The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-15


Stephens said the other day in Georgia. Said
he 81 don't see that we have gained much,
unless we have negroes to put in the Terrific
ries. If you want" said he, to put slaves in
the Territories, you must have negroes to put
there" So they have revived the slave trade
already. The Government made some poor,
puny, and Intellectual attempts to repulse it by
a judicial proceeding at Charleston. What
was the result? The shareholders in the jury;
box said F." We don't recognise any law or
Constitution which condemns the Slavery
which exists among us and you condemned
the traffic in slaves in Africa, you equally con-
denim that traffic at home" That is true.
You cannot get away from that. Everybody
has to admit that, and so these South Carolina
men said We are not going to condemn it
at home, and therefore not abroad, and there
fore we shall acquit these mem" and acquit
them they did.
Only last week, read in the newspapers
what you have seen, the account of the landing
of six hundred negroes from a slave ship in
Florida and the Marshal says that he would
have prevented it if he could, but he had no
means furnished him. Why had he not2 Mr.
Buchanan finds it dangerous to arouse this in
terest which is in favor of the slave trade, lest
he finds it hard to secure the nomination at
| Charleston.
The slave trade is revived and now the only
question is, whether the laws which prohibit it
shall be repealed or not
know my Democratic friends say that they
are not going to consent to Its repeal So they
said of the Missouri compromise. So they said
of the fugitive slave law. So they have said
of every event in this long line of submission
which has been constantly fulfilling its course.
They have always said that they would not con-
sent, and yet they always consent. What
| Ouarantv he va WON nv nun,ooraf.o hroahar that
they viii not consent? What ground have yoa
TO say that the same course pursued heretofore
will not be pursued again If you will admit
Slavery into the Territories, why not into the
States If you admit the carrying of slaves
into the Territories, why not from Africa If
you consent to the bred Scott decision, which
establishes Slavery everywhere, are you prepared
to resist the arguments which win be addressed
to you in favor of the slave trade? 1t is i'm
possible. There is no ground of reason or con-
science upon which those who consent to the
aggressions already made should not consent
to these further aggressions.
Then, as l have said already that will not
be all but they will claim that slaves once intro
duced into the country may be sent into the
| free States and you have, if not the African
slave trade, at least the American slave trade
revived in all the States.
EXPERIENCE.
Some people will say that this is all imagi-
nation but my fellow citizens, have seen the
workings and progress of this party for the last
fifteen or twenty years. have observed them
all the while, and have, from time to time,
lifted up my voice in warning of the aggres-
sions sought to be made. have always found
that everything that supposed could take place
has been transcribed by that which has taken
place. / did not dream a few years ago. when
l resisted, in the Senate at Washington, the
fugitive slave act, that the measure would be
endorsed by the Democratic party, and inscrib-
| ed on their banner in the election of Presi-
dent. But / saw it done. But even then, when
they had elected their President, and had sub
mitted to the fugitive slave act and the CON-
promise of 1850, / did not dream there was any
further humiliation in reserve for u.s. / did
not suppose that this guaranty of Freedom, by
which the Territory was protected as free
homes for free men, was to be broken down.
Even then l thought-for had conversed with
more than one slaveholding Judge of the Su-
preme Court, and had heard them say that
they believed that the prohibition of Slavery in
the Territory constitutional, and must be
sustained, and | believed that other Judges
would assent did not dream that they could
sanction such an act. What did see saw
Mr.. Buchanan elected, and heard that decis-
ion pronounced.
Still, when Mr.. Stanton, Mr.. Buchanan's Sec
rotary of Kansas, told me, some two years ago,
that in his judgment the slave trade would be
revived and that he believed, in the next can.
vass for the Office of President, the Democratic
party would either silently or actually be re-.
corded in favor of the revival of the slave trade
when he told me that 1 thought he was speak
ing unadvisedly with his lips, and it could not
be and yet have lived to see the slave trade
revived before the Presidential contest has ar
rived. Is there anything we may not appre-
bend? What is it if ma jority of this demon
allied Democratic party don't like these things
What good does that do, my Democratic friend,
if you still swell the ranks, if you still give your
votes and influence for party which you see
is controlled by the slave power, and which
must submit to its dictates?
| have already spoken to you too long |
have devoted good deal of time to our State
affairs, because / thought them important. l
have devoted some to questions of National ad-
mnistration, in respect to economy, because |
have thought it worthy of your serious consid-
Grafton; but am free to say to you, the great
question whether this country shall be ruled by
this slaveholding olgarchy or by free people,
such as stand before me, transcends in import.
ance all these other questions.
FOREIGNBoRN CITIZENS.
There are other topics upon which 1 would
like to speak-on that cry which men see fit,
for their own interested purposes, to utter, that
the Republican party is unfriendly to the for
eign-born citizens. / shall not speak of that
to-day, except simply to say, here that brand
it as falsehood. My own course is before you.
No man can point to the act or word of mine
which has not breathed the broadcast spirit of
liberalty and freedom for all, without regard
ing the country from which they come; and I
here enter my protest, and / believe protest in
common with the Republican party, against anv
such discrimination as the Federal Government
has proposed to sanction in its Cass letter
while l also protest against any such dscrimi-
nation as has been imposed by law in the States
of South Carolina and Massachusetts,.
THE HOMESTEAD BILL
There is another point to which l should also
ike to speak to you, because l regard it as
vital. / refer to the Homestead bill The Re-
publican party stands by the Homestead bill ::
that is to say, they stand by the principle that
it is great deal better that the public lands of
the country should pass into the hands of set
tiers, that they should have all opportunity to
take up those public lands, with little or no
price, and cultivate them, the country looking
for remuneration, not to the price of land, but
to the increased wealth resulting from the set
tiers industry. 1t is the policy of our party TO
have free homes for all ; and because this Home
stead bill contributes to that end, we have en-
dorsed it. l know that the Democratic Marty
in the State Convention endorsed it too: bnt
what do they do at Washington? In solid
phalanx they voted against the BILL All the
shareholders In the South, aided by great BODY
of the Democracy of the North, united in voting
down that proposition. They so united last
winter. They will SO unite again. What good