The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1860-07-19
nliHrfaanrallH Rraaina,.
,McDuMe on Slavery.

Alta time, when the false plilan,hro
py OF the Nor,h,is striving again to test
The question Of African slavery in tho
eruci6le Of moral and historic truth, !,
Is weiiNthat we Of the South should call
up the, voices of the past to illustrate
our, system, its trueSexten:, its origin.
ano us advantages Among those who
have debated this question, no ono. was
ever more thoroughly identified with
the institution of African slavery no
one studied its history more closely, no
one saw It's limit aud purpose more
clearly, than .Georgc McDuffie. We
copy 2 passage from one, of his great
speeches on, the Tariff, and commend il
to the attention of patriots North and
South. It's sentiments az, the verv IN,
ssPiratlon of truth aud wisdom in their.
highest exercise. Il SyggsE fgzT-s 4
Mr., McDuffie said: The member
from Massachusetts (Mr. DaviA has rc.
minded the committee That he is con.
lending agains; "the lordly owners If
1000 slaves, who are leagued with
those over the water, who wish 10 nut
their feet upon our heads and take ibe
dread out OF Our mouths" These were
has words. The member from Rhode
Island (Mr. Burgess) was pleased 10
add, with his accustomed courtesy and
stiavity of manner, that this was a con.
test between the honest manufacturers
and tue nnfeoling lasLers OF slaves"
whom lie represented as confederatinp
with England, in favor of the free trade,
am not unaware, sir, that a feeble
argument or a bad cause, NAV derive
essential aid from an appeal to the pref.
uc'ces Of an audience. But I can rs.
sure the gentlemen that they are per.
iectly welcome 10 all the advantage they
can gain by running comparisons be.
tween the North aud the South on tbe
subject Of slavery. 1 will not ransack
the musty annals Of New England. and
particularly of Rhode Island, for n his.
tory Of the A merican slave trade. Bur
will say, that l, thank God. that I
have no constituent who ever kidnapped
wreiched African; tore him away
with the relentless spirit of avarice and
plahtler, from the lard of his nativity.
and sold linn into foreign Londage :: and
saying this, will ask the gentlemen
from Rhede Island, if they can nut
their hands upon their hearts and make
the same declaration Whatever NAV
be the .epormity Of the trade-and from
my soul believe there is not in the
annals of human eupidity and cruelty a
more disgraceful and indell:ble blot
that FIN does not abide with me or
mine. If | have not been grossly mis-.
Informed, men, notorious for very dis
credltable participation in that nefarious
traffic, have figured in the halls of Con.
gress, rs the representatives Of SOVEREIGN
States. But such y representative never
came from South Carolina, and / thank
God for that. In fact, sir, every bar:
nf the civilized world, and especially
New England, had greater agency in
the original enslav sn.eni of the African
race, than the Southern States. Our
ancestors bought them from the ances.
tors OF our New England brethren, and
1t has been we'll said, that il Is " an alb
sntdity without a parallel in the whole
history OF hrman exlravagance ard fol.
ty' to hear the people Of Old England
or New England or any other portion OF
Christendom, eoolly lecturihg as upon
the sin of keeping our fellow.meh in
bondage. They talk about the impre.
seriPlibie rights of mankind. and qhes.
tion the very titles which they became
bound TO warrant by selling ns the pro. 4
Perty."s What, then. is the situation in
which the people Of th'. Southern States
arc placed, in regard to their slaves 2
Since they are already amongst u.s., we
can only regard them as human beings
committed 10 our guardianship; and !,
will maintain before any enlightened
tribunal, in opposition to all the vision.
airy fanatics in Christendom, that we
shall consult their happiness, as little as
our own safety, by their emancipation.
am glad TO perceive that some of the
States Of this Union have been brought
TO th:ir senses on the suIiec; Of free ne
groes, by actual observation of their
character and condition. / confidently
assert that there is not upon the whole
face OF the earth more lazy, miserable
and degraded people than the free me-
groes OF the United States. If I desired
TO hx the curse Of heaven upon the
Southern slaves, I would undoubtedly
sci them free; and let them 20 forth as
wretched oeacasts, to beg, steal or perish.
Their present condition is proud and en-.
viabie. compared with that in which en-.
ihusias,s and calculating politicians
would place them. Sir, l will not con
tend, with Aristotle, that the African
race were made to be slaves, but / do
say that God himself has drawn the line
OF discrimination, both moral and phy.
steal, between them and the white race,
IN characters too strong ever TO be oh
litsratsd. And although the people OF
the North, from an ovsrweening anxiety