Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-07
Edward Everett.

We may, perhaps, take another opportunl-
ty to answer certain un!ounied charges
against Mr.. Everett, accusing him OF Adolf
tionsm Frem ontism, and feee soiis:u OF the
Sumner school. For the present, however,
we content ourselves with saying that we
know him to hold the institution OF slavery
to be legal one, entitled to the protection
of the Constitution and TO be neither sinful
in itself, nor -S;riptural; to have been
Conservative Old Line and Fillmore Wing in
the last contest for the Presidency; and that
although like most other men. born ana
bred 10 non-slav ehOlding countries, he Is no
advocate or prOpagandist OF slavery, yet tor
his expressed and still entertained oplnions
he has been and is still denounced and vItu.
perated, as a pro-slavery man, ny the Adolf
tiunists of Boston and Massachusetts. They
will never forgive a man, and statesman,
who declared, il Congress, As the Reprcsen-
tatIye from b Oston, that there was no cause
in which be would sooner buckle knapsack
on bis back and place musket on bis shout
der, than to put down 4 serVile instruction 10
the South"
The speech of Mr.. Everett in which the
foregoing emphatic declaration was made,
was bis maiden speech, in the House If Rep
resentatives, delivered March 9th, 1896, ~ re-
ply to resolutions introduced by Mr. McDuf-
tic to change the manner of electug PreSl-
Dental Electors.
The following is the version of that Speech,
riyen in a recent number OF tue Columbia
South CarOlinian:
Having touched on this point, | ought,
perhaps. to add that, if there are any mem
! bers in this House of that class of politicians
t. whom the gentleman from North Carroll
ma, (Mr. Slundnrs,) alluded, as having the
disposition, though not the power, to dis
turb the compromise, contained IN the Con-
stitution on this point, ! am out OF the num-
! her Neither am | one Of those citizens OF
/ the North. 10 whom another honorable mem
| Der lately referred in publication, to which
! his name was subscribed, who would thick
it immoral and irreligiOus to join in putting
! down a servlle instruction at the South.
am no soldier, sir; my habits and education
are very uomilitary; but there Is no canse IN
which would sooner buckle a knapsnck t.
my back, and put Il musket on my shoulder
than that. would cede the whole cont
nent tc any one who would take ito Fog
land to France, to Spalr; would sec ltsunk
! in the bottom OF the ocean, before would see
any part of this fair America converted into
Continental llayti, by that awful process
| Of bIooirhed and dG5 )!a:IOn, by which alone
such catastrophe could be brought on.
The great relation OF seIvi,udc, IN some
forn or other, with greater or less depGr
lures from the theovetIc equality OF man !:
insepersble from our nature. | know o. ~
way by which the form of tn:s ser7ltudt
shall be fixed bat by political lns:ltutlons.-
| Domestic slavery, though | confess, rot tha
form OF servltude which seems to be mos
beneficial to the siave-iS not. III my JUDI
ment, to be set down AZ an immoral AID IRE
lgious relation. | cannot admit that rcIl
zion has but one voice TO the slave, and tina
voice is, Rise against your master. NO
sir. the New Testament says, Saves obey
YOUR masters; and though know full wei
that in the beuiguant operation OF Chrls
tlanity, which gathered master aud slave
| around the same C)mmunlOn table. trl'
unfortunate institution disappeared IN Eu
rope, yet ! cannot admit that, while i
subsi-ts, and where 1t subsIst=. It's gu
ties are pre-supposed and sanctioned by
religion. And, though certainly am mol
called upon 10 meet the charges brought
against this institution, yet truth obllges INT
to say word more on the subject. | kno"
the condition Of the working classes IN other
countries; ain intimately acquainted with
it in some other countries; aud have no hesl
tation 10 saying. that | believe the slaves IN
this country are better clothed and fed, ahd less
hardly worked, than the peasantry OF some OF
the most prosperous States OF the continent OF
Europe Consider the checks on popula-
,iun; read Nautilus. What keeps population
down? Poverty, want, starvation, disease
and all the Ills Of lte it is these that check
population all over che world. Now, tue
slave population in the United States ~
creases faster than the white, masters inclu'
cluded. v hat IS the inference as to the
uhysic Il condition of the classes OF society
These are opinions, have long entertained,
and long since publicly confessed on this
subject, and which | here repeat, In answer
to the limitations TO which | have already
| alluded "