The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-06-29
BLOCK, LIBERTY STREET.
MORNING, JUNE 20, 1860.
keep that negro before our eyes, whether We

determine to look upon him or not.
Neither docs the proposition OF the gen.
tleman stop at this point. The negro docs
not remain stationary. He multiplies all
day and every day. Tho sun never rises
without finding him increased by hundreds.
And the earth never completes It's annual cir
Gle without adding enough almost to place
another member on this floor. Tiue docs
nothing to diminish the magnitude Of this
experiment. On the contrary, It makes Il
only moro and moro colossal. Ono gentle
man at this session, In vcnturing TO stretch
his range Of vision only q quarter of oentu-
ry, thought he saw eight millions; whilst
another, in bolder spirit, doubling the pe-
riod, imagined the presence Of sixteen mil
lions. Yet what. ar, FIFTY years In the rec
ord Of the existence Of great uationsf think
T have seen, IN Tho printed REMARKS OF . die
tinguished member Of the other House, a calm
anticipation of the time when his section ol
country might contain population Of two
hundred millions of negro slaves How
many members, I ask, will then stand upon
this floor, 'by virtue oftho negror Tho i'm
agination recoils from tho idea Of o govern
mcnt, protesting to be founded on human
freedom, and yet containing within itself all
the ramifcatlons ofa power capable OF being
as absolute as any oriental despotism. And
vet II would be difficult to point out the err
or In this prognostication, always supposing
the current oil human life to run in It's ordi-
nary and established channels. "Pnt the
negro out, will you?" asks the gentleman
from Mississippi. For my part, know not
what other answer to give than his own
words, Lot us SEQ you do it,
But the gentleman says that his fathers
and my fathers put him in the Constitution
which we are sworn to support So they
did, In one sense, am ready to admit. Let
me consider for moment thosway they did
it. Was II not by creating. through him,
in tho Legislative department OF the govern
ment, steady and permanent political pow
er, exceeding at this moment one.third OF the
gross number Of its lower branch? | say
nothing here OF the other features OF the sys.
tenn. But only ask, IL 1t had SO happened
that any of the other well-known interests Of
property, such as tho agricultural. or the
manu- f,cturing, or the commercial, or the
banking interest, had secured anything bor-
dcrins upon similar influence in tho public
councils, would II not naturally have awak-
ened some attention, and excited some uneas-
incss? How can We measure tho power OF
tbrec or four, of twenty, or of two hundred
millions OF human beings held In slavery, by
virtue of whom, not rs property, but rs per-
sons not free to use the gentlcman's phrase,
one section already controls moro than q
third of the popular branch, nearly one halt
of the aristocritic branch of the Legislature,
more than half OF tho Cabinet officers in the
Executive department, and five out OF nine
of the judges of the Supreme Judicial tribun-
al? Apportion the increase OF population
to the Constitution, as you may,
conccde to the free regions all the advantage
in relative growth that you can, the stern
fact vet remains, Of the constant presence OF
nm influence, animated by one will, and look
ing to ono purpose-that Is, the preservation
Of It's claims both to the pccuniary and the
political advantages 1t holds by virtue OF the
negro Even II Il be considered In tho Sec
pndary light of commercial corporation,
wc have been told during this session, by q
member from Alabama, that
that the joint stock of capital, even now,
to tho enormous sum OF 81, ,5OO ,OOO-
300; and, unlike most other corporations,
this capital is not only susceptible OF con-
slant enlargement, but Is constantly cnlarg-
ID. In comparison with this, what was the
Bank of tho United States? What Is the
Bank Of England? Nay, what has been the
East India Company? The complaint was
made of the latter, that Its members controll-
III few venal boroughs in Parliament. Buf
here the shareholders sit constantly 'by yir-
tue of their stock, in both Houses OF Con.
,rcss, in tho Cabinet of the Executive, and
IN the bench of the highest judicial court
They help make, they execute, and they ex-
Mound the laws Of the land. For my part, ]
must say that have observed nothing in the
pages Of history 90 skillfully adapted to tho
Of q stupendous oliSarchy, as
his lnterlacing of tho interests of single
,pcces of what Is denominated property,
With all the ramifcations Of the political
agencies in State.
Truly, then, has the gentleman said, we
.annot put the negro out, whom his fathers
md our fathers consented to put into the
I. for ono, add, very frankly,
do not seek to put him out. Whatever
benefit may have been obtained by him and
his friends, from fair construction OF the
I have no intention to cut OIL
But, on the other hand, 1t should be observ.
ID, that no advantage such rs thcy enjoy can
,vcr be long used without tho experience OF
corresponding drawback. It is of the ma
lure of power, when concentrated over much,
10 produce the necessity Of an equal great
orce to balance it. In FREQ government
This Is particularly true. No man or set ot
men can hope to direct and control II n
,rcat while, without stirring up fears that
they may abuse their privileges, to the injury
,l their fellows. Now, IL 1t once bc conced-
ID that such power has been erected under
the present Constitution, by virtue Of the
negro il Is not necessary to show proof OF
,ny PAST abuse of 1t, to justify measures OF
nrscaution against abuse in the future. We
the truth Of the old maxim, that
eternal vigilance is the price OF liberty rs
we'll Ms of that other one, which in my youth
I remember TO have been fainilarly used In
in which it seems To me that sci
lom hear il nova a.days, "Power is ever steal
ng from the many W tuc ioW' say "S",
that even if the control which has been gain.
,d .by virtue of the negro could be shown
10 have been exercised for the benefit Of all
,lasses Of people in the United States alike;
Il It couldbe proved TO have done nothing to
undermine the pillars Of our Temple Of Lib
,rty, still. the very fact that 1t might do the
utmost possible injury at some ungarded mo-
ncnt, and that nothing but its own will
stands in the way to prevent 1t, would bc
ample justification for an immediate resort 10
the most energetic measures Of association to
ward Of the peril.
There Is no need, then, Of further explain
ing the reasons for the rise Of the Republican
party. We have indeed been told that II 10
1 standing menace 10 our brethren Of the
slavcholding States, and nothing will quiet
them but It's immediate dissolution. But,
apart from the singular absence Of soqua,n.
tancc with the philosophy Of party politics
In free country which such o demand 20
trays, I would respectfully ask on VIZ .hs
Il can be proposed, 20 long = S az