The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-04

day of September 1857 On the I3h day Of September
listened 10, after the Suggestions Colonel Mason, of
virginia OF Madison and OF other men OF that day. who
ed IN 20 came up s he
enumeration that be made to establish the ratio
he humber and said those bound
70 servfaden You will find page 1863 Of the third
vrsns moved 10 ssrite out he word .ersnde and
nsen service in lis stead and il done unani-
Implied the condition slaves and service described
held ~ OF free persons So you find that those
,hs convention unanimously thought describe
vice n.esa % Of slavery and they pu, ser
OF some OF the men who in the Convention that
framed the Constitution =
AZ the risk Of being tedious for not here to-day 10
make myself popular but instructive [laugherl will
read somewhat extended extract from anosbe Sou,ber IN
afraid he not emphasize il PROPERLY sugs,er
and will read it myself read from Jefersons Noes
curious coincidence that when JEFF comes 10
Of Slavery he speaks of in the relation thai Col
under the he ad of mannersn / am not going 10 be
| drawn OF into that field. Mr.. Jefferson says:
"There must, doubtless, be an unhappy influence on
the Of people produced by The existence Of
Slavery among US. The whole commerce between mas
passions The most unremitng despoism on the one
part, and degrading submissions the other Our chill
dren this learn to initiate ii; for man is an i'm
native animal This quality is The germ of ali educa,ion
In him. From his cradle to his grave he is learning
either in his philanthropy or his selove for resranins
the incompetence OF passion towards his slave should
always be sufficient one that his child present
But generally il is not sufficient The parent storms
the child looks catches the line of wrath puts
the airs the circle of smaller slaves gives
loose rein to his of sssons nursed edu-
Gated, and daily exercised tyranny but be
stamped by IL with odious peculiariiies The
: De prodigy who can retain his manners ard morals
undepraved by such circumstances. And with what ex-
ecrauon should the statesman be loaded who permitting
one half the Citizens TO trample the rights of
transforms those into despots and these into enemies
destroys the morals Of the one and the pabie
4 EOr n GQVa cAu haua a..
world must he any other in prefei which
ne Is born TO 1--we and labor for another in which he
must lock the faculties of his Contribute as far
IS depends on his individual ende evanish.
ment OF the human race, or ensi his own miserable
ditlon on the endless proceeding him.
"Wih the morals of The people, their industry also is
destroyed, for, in warm climate will labor for
himself who make another labor for him. This is so
true that OF the propretors Of slaves very small proper
ton indeed ever to labor And liberties
OF nation be thought secure when have removed
their only firm basis-a conviction in the the
people that these liberties are the g of God THAT they
are not 10 be violated but with his wrath, Indeed
rem6ie for my country when reflect that God is just
that his justice cannot sleep forever; that considering
numbers nature, and natural means only, revolution of
the wheel OF fortune, an exchange of situation among
possible events may become probable by supernai
ura interference The mighty has attribute which
can take side with US in such contest"
So says Mr. Jefferson; and yet the Supreme Court say
that was unquesloned and nobody thought
ing the time America Revolution and OF the
adoption of the Federal Constitution These Notes of
think, 1850 or lisa curing the Revolution and before
the adoption of the Feoeral Constitution. The record
N m
who entertained these sentiments this subject al that
time and subsequently will read extract from the
which abolished Slavery 1850, and you will find thar
that IL not semi" the subject The Legislature of
Pennsylvania IN l7S0, declare
Sand the condition of those persons who have
heretofore been denomina,ed negro and slaves
has been attended with circumstances which only
deprived them of the common blessing they were by
entitled but has them the de pest ac-
tons by an unnatural and sale ofhusband and
wife from each other and from their children injury
the greatness OF which only be by suppo
sing that were in the unhappy case. In usuce
therefore, to persons so unhappily crcumstanced and
who having prospect before wherein they NAV
their sorrows and their hopes have no reasonabe
Undue ement to render the society which they
otherwise might and also in grateful Of
our own happy deliveIance from that uncondi-
onal submission to which doomed by the tyran
ny of Britain BE ii enacted That child here born
shall be slave" &c.
Patrick Henry, in a letter to Robert Peasants dated
January H. l773, says:
81 believe time will come, when an opportunity will
be offered abolish this lamenable evil. Everything
do is 10 improve it, if happens in day; il
not let US transmit to descendants together our
sayss pity for their unhappy lot and our abhorfence
alton TO practice let US treat the unhappy victims
lenity. 1t is the furthermost advance make to-
wards justice il is debt purity of our re-
hgion TO show that II is at variance with that law which
warrants. slavery know not wLers 10 stop. 1 could
say many things on the subject serious view of which
gives gloomy perspective TO future times"
Again, John Jay-tof whom Webster said, that when
the ermne fell him, touched nothing less pure than
itse) whose and whose principles live Today in
the second and third genera IONS and and
i u
purity. the principles which illustrated The life of
their Industrious ancestor; individuals whom it is my
iriends-sad
"The State of New York is rarely out of my mind or
heart and am often disposed 10 write much respecting
its affairs but have so little information to its pres
ent political objects and operations, that am afraid
attempt IL An excellent law might be made out of the
Till America comes into this measure, her prayers to
Heaven will be impious This is strong expression, but
it is just"
John Jay said in $780, that until America comes into
this fer the abolition OF Slavery she cannot in
say Our Father without be ing guilty of impiey Such
was the opinoo of John Jay
The record does sop there. syilliam Pinkney OF
Mary land, 1882 the very year of the adoption of the
Federal Constitution when the Supreme Court there
public morals on this subject in speech in the Mary
lana House of D. lega,es, said:
" Sir, iniquous and dishonorable Maryland i.
that dreary of partial bondages which her laws
have hitherto supported with socitud- worthy of
better object and her citizens by their practice coune
Founded in disgracefu traffic, 10 which the parent
but which even she would have dsdained TO
had Engsnd been the destined of such inhuma n
merchandise, Its continuance As as shameful as ts ORR
Where fore should we con6ne the edge of censure
our ancestors or whom they purchased! Are
not we equally guilty They strewed around the seeds
of Savery we cherish and sustain the growth. They |
introduced the system we enlarge, nvigorate and
firm it," : |
shall detan the Senate longer by eadng from the
records and from history what the opinions
L
soemniy decided all This history of being; have judi
cially declared-no sir, not judciay, but politically.
the very day and time that Pinkney and Jay and JEFF
ferson, and Madison aud the great illustrate
and adorn and em.eish our history were pouring forth
impreca,ons and denuncations against the system was
unquestoned and bic, nobody though,
of qu stioning it, The Supreme Court go funer-I could
forgive them almost anything else ano understand
it, they heap reproach our Ievolu,osr history and
revolutionary men The Chief Justice, speaking of
the Declaration Of undergraduate, says
sit then proceeds to say I'VE hold these truths to be
selfevldent that all men are created equal that they
endowed by their Creator with certain inaen ole
rig hts that among them life liberty and u
of happiness; hat TO hese rights Cove rnents
are instituted deriving their just from the
sent Of tire governed
The general words above quo ed would seem to EN- |
brace the whole human family, and. if they
similar instruh at this ay, would be
were not Intended to be included and formed no
psrt of the people who framed and adopted tn Declare
ton"
ence the who fought the baules of Liberty the
men WHO wrote our Constitution, understood the meaning
were put oil oath, should say a lille better They
knew the circumstances in VIII CHI they placed; |
they knew the crisis in which they were called live
and act; they knew that the experiments which had
been de from The beginning Of me up that day. of
free government, had been failure; they knew that
made had fsed; and hey felt that TO them time
and that day. committed, BY Arbiter OF nation.
Ia cir posterity for ali coming time the great problem
whether man was capable OF selfgovernment They /
that contest, fully understanding the character
of the strife by which their position TO be maintain.
ed fully sensible Of the character Of the contest upon
which they had entered They it, as has been
well said on another occasion everything but
faith and courage They ihout arms wiihou, |
wealth, without even nome among the nations of The
strong in hope, strong in patriots impulse aud strong ia
their reliance the Most High and they went taxing
They threw themselves INFO the world, Thermopy@ Of
that day. and they declared thai they held great