Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-05-09
OLD SERIES,


you are forgetting your pledges 10 support
/ the Constitution and the laws Of the United
States; but within that limit We cannot ex.
pect YOU 20 do otberwiss than 90 use oil the
power you have 10 strike at slavery 80 far
as you may" Why, ~. l should dem
myself neglected. OF all my duties u I should
hesitate for one moment On question like
this.
One moment more. sir, and ! ,hall have
done. Thi. question Of tie abolition Of sla.
very in the District of Columbia. l have
stated. has ben one that has always bcen
near 20 my heart. Gentlemen say u }. q
bad time TO take IL up; 10 will bs attended
with injury. With regard 10 one point oi
injury. I have spoken: hot do gentlemen
belisv, any other injury 10 To follow. Whom
do We injarl The Slaves, The slave will
hear the injury. Do We ,njars the owner :
What claim have the owners OF slaves IN
the District oi Columbia apon us7 They
ha,. in my Judgment. he'n holding sla1e'
here without Law since :he foundation oi the
Government. and they have beon able Ia do
10 because u hA. b.sn IN their power "a se-
cure . majority always ~ Congress which
va. inrincible. that couli be overcome.
They knew the day would come some time
az other. What inj,ry do Ne do them
how many OF them who hold slave. IN this
District are loyal men 10 dayf What sym.
ps,hy have ihO.e who supper, the Cor.Ii'n.
ton from thsm-men. women or children.
who happen % be the owners OF slaves
Gentleo-o all know that n you could get
at the real sentiments ol tho.e Who ARE slave
owners. there are very lev in this District.
in my tel,ei. who DO no, hor. AMI pray iot
the slcces- of this rebellion. But. cir. they
stand ne loyal men m profession. and per-.
hap. are a. b. treated ~ such. We would
not do them wrong. Whether there - an
obligation or not. whether they hold slaves
ny Law or not. u IL unques'ionabls that by
common consent by custom II you please.
under the eve Of 'hc Law. under the eve "
the Government, they have hsli them n, IL
legally ,ncc the foundation Of the Govern.
men,. We cannot disregard that W..
cannot ignore the Tact. IL has the force oi
las toa certain extent. 10 IL fitting and
proper that We should recognize u.
u | had any douht on this subject. n.
aid b-lnrr. ! ain instructed by Inv people
rhcy cav tiat slavery ought a. b. abolished
IN th,. ID strict They say they are willing
10 help o. pay for IL. II they ARE willing,
am. We hiy. the constitutional power
10 MAKE the appropriation and the Qne-.
ton then ari.es, and the only question ha.
the time come. and 's there any other con-
.iier,'ijn which .houli restrain US? Why,
.r. what dos tie enlightened world expect
Of US? Do ~e not all know that our enc.
ME. have already argued to the people oi
Europ- that - th'. party in power. this peo-
rle Who arv endes,uriDg b. coerce them, are
not IN earnest they ar, attempting nov, ~.
they say 10 support the CONSTITUTION aud
enforce the laws they have no idea II touch
ins the subject OF s.aseryf' ] read no
longer sgo Than yesterday an article In one
Of tie leading British Reviews. in which IL
!. saii that The only chance for the abolition
Y OF slavery IL the success Of the southern
States ~ acquiring their indepenieucc that
so long =. tho United States exists, u. iorce
!. applied 90 the protection of slavery. Sir.
there ar- many good people IN ,hi. world.
outside VI the United States and across the
water. and those good people have hccn
looking for something like an indication
,ha, the Government of the United States
was not bound o. the protection oi slavery
ahd to the support oi It We are hox IN u
Condition when W. can give that In ilca'inn.
We can at any rate strike u Out of the MAJ
tional capital. Ne can freak it down here.
We can .ay this ih NJ shall no longer exist
where Congress has the power To- operate
upon ". do not know how long that
power will exist. IL Is the first day that
| have -e-n when there wa. an indication that
that power existed IN Congress. aud am
/ for improving the first day. would not
. let ihi. Opportunity slip. DO not kn,v
what :. TO he To. morrow. live restore the
. Constitution and the laws. who knows ,ha,
a.. maj,riy will h, m this Congress of the
United suic-7 ID not. All ,hat'i know
/ q. that the day has arrived. the hour ha-
I presented it.cli when. 90 al appearance.
/ thrr. .. po~er o. take one s,sp Ia reference
l To- thi. great oh-ct. AMI tha, siep hope
I Congress will take.
It,-no -r-v.r q m', 1T mo tell nv
/ friend from Virginia Mr Carlil-l that IL
| to ,1rrci- moral force upon iho ln,iitn.
ton i'sslf that ~ 3, TO weaken ~ -",ne
I where that u .. t. he regarded n. a blos
| az the institution. 81 much tie better. Tor
/ corppllshment u the Object. by exercising
/ the power We have. am nlt without hope
\ that the benefit ~ the example will he Ut
/ great U.S. o. my friend irrm Virginia him.
/ self tha, the rcxt step will come from lin
and from he region. and that l- will 10
/ found in the ranks VI those who will .sy II
I |. time to initiate a party Tor the abolish.
ment OF slavery. make hi, own State II V.r.
rinia wha, IL would have been hut tor this
( insii,ution long ago. let me call my 'risnd's
attention To ons fact | have inrniIonei it
! hero IN argument . long time ago On ihi,
subject and then let me ask Q question u.
TO his own cities Virginia has as much
territory NJ all New England, or within u
very sew thousand sqcirc miles. IL .u.'.
ly superior to 10 IN every particular. IL has
mine. IN its bosom u has water power un.
rqualcd. certainly unsurpassed; 10 has Ia
ciliiies for trade whi;h are not surpassed IN
any other quarter II has all the elements
/ of ,reattes. % AN extent which M other
/ territory uf equal dimension. can bo .aid t.
have. tor manufactures. Tor c,mmerc". and
! Iar agriculture. In the days IL the R'so.
luton it had more population than all New
England: it had more commerce; u had
more wealth. Compare the State OF 'r-
: ,inia ne u Was when this rebellion broke
out. with New England. and see the dIlsr-
cnce between the two ~ that day you
had less than q million oi white popn.
iauon and ws had ,hrce millions. lnail
the branches OF national life. even in agri.
culture. We are vastly your sup'riors; and
a. TO commerce ari manufacture, you had
comparatively none.
What IL the reason OF ibisg Can you
give any for the difference except the Tact
I that you had an Institution which We had
not and u that has been the eject. Why
not begin among yourselves TO make OF that
territory the great empire which che is ca.