Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-06-22


occasion, used the following language
Zone gentlemen said we had brought the negro
in here, and that he must be put out. Let u see
you DO it
Sir, there are twenty members from the South
standing upon the floor by virtue Of the negro, not
as property, but as persons not free" Put them
out, viii you Sir, your fathers and my fathers
did not put the negro out. They put him, as an
institution Of property, and Of society, and OF
government, in the Constitution which you, gen
uemcn, swure to support
OF course, this putting in of the negro Is
a mere figure of speech. If lie were verita-
bly, here IN prOpria persona, i presume nobody
would be more indignant than himself. No.
1t is the master who stands here ''hy virtue
of the negro" And it is in this sense that
the gentleman S remark is forcI5le for in
this sense it is true. We cannot put the
negro out. This remark serves as complete
stopper to all the elimination and rccrimiua-
ton 50 freely INDUCED in between parties on
the solemn poiut-which of the TWO first
brought the negro in. Let them rest quiet
hereafter IN this topic The negro was in he
fore they began 10 talk about him at all. lie
will stay in, whether they choose to talk
about him or not. lie will grow in more and
precate this misfortune is as idle as To com
plain of the force Of the waters of Niagara.
The subject Is before us. and 1t is our duty
t. face the consideration OF It's proportions
like statesmen, and not TO imagine that, If
we'onlv shut our eyes to it,it is not there still
less to suppose that either lamentation or
anger, agitation or silence will in any respect
materially change the nature OF the great
problem which North America is inevitably
doomed to solve. From the decree of Divine
Providence there is noappell.
In one important particular, however, the
gentleman from Mississippi has fallen con-
sidcraby below the tact. lie says that
twenty members stand upon this floor "bv
virtue of the negro" II this were 50
should be glad to see and identify them-tJ
set them apart and 20 define the precise
limit of the political power which the Con-
sttutiOn has thus created. Even twenty
members would constitute no Insignificant
element in the struggle which viii always
be carried on for the attainment of power in
every free government. But the negro Is
dwarfed when he is meas arej only by the
scale OF twenty members. The real fact is.
that by virtue of the negro ninety mem
bers stand upon this floor, each one OF whom
derives a sufficient proportion of his political
vig0r from that source to flSten him firmly
as the pole, to the maintenance of policy
which lcH keep that negro before eur eyes.
whether we determine To look upon him og
not
Neither docs ti,e proposition Of the gentle
man stop at thi, point. The negro dos not
remain stationary. lie uultlplies all day and
every dav. The sun never rises wichJu,
finding him increased by hundreds And the
earthu never completes its annual circle without
adding enough almost to add another mem
Der u this floor. Time does nothing % IN
miDlsl the magnitude If this experiment. On
the contrary. it makes it more and more c0-
iossll One gentleman at this session, in
ventur!uy to extend his range ui vision only
a quarter OF century, thought De SAW eight
millions, whilst another. ia o. '..,''-- PHI
doubling u'e period, lhaSInti , tH' !'c'',.c.
OF the existence ~ sixteen Il'Ii''1''
what axe nifty Yeas la tAh re. -it ol l-C "a
lstence OF "a great nation tHihN l nay o
seen, I'D the printed II MARKS ol al USING
| ed member %! the oth'r House IL cam a"''c'
| patton OF tine time "hg" ms 9ec.''" '' c'U'i y
! ml5ht contain "a l"'',''| 'l wv "''.'.''
| millions oi negro saves 10" nan! i,,-''l u
| bels' ASK VIII Iici' s't." ." WIS
! " 10y yrtne oi the negro Inc mag ii'''''''
| rercn~ from the idea OF Governments lr'
/ tesslns to be bounded on human lt'edo'h, '"'
! yet containing within ltseli all the r'unl,''
| tlons OF a power caploie OF n-L, as lo9oi"I y
as any oriental despotism. Ana yet IL "'0'l
| be difficult To point out tuc error III 'HIs Il'-
| nostcauon, always suPp1SlnE the current g
human lite TO run an Its ordinary ana 'sl49
lishcd channels. o. Pul the negro OUT WI!
| you? asks the gentleman rom Mis'IsSiPi'
! For my part, know not what answer {,
| give than his own wor-s :, 80 Let us see f''
do 1t.
Bur the gentleman says ti'' ms '",n'I
| and my fathers put INN IN the ConstlIul lloh
| which we are sworn TO support. 80 tne.
did, in one sense, am ready to admit. L:'
| me consider tor moment the way ,ney az
it. Was 1t not by creating, through hih' Il
the legislative department OF the Government
a steady and permanent political power
exceeding at tins moment, one-thlrd oil th'
| gross number OF ITS lower Drahch 81
| nothing here Of the other features oI In
system But only ask, II II had 80 ha ?
pcned that any OF the other WeH-Knowh III
terests Of property, such as the agricultural
or the manufacturing, OF the coAllheIcldI, o
the banking interest, had secureu any 'nILi,
bordering upon sll9l!ar Inuuelloo IN III VI
public councils, would 1t not naturaIy nav
awakened some attention. ana e4cileu ~ som som
| uncaSiness? How can we measure tns PoNe
| Of three or four, OF twenty or OF TWO hunure
millions of human beings held IN slavery
by virtue OF whom, not as properly, Dut d !.
| persons not free to use the gentleman
| phrase, one section already controls nor
than a third of the popular branch nearl 1
one half Of the aristocratic branch OF II. tn
Legislature, more than halt OF the Ca9Ine me
officers in the Executive department, and nv
out of nine of the Judges of the sdprem
judicial tribunal?
Apportion the increase of population ac
cordi6g to the Constitution, as you may
concede to the tree regions all advantage /
relative growth that you can, the stern fac
yet remains Of the constant presence OF a
influence, animated by one will, and lookn
to one purpose-that is, the preservation.
its claims, both to the peeuniaTIy and tn
political advantages 1t holds " by virtue
| Tho rorrO - Even If considered IN the sec