Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-05-22


: enduring forces. and it means that the Unite
States must. and will, sooner or later becom
entirely sIaveholdIng nation. or entirely a fire.
: labor nation "
; Never was a greater truth uttered by norta
man than this by Mr.. SEWARD He asser,e,
what every intelligent man knows TO be true
that involuntary labor is autagnnistic to free la
Dor. and hence they in conflict: and rs tn,
two systems are. and always be. in con
Met the Republican party is determined 10 les
sen that conflict as much possible, bv refus
: ing 10 extend The system of involuntary labor
But, Mir. Chairman, Mr.. SswARn, the eyi
| genius OF democracy. as he is regarded
never uttered any ntiment this slave cues
ii"n more objectionable to the south and to tn,
friends of slavery, than George Washington
Thomas jefferson. OF James Madison; and if eth
er OF those great men were now living thei,
persons would be unsafe TO day the soil o
Virginia. Why, SIR. 1t Ia but a few days ago
that distinguished son of Virginia, and the
author of a history of that ancient Common
wealth, Hon. k. X. Howison. III a leiler to Bay
ard Iay loE, excusing his withdrawal of an in i
ritation TO lecture before literary association
IN Richmond. declared that the opinions OF
Washington on slavery con rary to Scrip
'nre aud reason" and that Jefferson. if now llv-
ing, would not be a welcome visitor in Nir-
gInia community"
This Is no doubt true, and it is to say the
least of it. candid in the historian to syow H.
however discredltahle the fact may be. It is
lamen'ahle 10 contemplate the inruads that have
been made upon the moral sense of that section
of our country in the last few wears 1t is but
! a few years ago. that this same historian wrote
and printed, in his History of Virginia, thar
The last and most important unfavor-
ably affecting Virginia. which We shall men
tlon, is the existence of slavery within her
bounds"
! And this:
"We apprehend that. in general. the people
of Virginia hold slavery to be an enormous evil.
/ bearing with fatal power on their Irosperity."
! Mr. Chairman, too much honor is conferred on
/ Mr.. SEWARD, great. wise. benevolent patriotic
and far seeing. as tie il. in artributing to him
| the authorship of tins "irrepress ble conflict"
sentiment. Mr. Calhoun had before declared
the same thing Kentucky's noblest son. The
tIon- hearted Clay. il 1927. before the Ameri-
can Colonization Society Spoke rs follows:
"If they would repre~s all tendencies towads
liberty and ultimate emancipation. they must
/ do mere than put down the benevolent efforts
I 'of this society. They must go back to the
of our liberty and Independence, and muzze
I the cannon VI ich thunders its annual JOYOUS
return. They must revive the sla trade. with
4 all it. tr1In OF atrocities. They must suppress
the workings of British philanthropy. seeking
\ TO amelI0rale the condition of the unfortunate
West Indian slaves. They must arrest the Ca
.recr Of South American deliverance from thral-
dom. They must blow ont the moral lights
around US, and extengish the q, atest torch of
all. which America presents 10 benIghted
world pointing the WAY TO their rights their
.IherII. :. aud their happiness. And when they
have achieved all these purposes, their work
will bc Yet ncunpicte- They ms ST penetrate
the human : al. aud eradicate the light of rea-
son and the love of liberty. Then. and not un-
rIl then, when universal darkness and despair
prevail, can YOU perpcIuaie ,layery. and repreSs
/ all St7npdfiics and all humane and benevolent
'ctfurts among freencu III behalf of The uHha ppv
/ portion of hn are doumed To- bond
.age'-I>nth -AHn''dI Report Of Co!onizatic,. So
! ciety.
/ SIR. this conflict will continue until you
penetrate the b, man soul. and eradicate the
! hight of reason and the love of liberty"
I Ny colleague charges that the Republican
/ party of IsconsIn iuImical to the rights of
The South. l deny it. / deny that they
/ opposed to the just rights OF any man. or any
section of this Union. That they opposed
to the fugitive slave law, and declare 1t to be
/ unconstitutional. * no doubt truc. The people
ot Wisconsin generally, without distinction of
party. regretted the pas~age Of the fugitive slave
/ law. Tie entire delegation III Congress al the
time opposed that law. Both Senators were
sound democrats and two OF the three Repre-
sent.tIves; but they knew The sentiment of
! their constituents, and unanimously opposed the
law. The people of the State. then now,
gard the law as a most inhuman on, aid a dis
/ grace to he statute book of a free, enlightened
I Christian nunfry. The supreme Court of the
State has declared it to be unconstitutional; and
I Ia DONG 80, pronounced an opinion which. IN
/ my judgement, il uuans verable.
! While the people are opposed to The law, ttey
/ will not resist It's execution, neither Will jhev
help to execute 1t. bu viii leave that dirty work
TO ihe officers of the Federal Government and
/ such Democrats as like 10 engage in 1t. II -
/ species OF work ha- mast be repuisIve 10 every
honorable ;s:iud, aAd work that Henry Clay
once saind no gentleman would engage IN
do not deny. Nr. Chairman. that the fqsi-
tive slave law - particularly offensive 10 the
/ the people of my Stale. To their honor | state
;hat they generally detest that law. There has
never been but attempt to enforce it within
the limits of " Iscnnsp, bat that under cir
cumstsnces of great atrocity. The forbcarance
OF the people that occasion was remark able
Great as the excitement and indignation
felt at the Tine, the slave hunter escaped
harmed, and The fugitive departed for Canada
/ A citizen of Milwaukee, who rode through the
streets an announced to the people thar
/ vas about To be kldnapsd. was indicted by The
/ United States District Court, and, with pack
ed Jury of Democrats victed and
fenced to pay fine OF = 1909. ans, 5e impri>ou-
ed for thirty day, AMI untIl the hne was paid
The United States custom-nousc ~ Milwaukee
I was converted into prison. and the alleged
rescJer is now held there close prisoner, guar
ded by a small army of Government officials.
for fear Of rescue. at expence 10 the public
ofover 500 per day. So long as the Govern
I enj think II profitable TO keep him there, Al
an expense of thirty or forty Thousand dollar-
I a year, and we vote the money, l suppose he
Will remain.
Il IS but Just that my colleague shoud have
the fullest benefit which knowledge of his po-
silion viii give him with his southern frieuds
and for that r-asou I state what | know moth
ing but his mo.eS;y prevent him from stating,
that In 4 discussion With me last fall, one wear
after he had been elected to the office he now
holds. he stated in answer 10 intsrTogatorie~
from me. thai If he had been in Congress in
1850 be would have voted for the fugitive slave
law He alSo stated that he vv,ia help 10 eS-
ecute II. and also. that had he been IN Congress
IN 1854. he would have voted for the Kansas
Nebraska blii and repeal Of the Missouri COM
promise liue-an act which. believe. is now al e
most universally regretted. and Is looked upon
a. the Pandora's box from which has ~rrang al
oar present Ills. Ii may be proper 20 rernsrk <
here that the Democratic member Y no repre-.
sented, In 1854. the district which my colleague
now represents, was elected by 4 majority o
some seven thnussis, VOTES He lodged on thai
. bill sad at the next election his constituents
! lsl.cea the seal of condemnation upon him by
I majority Of three ;housand-thus showing N z
rslo-i unrnistakahie manner. their condemnation
4 the act And yet his successor declared thai
lie would have voted for IT, Could contemp
for the viii OF a constituency further 20: lie
, HIM take warning from the fate Of thas prede
cesscr