Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-04-02
SPEECH OF SENATOR HAMMOND or
SOUTH CAROLINA

cOnV Is NT SIM ll-' Nl'-l "1".A'i '''- 81 ]
length that tho strength and wealth and .
prosperity Of tn, country ia in the slavahold-
ing States. and that the North is mere de- /
pendent on the bounty Of the South posi-
ton supported by describing the Official .
statistics Of the country which 10 scouts ms
"'thc trashy census book full Of nonsonsa and
fals2hood''-and substituting therefor Mr.
iIommond's ipss d!1.t-ho rroc:o3a as
follows
In all social systems there must no class
to do the moniol duties, to perform the
drrdearv Of life That is, q class requiring
but a low order Of intellect and but little
skill Its requisites are Wig II, docilitv, hd'l-
itv Such n class You must have. or You
would not have that other class which lead
progress. civilization. and refinement It
constitutes the verv mud-sill Of society and of
political government. and YOU might rs well
ATTEMPT to build house in the air. M to
build either the one or the other, except on
this mud-sill Fortunately for tho South,
she found a race adapted u that rurnos' to
her hand. A race inferior to our own, but
eminontlv qualified in temper. in vicor' IN
docilitv. in capacity 10 stand the climate, 10
answer all her purposes. We use them Tor
our purpose and call them slaves. We found
them slaves by the common consent of man
kind" which, according to Cicero, "Ier nat
IRA est" The highest proof of what is Ma
lures law We are old-fashionod Mt the
South vet il is word discarded now by
Gears rolte - will not characterize that
class Mt the North with that term but You
have it it is there it is everywhere 1t is
eternal
The Senator from New York sid vfstor-
| day that the whole world hadabollshed slave
~, Ave. tho mans, hut not the tbh7 all
the powers of the earth cannot abolish that.
God only can do it when he rarells the fat,
"the noor vo ALWAYS have with you y for the
man who lives hv daily labor, and scarcely
lives at that. and who has to put out his Ia
h1r in tho mar,ot. and take the hast hn can
got for it in short. YOUR whole class Of man
mi laborors and operatives" MS v1n call
them. ara essentially SILVIA. Tho dlhhrenc'
between usis, that our slaves arc hired Tor
life and well compensated ; there is no star
walton, ~ begging, NJ want of employment
among orr peorl7, and not tor much employ
mcnt either. Yours are hired by the day,
not cared for, and scautilv compensated.
which nav h9 rr1roi in the most painful
manner, at any hour in any stroat in any OF
your largo towrs. Why, YOU ma2t mora
haTg1r. in ono day, in INV singh 5tlaet OF
the city OF New York thon YOU Wou!I meet
in n lifetime in tho whole South We do
mot think that whites should b slaves either
Nv law orn.cas,itv. Our slaves mr. black,
oF another and inferior race Inc Status IN
which VIC hay, nlar2l tAom Is m q walton.
They are elevated from the condition in which
| Col first or,at2o item, by ha,nC mnoo our
sl1ves. N1n2 ~ t7atroca m INC wno'' lac-
Of the r.o0' can ~ complrad with the saves
Of IT, S)1t1, INov ar h7nrv, conI,n''
unasrrin-. and utterly incapnh!e: from IN
taIInotun' Weakness, over u glva US any
trouble by their aspirations, Yours are
whit. Of Your own race you are brothers Of
one blood. They ora vonr 'qnaIs IN nnt1r',
ondowmentso o! intellect ana they i''I g'llo
by their d'rrl0nti1n. Our slaves a. h't
vot' We rivo them no political power -
Your' d. vote, and hainr the majority; they
are tho dep1Sltarl's Of nj! Your 11utlc'I pow
90, # they knew the tremendous secret
that the hallot-hoz is stronger tNan can ar
my with banners. md could com''n =;
where would Won bo Your society "o"lu
h reconstructed, your government OYER
thrown. vonr property divided NOT rs the'
have mistakenly attempted u initiate such
proceedings by meeting IN parks WITH arms
in their hands, but by the quiet process oil inc
hall,t-hoy. You have b,,n making war
uron Ire ~ our very heorthst0nes How
would Won like for us 10 sind lecturers and
aritotors North, u teach these people this, tc
aid in combining. and to lead them?
Mr.. Wilson and Others. Send them along
Mr.. Hammond You saw send them along
There is no need Of that Your people arc
awaking. Thev are coming here. They
are laundering Mt our doors for homestoads
one hundred and sixty acres Of land for no.
thing. md Southern Senators are supporting
! them Nav thnv ore assembling. ms have
slid with arms in their hands and demand
inc work nj 81 0On year for six hours {
dav Have vou hoard that the ghosts O
Nondo,a md T,rou mazda are stalking II
: tho streets Of your great cities? That thu
inopisition is at hard? There is nnoat
fearful rumor that there have been consulta
tions for Virilance Committees. You know
vbot that means
Transient and temrorarv causes have thu
far haen your preservation. Tho great Wes
hn. h.on omen 70 your surplus population
md vorr horde, Of .su1i-harharian immi
, Grants, who ar, crowding in year hy year
Thnv mako a rra,+ movement, md YOU cal
, il rro-ra,. Whithero II is progress bu
II is rrov-,,. towards Vigilance Committees
Tho South hav, sustained YOU in eraa
; measure. You are our factors. You hrini
and carry ior Us ono hunarea ana nv nv,
,b ,.iur vonr HANDS Much Of il sticks nj
Of it assists to keen your machinery togethe
and in motion. Suppose we vera TO dlschar
= 90 you suppose we tako our business ou. %
and n ,r,~ yon comnlain Of the rule O
r. ]
the South that has hoan another cause thu
has preserved YOU. we nave kept .no GOV
r. W. ~, 10 vi, ,,,ooc5 bcr r3 -
Constitution md that has boer the cause {
vour ncaca and rrosn'ritv' The Senate
rom Ney forS slvs ,nn. ina. = no, ,S = a.
crnn,ont rr,n, We MAJ IL will ma, from on
Q Lords parbors rrLa- hn tove is trla. IL mn