog Of Slavery 1t was the ration that elected
President Pierce; and it was with its spprobad Ass
he eaid in his Ipsugural Address: believe that ~
voluntary servitude, it EXITS in different Stats
Of this confederacy, recognized By tho Constts
"tien. believe II stands like any other sdmittsd
right, and that the States where it exists, ere -
titled TO efficient remedies to enforce the Coosts'
tionsl provisions" Now, In the light of these thing
which might REFER 1t is than idle and sbssrd
i Is faIse and hyp0mtical-t0 deny that our Nsvsty
Is national and that tho whole nation is Responsible
for It. But If the whole nation Is responsible for T.
why should not every part bear the burden ana Ps'
ticpate In the loes Of it, termination = -.
10 my enumeration of the things for which i hsve
not como here, will add but ono more i have sst
como to oppose the dissolution OF the Union. Nay,
am free TO declare that If tho South the NortA -
East or the West, desire to sscede from IT, Wesk
have no employed to prevent the secession Let
The seceder 60 In peace-followed with our blesiags
and not with our curses At the same time let me =.
clare that am the friend Of the Union; wotd -
have II dissoIved but would have Il endure forever:
What is more should be glad il. with the consses q