Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-06-09
MR.. SUMMERS SPEECH.

MR.. SUMMERS SPEECH
MIR. Sumner delivered a great speech in the
Senate on the 4th inst, in comparison with which
all other illusions there of late years have been
tame and unmeaning. In plain straightforward
language sustained by given facts, he portrayed
the barbarism of slavery with unmistakeabe
clearness and precision. "His barbarous first,
IN assuming That man can hold property in man;
secondly IN dbrogating the relation Of husband
and 'ele' hirdly, i" aJrogating parental ties /;
fou'thIy, in closing the gates Of hno,cledge:
and .tthty, in oppropriating the unpaid labor
Of another" Each of these heads. in being
dilated upon, made up considerable portion of
the speech. The proof brought forward BY the
speaker in support of his positions showed that
the slave-states are rapidly falling into that
condition of barbarism which characteristics no
other part Of christendom at the present time
except Mexico. On reading this speech. one
col. -.,iy ---..d~. Ella. the Trce states have sub
mitted to the insolence and barbartv of the
save-power so long as they have. That power
is now placed, by this speech, in the inferior
position to which, in the face of freedom and
christianity it belongs.
Mr.. Chestnut, of South Carolina, ATTEMPTED
to answer it; but his remarks were rs squib
to broad-side in comparison, and only served
to render more patent the helpless barbarity
which Mr.. Sumner had so ably delinea,ed.
We have some hopes that hereafter the in
habitants of the free states are not to be insult
ed and outraged by declarations in the Halls of
Congress that human beings may be classed
with hogs and mules and that slavery is bless
ing that ennobles, elevates and refncs. Never
again do we expect to hear that a Northern man
when undergoing examination in committee
room of the national government, can be dam
ned and buied by an ignorant, Inbred slave
holder for, unconscious as slavery generally is
OF its own barbarity, this barbarity has now
been SO ably set forth that slavery must rec
ognize its own traits with humiliation and shame.
Throughout this speech we have perceived
not the least effort to he offensive or injurious.
1t is the plain language of man who sought to
declare truth rather than to wound feelings +
to vindicate freemen rather than offend slave
holders. The opinion expressed by the cores
pendant of the n. y. Times that at is pro-
nounced the most ultra, violent and offensive
speech ever delivered in either branch of Con-
gres,' could only be true where truth itself had
long since ceased to be polite. If to tell the
champions of bullyism and intimidation that
they must no longer insult and outrage the
feelings of freemen be ultra, violent and often
sive, then moderation and complacency should
be recognized as crimes. If one in the defence
of freedom-a position which a sovereign state
has given him to maintain is to be knocked
down and silenced sn that no may not spoaL
even from the tomb of crushed and outraged
MANHOOD DULLES are to be sustained in their
barbarous work of desecrating the shrine of
freedom by compact mass of senatorial sup
porters, and no voice is to be raised in depre-
cation, then liberty may as well be abandoned
at once and slavery be given an unlimited swing
to dominate the land. There need be no greater
proof of the predominance of slavery every
wherenthe Union than that writers for the pub
lie in the free states are pleased to designate Mr.
Summers Speech as violent and ultra. They
would term the martyr'svoce violent and ultra
when drowned by the roll of the drum.
The Times asks what is the use of this
speech? What has it to do with the admission
of Kansas? In reply Mr.. Summers own state
ment may be given that he resumes the sub
ject just where it was left four years ago when
he was knocked down in his place that Kan
sas is not admitted yet that the reason why
it is not is because of slavery and that in fine,
one might as well disconnect the soul from the
body or the motive from the act, as to discon-
meet our public issues from the subject of sla-
very. 1t is slavery that lies at the bottom of
them all; and it is slavery therefore that must
be discussed. To deny this is to enslave our
selves.
The Times has complained grieveously that
the author of the "irrepressible conflict" has
been set aside by the Chicago Conventions and
yet he seems to think that there are no practi-
cal consequences to attend this said conflict +