The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-02-04

our names enrolled in tho calender Of
saints.
To be opposed to whipping innocent wo.
men, stealing helpless babies, and selling
those-who, accordingto Buchanan's Mes
sage, have had the ssblessings Of Christianity
extended to them"-cn the auction block,
like sheep aud swine in the market, how
ridiculous and conssnptibls for . man to
boast himself, put on airs and demand praise
from his fellows. To be opposed to such
outrages upon humanity, only proves that
man is mot utterly berefs Of honesty and a
sense Of justice, while not to be opposed to
such things, shows that slavery has taken
all the manhood out of him, SO that nothing
is left Of him, but a dry hard shell-a human
body without the noble impulses of soul.
We shall not stop to prove that slavehoid-
ing is wrong, and that it is the duty Of every
man to prevent its further extension. 1t
is an axiom, in law that no man can convey
a better title to any species Of property,
than that which he himself legally possesses.
The first cargo Of slaves, stolenfrom Africa,
while on the high seas, wers held il sub
|jsgation, b The exercise ofsc national, or
municipal law, but By the power of brute
force hence, each slave, following the
"coniition Of it's mother" is to-day held by
the same exercise, Of the same power, and
all acts of Congress, and oil decisions OF the
Supreme Court, can 60 no farther than to
throw around the master bulwark of
protection in the exercise of the same power
Of physical force over his victims. The
correctness of this position, was fully shown
in the Armsted Case.
Every citizen that celebrates the Dcclara-
ton of independence, or takes the freeman's
oath, or claims or enjoys the protection of
our National Constitution, swears fealty to
the truth ssTHAr ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQuAL,"
and endowed by their creator with the in
alienable rights, of "Efe, liberty, and the
pursuithappiness''-- and every Christian who
his vows at thebaptisma fount or at theoffers
sacramental altar, or asks for pardon in the
name of Christ, calls Heaven to witness that
in his Utmost soul he believes that 'God has
made of one blood, all nations of men,"
and has endowed them all with equal pre-
negatives, and holds them responsible to n
common tribunal.
What, then, is the position of this nation
among the nations of the Earth, and what
is the relation it sustains to the cause of
human liberty and of free government among
menu Weall freely and gratefully acknowl-
edge that in the justice of our constitution,
the impartial administration of the laws, the
intelligence, virtue and patriotism of the
people and in all the elements of true great
ness, we are distinguished above all the
nations of the earth.
We have extended our domain from the
granite shores of the Atlantic, to the golden
sands Of the Pacific. and opened up country
unrivalled for fertility of soil, facility for
and boundless national
resources. Our canals and railroads and
rivers and inland seas, bind all parts of the
land together, and bring them into close
neig hborhood like the veins and arteries
of the human system, give life and vigor
and activity to the whole; while, through
the electric telegraph, each thought of the
national mind is communicated in an instant,
to every city and village from Maine to
Mexico.
Our population has doubled itself every
twenty-five years-increased frem three to
over thirty millions, while the increase of
wealth and enterprise has far outstripped
the progress of population. Cities and viii
lagos have sprung up as by enchautment, by
the side of every lake, river and streamlet
throughout all our borders. Commerce with
its sails, has whteued every sea, and gath
cred fer our use, the product of every cline.
Science and art and manufactures have laid
the whole stors house Of nature under con-
tribution and HAYS poured their cxhaustless
treasures into the lap Of the nation.
With all these elements o. greatness, AMI
Of others which mightbe ,nume-
rated, slavery has ever hung upon US like a
dark incubus, parallizns and destroying the
influence which this country would have ex-
erted upon the nations of the earth, if he
desires, be aims and wishes Of our early IA
Tiers had not been ;hwaVtcd. ..
Look, for one moment, at the history Of
Slavery, and its encroachments in this
Atthe commencement Of the Revolutiona-
ry war, we had about half million of
slaves. At the close of that struggle, the
general sentiment was opposed to slavery,
and the general expectation that from the
very nature of the case it would soon cease
to exist. Says the Hon. Benjamin Watkins
Leigh, formerly United States Senator from
Va, in his letter to the people Of that State
as late as 1887: 81 thought till very lately
that it was known to everybody that during
the Revolution, and for many years after,
the abolition of slavery was a favorite topic
with many of our ablest statesmen, who
entertained with respect, all the schemes
which wisdom or ingenuity could suggest
for accomplishing the object.'
Says Mr.. Inlay, in his early history of
KY: ''In contending for the birth-r,ght
of freedom, we have learned to feel for the
bondage of others, and in the libations, we
offer to the Goddess of Liberty, we contem-
plated IN emancipation of the slaves of this
country as honable to themselves, as it will
be glorious to u.s." Washington, the father
of our glorious country, name which is
never breathed or spoken, but with venera-
ton and respect, says in lettor to John F.
Mercer, dated Sept. 9th 1856: 81 never
mean, unless some particular circumstances
should compel me to it, to possess another
slave by purchase, it being among my first