The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-04-05

selves with equal force and emphasis, so &
as cotemporaneous history gives any accouu
against the evil. the wrong. and the curse.
human bondage
Time will not permit me to deal largely
extracts from the fathers, nor are these ne
essary. will only ask your attention to ii
recorded sayings OF one or two of the mo
conspicuous statesmen. Governor Morr
said she never would concur in upholdin
domestic slavery. L; was a nefarious institt
ton. It was the curse of Heaven"
Mr.. Madison Thought it wrong to adm
in the Constitution the idea of property i
man.
Luther Martin. of Maryland said:
iavery is inconsistent with the geuius of republic
snisn has ten iency destroy ths principles on bic
lit IL supported, it lessons the senses Of saus
rights Of mankind, AMI habi,uatss to tyranny an
oppression"
When the Government went into operation
we find it supported by men who were ope.
in their expressions of hostility to slavery.
John Adams. Vice President, had declared
that "consen,ing to slavery is sacrilegiou,
breach Of trust
Alexander Hamilton, q member of the Alb
clifton Society of New York. united ir
petition for those who, free by the laws
OF God, are held in slavery by the laws o
. the State
John Jay. Chief Justice of the United
States, said that in his sight, slavery was an
'1nlquIty,' ga sin Of crimson dye
Benjamin Franklin, President of the Aboli
ton Society of Pennsylvania, appeared at
the bar Of Congress near the close of his
we'll spent lie. and entreated THAT it would
be pleased to countenance the restoration of
liberty to those unhappy men who alone, in
this land Of freedom, are degraded into per-
petual bondage"
Again, General Washington says in let
ter to John F. Mercer, Sept. 9, 1856:
Il never mean, unless particular circumstances
shoui compel me to H. 30 anoth slave pur
chase, it being among first wishes so ne plan
adopted by which slavery in this coun ry may be abol
ished by law
The eloquent and patriotic Henry saws, in
letter dated Jan 18, 1898:
Il believe time will when an opportunity
viii be offered to abolish this lAmentable evil Every
thing do is improve it, if it happens in our
day If not, let us transmit descend .nt tozeth
er with our slaves pity for their ppy lot and an
sbhorrence for slavery If we reiuce this
wished for reformation practice US trea. the un
happy victim with ienity is the furthess advance
we can make toward justice 1t is deb we owe to
the purity of religion sh that it At variance
with that law which warrants slsvery."
And the eccentric genius and we'll wisher
for the liberty of the black race. John Ran.
dolph. after speaking in depreciation Of the ex-
tension of slavery and its horrors, makes use
Of the following language:
II give to my slaves their freedom, to which nv con
renee tells me they justly entitled. It has long
tn. circumstances under which inherited them, and
Tho obstacles thrown in the way by the laws Of the
.nd have prevented my nancipatng them in my life
ine which 1t Is my fuu intention to do in can
it,"
But, sir. hasten on, passing the many pa
yes Of testimony from distinguished and pa
riotic men in all the walks Of public and pr
rate life, to him whose voice was SO magic
and potent in Senate Chambers and among
The millions without, and at the mention Of
whose name the heart of every American
Ihrobs with deeper emotions, and kindles with
admiration and pride.
quote from speech made BY the distin-
guished Clay. before the American Coloniza-
ton Society:
eve reProachei with doing mischief by the agi-
tation of this question The Society goes into no
household TO disturb domestic tranquility: ad
dresses itself to slaves to weaken their obg
of oeiien,,. 1t seeks affect no mans prope rty-
Ii neither has the the will affect prop
erty of any one contrary TO MS consent.
'l they would repress all tendencies towards ber-
ty and uitmits emancipation. they must dn than
put down the benevolent efforts Of the Society They
must 50 back to the of liberty anl indepsnd
joyous reurn Tney must revive the slave trade, with
ell its savage atrocities" :"
Ay. sir, revive the slave trade, as we now
see il being revivedl
They suppress the working. of British philsn
thropy seeking to anelorate the condition the un
fortuste West Indian slaves. Thsy arrest the ca
reer OF South American dsliverauce from th.alldom
They must blow out the moral shts around US, and
extnguish that greatest torch all, which America
presents TO benshted world, happiness. And when
they have achieved all these purposes their work will
be yet incomplets. They must penetrate the human
soul and eradicate the light of reason and ths love of
liberty. Then, and not until then, when universal
darkness and despair pres. can you perpetusto slave
ry, and repress all sympaShes and all humane and be-
py portion OF our race wao ar, doomed To bondage"
In the United States Senate, in 1850, he
used the following memorable words:
II extremely sorry hear the Senator from Mis-.
sissspp that ne requires rst the Of
Missouri Compromise line the Pacific also that
he is not satisfied with that, but requires if under
stand him correctly, positive provision the admis
sion of slavery south of tha, line. Coming
Is do. frou slave state, it solemn deliberate
anu we'll matured determi inason, that power.
earthly power, shall cmpei to vote for the positive
Introduction OF slavery either south north of that
line.
sir, while you reproach. and justly too, our Brit
i.h for the Introduction of this up
on the Consin of America, an, for one, unwilling
that the posrerty OF the present nhabtant. of Cao
MIA and New Mckee shall reprosch for doing JUS
what We reproach Great Britain for doing 70 US.
Hear him further; he says:
So long As God allows the vital curreu. doW
th ugh viii never, never never bv word
or thought. mind or wiz. aid in admitting one rood
OF Tree territory to The everlasting Of human
bondage"
And, gentlemen of the South, YOU had
not entirely abandoned these wise and salu-
tary and philanthropic truths--the doctrine
that freedom is benehcent and Just. and oush,
to DC extended; and that slavery is mischiev-
Gus and immoral. and ough, to be restricted
when you asked our cooperation in the
project to annex Texas; if you had. then you
~ere guilty OF the deepest deception and
shame Am not correct? Let US see.-
Your party in the North and South pno-
claimed, in the canvass of 1874. in respec.
to the annexa ion of Texas. these two iun-
damental ideas: first. that by the removal of
slaves to Texas. Maryland. Virsinia. Ken
tucky. and Missouri. would speedily become
free States: second. that the transfer of slaves
to the borders OF Mexico would open the way
e. H. ,f slo