Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-05-22
A PHILOSOPHICAL AND STATES.
mANLIKE VIEW OF SLAVERY.
EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH BY
HON, JOHN BELL.


July. 1850. the Compromiss bang under DIS
ca,sioa
al am not 10 be deluded Mr.. President, BY
the appeals from the North, upon the snhiect
of human wrongs and the violation OF ~
man tights | am not to be misled, q 70 The
true grounds of the antislave-exteI sion pslicy
Of the North. by the fine sentiments =, =. e.,
expressed on the tubj ct of freedom and the
claims of humanity. 1 know, sir. that how
ever sincere and conscientious the anti sIa-
very sentiment at the North may he, nether
the cause Of freedom sentiment of humanity
the gcttUe principle Of the aoz-extenston poiicu of
tie North We're it proposed by the South
| to impose the chains of servi;ude upon
! tineie human being now free, there is no
Htan living to whom sncb n proposition
would be more revolving than 10 myself
Bai, sir, humanity 10 The siore not kss than jus
tice 10 The niasfT recommends The poricy of d.ft-
stoa and extension into any Hesc territory dd0pfed
10 has condition; and The are TOO ObUiols 10
/ Be misunderstood Jy The duilest intellect No. sir,
/ it is not a principle of humanity that die
tates Inc anti-extension policy of the North
| 1t is deeply founded in ihe ambition of sec
| tlpnai ascrndency; dictated. in part, by the
/ jealousy of Southern influence and control
! aud the recollection Of the long line of South
err chiefs who have succeeded to the Execu-
/ tive Uiantle. These are tie interests and
=. passions which, more than any olhsrs, have
| decided the policy Of the North upon this
/ subject But, however natural and iueVita-
BILE the existence of such passions and inflll-
| ences, under the peculiar circumstances of
! our system. let me invoke the furbearancr
| of my Northern friends il not their Justice,
| by some consideration for the passions and
sensiDilities naturally incident TO the South,
under the prospect of their d. clining power
| and Influence in the Conf-derdcy, which now
stares them in the face. While that prOtIacted
| domination Of the South which has been so
] long and so keenly fit at The North. al
-waSs more Imaginary than real-nn South
eTn man having ever attained the Presidency
| except by The concurrence of oftentimes
more than half, aud always of a large divis-
| i"n of the NOrth-yet now, it cannot be dis
| gui>,i That the pTind at Southern aScen-
| d.ucy. il II ever had real existence, ap-
prnaches its termination. Political power
and a-cendency. in sectional view, have,
Indeed, almost passed away from the South,
forever. And this Is manifest. that Sen
ator, who spoke in this debate. could not for
bear taunting the South with the prospect of
their declining fortunes a great change
had taken place in the political vocabulary
1T is 40 longer; he cxuitingly exclams,
1.-The South and the North; ii Is the North
| aud the South" The South, Mr.. President,
needs not TO he reminded by the triuD phant
North of her dccayed power. Aud when the
people Of the SOnlh have. in prospect, the
admission OF eight or ten additional free
States in rapid succession. without The equiv
alent of single slave State, the North
should know how to excuse the resIl6ssneSs
Of their Southern brethren; and feel no sur
prise that they should be looking around for some
gsUTantee-SODas additional PROTECTION, to Heir
pecusqT condition and Institutions.
But, sir, to myself. Sli4iL hold fast 10 the
Constitution until 1 shall that ii Lnger inter-
Burner 10 absolute aggression; and trust
nat some final adjustment OF all these dis
tracing questions will yet be devised and
adopted, upon basis so just and reasonable.
as not only To stay the progress OF dis
affection, but to furnish 10 the world the high
est evidence, that no diversity of local iusti-
iuiiOnS. or of sectional interests, or any other
cause of occasional discussion, will ever be
powerful for mischief as To sunder the Ties
which now bind Us together one people.
"Mr. President, cannot conclude my re
marks without taxing the indulgence of The
Senate. yet further, in saying few words
upon the subject of that institution, for the
extension OF which to the new Territories
some gentl' men manifest great horror
1t has been dcn"unced in this debate as "A great
moral aud political evil; as a gricvous wrong
and oppression to- the race which are the sub
JeCts al II; a blight and Il curse to the cOun-
try which tOl, rates it. and sin upon the
impart additional gravity to these denuncis-
tions. II is announced that the civilized world
Is arrayed against slavery. 4 an identified ruth
tbs so much abused Institution, Gy my representa-
tire position an this chamber az ass ciafi0H, an
character, and IN responsibility 10 the tribunal Of
public sentiment. 1t l., therefore, natural that
| should desire to take some brief notice OF
this cuslng spirit OF my Northern country
men.
at il hut Justice to the section, in which
This institution prevails. to slate that, from
Ihc origin OF the Government we now enjoy,
there are and have been hundreds, not to say
thousands, IN tat section, who ha, - regarded
the Institution of slavery as contrary To the
preccpis of religion, and to the dictates OF
natural Justice. To attest the truth of this
statement, need not invoke the testimony OF
iliusirious mann, of the present,o of the past
1t is sufficient To point to the numerous in
stances, at this day, in which shareholders, in
the fun Possession of health. as well u in the
article OF dcalh-the policy of the State in
which they reside allowing the privilege
cmaDcipate their slaves, and often deprive
their children of the parmony which they
had been taught 10 expect
Now, sir, alter these preliminary remarks.
proceed briefly TO refer to the history OF
African slavery in the United States; its pre-
sent condition; its effects upon the slaves
themselves. and upon the country, of which
Il striking feature.
For thu purposes OF nay argument, The orr
.sin aud progress of slavery in the United
;tates may be briefly narr.,t-l. Without
iretcnding TO accuracy of detail, il may be-
stated with sufficient conformity 10 historical
isci, that some century aud half ago, a
iItle more, few thousands natives of Afri-
ca. IN form aud mind stamped only with the
coai sest rudm OF the Caucasian race:
scarcely bearing The impress of the human
face divine; savage ia their habits, both CT
aud OF p, ace; lerociuus a the wild
beasts of their own native haunts, were
caught up, transported to these shores re-
dnc,d TO "a state of bpndagr, and they aud
their desce ndduis held in slavery unul this
day. But what do We now bchuldg These
lew thousand savagcs have htcome a great
people-numberiug three millions Of souls;
civilized; christianized; each new generation
developing some improved features. mental
aud physical, aud indicating sume further APP
Proclamation io the race of their MASTER.
Search hs annals Of aR history and trhers do you
fHd fact so striking ad ,HoadogtUi, $, ,corLiy
us contemplation Of the philosopher. The salesman.
he cslrisitgn. AID me phLgafhreptStg THIS great
fact stand out boldly before the world; aud
in the impressive language of the senator
from Missouri. tMr. Brnton,l II St,fnds for u
anHceT; and If must trcr sfand for or oIsrr. Sur.
n en- be successfully aHslrcTsd. HIS human
W eaHN o. drop tar ihs reoordef this great
fdcf? las .1ITtoH cay csSisse 10 nsopraF
But there are some other and subordinate
facts, fairly deducihie from the greater and
more prominent one, which may likewise
DEFY contradiction or answer. The rapid
multiplication aud improved lineaments OF
this penple, attest the fact, that the yoke oil
bondage has pfes-ed hut highly UPON them;
and that they hive shared freely, with their
masters. of tbs, fat Of lh. land. Go. / rrprat,
aud search the pages OF history. aud where
will you tind a let comparable 10 thlsI The
history ol tie Hebrew bondage presents no
parallol-noihlng 80 wonderful. The family
of Jacob (ihe germ of the Hebrew nstionl
were ol superior race. and civilized. There