Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-03-02
SPEECH OF MR.. FERRY OF CONN.

nOluS. dc al dbStldCb BlOHpoibiOh' viz" Pr
erty in man exists of natural right no more
to he condemned in morals or deprecated In
policy than property in cattle or merchan-
disc that the system of American slavery.
which is based upon property in man, Is also,
and without reference to collateral clrcum-
stances, right,-right, not merely where 1t
exists an involuntary inheritance from pre-
ceding generations, but rightfully to be orig
inally established IN a community, as a COM
ponent part of its domestic institutions. AND
not only this, but that. as a system, it is ex-
pedient; productive of vast benfts where it
already exists, and calculated to produce the
greatest good In societies where, under favor
ing influences of soil and climate, it may be
newly established.
"The Democratic party, moreover, insists
that this property in man is distinctly recog-
nized and protected bv the Constitution OF
the United States that wherever the term
property is used in that instrument, it en-
braces slaves as truly as any object Of legiti-
mate ownership end that every conclusion
of legal or logical sequence from the language
of the Constitution, which may apply to
merchandise of any description. is equally
applicable to this. | am aware that there is
a section of the Democratic party which does
not concur in all of the foregoing views. and
| shall have occasion to consider its position
in the course of my remarks. The in
fuence of this portion in public affairs Is,
however, at present, comparatively small.
The Executive department OF the Govern
ment, the Democratic members OF the FEEDER
al Judiciary, and an Overwhelming majority
of the Democratic members OF both houses
of Congress, embrace the opinions which ]
have now stated. In the discussions in the
other wing of the Capitol, and upon this
floor. ! have heard these doctrines set forth
scores of times as component parts OF the
| Democratic creed, and they have been re-
ceived almost without a word of disapproba-
ton from any one claiming to belong to the
| Democratic organization. Indeed, [ think
that it NAV properly be assumed that, but
for the stern resistance which is made to these
principles by the Republican party, they
would be practically carried out, in all their
logical results, by all the departments of the
Federal Government"
He went on further, 90 show that if these
principles were right the extremists of the
South who clamor for the reopenIng of the
slave-trade are the only consistent men and
politicians in the country. When he said
this Gov. McRae and Mr.. Lamar of Miss.
nodded their heads as if with delighted
assent. They are consistent pro-slayery men.
declaring African slavery to be a blessing.
and therefore they wish to extend it over the
world and at once reopen the slaye-trade.
The reply of Mr.. Ferry was Overwhelming,
and was as fe%licitous in language as it was
powerful in its logic. We quote the open
ing portion Of his answer to the assertions
of the pro-slavery declaimers in the House
''Such are the fundamental principles OF
the Democratic party, and such are their
logical results. meet them in their very
beginnings, for it is there that we shall find
the ~starting-point Of divergence between the
two great parties upon this subject. |
affirm that property in man does not and
cannot exist of natural right. 1t fills me
with unspeakable modification to be com
PEELED. in this enlightened age and this
Christian Republic, to 90 back to
mon morality. But the necessi-
ty exists. The Democratic organiza-
ton, extending INTO every town and village
in the Confederacy, is fast becoming de-
bauched and demoralized in regard u this
whole matter. Its leaders teach that slavery
S right and the masses everywhere are be
uE EIduudiiN VI -lN Il COulSt uth VIII III
morals and backward IN civilIzation-to
adopt that teaching as true. If this doctrine
shall become the predominant belief through
out the greater portion Of the country, and
systems of bondage come to be justified and
approved by the masses Of the people, ten |
believe that real freedom will speedily thrre-
after disappear from the Republic. | repeat,
Therefore, that property in slaves does not
land cannot exist Of natural right. There Is not
voice of inspiration asserting in man such do
mInion over his fellow-man. like that which
gave to our race dominion over the fish OF
the sea, and over the fowl Of the air, and
over everything that moyeth upon the face OF
the earth ; and we are. therefore, left TO
rest our judgment upon the Just instincts OF
the human heart. and the honest guidance
Of an enlightened conscience. And to those
! appeal. There is not a literature Of
any people or age which does not depict lib
ertv as better than life, and slavery as
worse than death. there is not a man in
this House who would not sooner lie down
in his grave than become a bondman there
is not one of us who wonld not rather see
the face of his child upturned to him, dead
in its coffin. than to see that child sold as a
slave.
No promises of sufficient food and decent
apparel and comfortable shelter, of care in
sickness and support in old age, could change
this preference and if long ages of servitudc
have produced, in isolated instances, a differ
ent choice, the common sense of mankind
Justly finds in such phenomena a more con-
elusive proof of the brutalizing influences OF
bondage. The laws which are made for the
security of this species of property afford
further evidence that it is based upon wrong.
1t is impossible that any relation, right in
itself, should require such utterly repulsive
enactments for its maintenance in a civilized
society. | have, TO some extent, looked into
the statutes and judicial decisions of those
communities where the institution prevails,
and find that they compose a merciless, re
mOrSeless. terrible machinery for changing a
man into a brute. There is but one step
wanting to make the work complete they
have not yet legalized murder"
During the delivery of this speech almost
the entire House listened attentiyely and some
Of the very ablest of the southern members,
Lamar of Mississippi among them, admitted
in private conversation that it was a very able
argument against them and their principles,
and Mr.. L. avowed his purpose at an early
day to reply to it.