The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-07-13
OF ALL KINDS,.

mat IN LOO, Wheu tho OOnsutuuou w.
formed, and for more than century before,
the black race were regarded %"aItogether
unfit to associate with the white race, either
In social or political relations" and might
'.justiy and lawfully be reduced TO alavery
for their benefit" and that this opinion was
"fIed and unipersal In the civilized portion
Of The white2"
Ths1egis!aturo Of Pennsylvania, In 1850,
passed an act abolishing slavery In that State,
which was introduced by the following pro.
amble, the authorship Of which I have beard
II know not with what suthority-ascribed
to DR.. Franklin:
"wheu ws contemplate our sbhorsnes OF
that condition 70 which the. arms and tyranny
Of Great Britain were exsrtsd TO reduce Us;
when We look back upon tho variety Of dam
gers 70 vhich We have been sSpcssAs snd now
Ssn .uDSd snS oar
when even hope and human f6rtituds have bs-
eoss sssasaIt 10 the oonniot. We Arc unavoids-
bly, led 20 Q serious and grateful sense Of the
manifold blessings which We have undeservsdly
received from the hand VI that Being from
whom every good and perfect gin eomsth.-
Impressed with these ideas, We conceive that Il
Is our duty, and We rejoice that Il ID In our
power, to extend . portion Of that freedom to
others which hath been extended to ~. and 10
lease from that state Of thraldom, to which ws
ourselves were tyrannically doomed, and from
which We have now every prospect Of being de-
livercd. II Is not for Us TO inquire why, In tho
creation Of mankind, the inhabitants OF the
several parts Of the earth were distinguished
BY difference In feature or complexion.
"It is sufficient 10 know that all are the work
Of an Almighty hand. We find. In the distri-
button OF the human species, that the most fer
tile as well As the most barren parts Of tho
earth are inhabited by men Of complexion
different from ours, and from each other; FROM
whence We may reasonably as well as religious
ly infer, that He who placed them In their va
rious situations hath extended equally His care
and protection TO all; and Il becometA not us
to counteract His mercles. We esteem Il pc
culiar blessing granted TO Us, that we arc ena-
bled this day 70 add one more step toward uni
versal civilization by removing, as much -
possible, the sorrows Of those who have lived
In undeserved bondage, and by which, from tho
assumed authority Of the Kings Of Great Brit
ain, no efiectual legal relief could be obtained.
weaned by q long course Of experience from
those narrow prejudices and partialities we had
imbibcd, we find our hearts enlarged with kind
ness and benevolence towards men Of all condi-
tions and nations; and we conceive ourselves,
at this particular period, extraordinarily callcl
upon. by the blessings we have received, 90
manifest the sincerity OF profession. and %
give substantial proof OF our own gratitude.
"And whereas the condition Of those persons
who have heretofore been denominated negro
and mula.to slaves, has been attended with cir
which not only deprived them OF
the common blessings which by nature they
were entitled to. but has cast them INTO the
deepest Affections, by an unnatural separation
and sale Of husband and wife from each other,
and from their children-an injury the great
ness Of which can only be conceived by suppos-
ing that we were In the same unhappy case; In
jusiies. therefore, to persons 80 unhsppily cir
cumstanced, aud who have no prospect before
them whereon they may rest their sorrows and
their hopes-have no reasonable inducement
To render fhsir ssrvies 10 soeisfy rhteh they oih-
srpise might; and also In grateful commemora-
tion Of our own happy deliyerance from that
state Of unconditional submission to which NO
were doomed by the tyranny Of Britain -
Therefore, Be Il enacted &c.
Sir, this splendid preamble, and the act
which II introduced, were no triaing or OBJ
scure matters. They were the production
Of great men, acting on most conspicuous
and their work Is one of historical
interest and grandeur. II was 10 this pre-
amble that Mr.. Webster referred, at P6ila-
ielphia, in 1914, In these words:
''That preamble was the work Of your Ssth.
ers They sleep In honored graves There Is
not, believe, one man living now who was en-
words In that preamble ft to be read by eli who
cherish the memory Of an honored and yirtu-
ous ancestry. And ask every one Of you now
present, ere eight-snd.forty hours pass over
your heads, to turn TO that act. 10 read that
and II you are Pennsylvanians, the
flood will stir and prompt you to do your du.
n. There are arguments In that preamble Ear
,urpassng any thing that tdy poor ability
,ould advance, and there I leave the subject"
Oh, sir, that tho Pennsylyanians would
row read that preamble! The blood would
,tir, and they would be prompted 70 their
duty by taking that commanding position In
tho army Of freedom to which they arc called
by the just renown and the glorious mcmo-
rics Of their ancestors, whoee utteranee In
behalf Of liberty and human rights wcro
among the most eloquent and icrvid that
have ever been heard upon this continent.
But, Mr.. Chairman, where has Judge To.
ney been, that Notwithstanding this sction
Of the Pennsylvania Legislature eight years
before the Constitution was adopted, hs
should have the boldneas 10 say that, by tho
common consent OF mankind, at the timo
this act was passed, negroes chad no rights
which white men were bound TO respect"
and might justly and lawfully borcduccd TO
Ilayery for bis benefit; and that this was IN
axiom in morals rs well a. politics which no
,ne thought Of disputing, and upon which
men Of every grade and position In society
laily and habitually actedl
.. 4. Ia a ~ Al Al
men Of the Revolution, the trainers Of our
acted In the light and spirit Of
these testimonies, rather than In that thick
darkness Of inhumanity and practical athe-
Ism in which tho Chief Justice has been
yroping2
In i173, DR.. Benjamin Rush, of Phila.
lelphia, who to tho reputation Of an einin-
mt physician added that Of distinguished
and statesman, issued an ad-
lreS to the inhabitants Of America on slave.
keeping, in which he said:
"Liberty and property form tho basis Of
abundance and good agriculture. never OBJ
'er,ed Il to flourish where those rights OF man.
lind were not firmly established. The earth.
1hich multplies her productions with Kind
II profusion under the hands Of the free-born
aborer, seems 10 shrink into barreuness under
he sweat Of the slave. Such Is the win OF the
treat Author Of our. nature, who has created
nan free, and assigned to him the earth. that
Ie might cultivate his possession with the sweat
Il his brow, but still should enjoy his liberty"
Warming with bis subject. and passing
rom the material 10 the moral and religious
'spect Of II, ho cxclaims;
"Ye men Of sense and virtue, ys advocates
or American liberty. rouse up, and espouse tho
au,e Of humanity and general liberty. Bear
! testimony against vice which degrsdes hu.
nan nature, and disolves thst uniyerpal lie Of
which should connect all the chill.
Iren Of men together In one great family. TIE
,Ianf Of liberty 10 Of 90 tender a nature, that
cannot hrfrs long In the ssiglborhcoi Of
iarsry. Remember. the eyes OF oil Europe
re fixed upon you, TO preserve an asylum for
reeiom In this country, amer the last pillars
lobe.
"But chiefly, ye ministers OF the gospel whose
L. -f..l. nj aSat -