Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-22


, though excluded from political employment
by his completely with the Hartford Con
yention, still enjoyed the highest respect Of
the people, Heconjured his countrymen o.
New England and adjoining States, in which
these societies had been established, as they
} valued the Union, to forbear the encourage
ment and countenance which many of them
had given The anti-slavery societies, their ex-
! travagant doctrines and proceedings These
he denounced as incendiary and revolutionary
IN their nature and tendencies; as violation
OF the spirit, if lot the letter, of the Consti-
tuition; breach Of faith pledged in the COM
pact which they had solemnly entered into
with the people and the States of the South,
with full knowledge that it recognized
slavery, and which they might rest assured
they could resent and resist with uncommon
unanimity. He declared that their doctrines
and their proceedings, which he had seen in
their pamphlets and public addresses such
as he had heard and distributed among the
people of the South were such an outrage
such an Interference with their local in
stltutlons,-such tampering with a por-
ton of the population, that no foreign ma
ton with whom we had any amicable re-
latlons or any mere treaty of friendship,
would peaceably submit to; that the gross
breach of faith, the violation of solemn en-
gagements with sister States, aggravated the
! outrage that IL was no excuse to say that
the incendiary addresses and pamphlets
were sent to the pianters-to the own
ers-not TO the slaves; as every man Of
common sense would know, they would
soon find their way into their hands. and
be read by the slaves themselves. He de-
clared his solemn conviction, that if these
ahtl-slavery societies announcing the policy
of immediate abolition were upheld az the
North the Union could not stand. Headyerted
in strong terms to thegreat difficulty that had
to be overcome in the formation and adop-
ton of the Constitution, which secures the
| present Union. And referring to these anti
| slavery doctrines and the incorporate pro-
! ceedlngs of these societies, he said, that in
the ear of his imagination, he already heard
the knell of the Union! and he solemnly
warned his countrymen, that if the present
| Union should ever be broken, iteould never
be reconstructed with its guarantees for the
| security of life, liberty and property an
! appalling truth | grieve to say, already more
them halt, and to be fully verified, if the
dominant majority in the present Congress-
shall be able TO maintain their power.
1t is remarkable that it was in this year
1888, that the presentation of the rich silver
vase was to take place, offered by the citi-
zens of Boston, as a testimonial of their pro-
| found gratitude TO Daniel Webster, for his
able defence of the Constitution, in his reply
| to General Hayne, in the Senate, with the
simple inscription engraved upon it, as the
highest tribute that could be paid by any
portion of the American people, at that day
10 the most exalted talents and eminent pub
i1.aar i 4
fender of the Constitution" In reply to
the gentleman who read the address, on
rendering the magnificent vase, Mr.. Webster
characterized the Constitution, as 'the won
der of modern times" and would be, he said,
the wonder 6f all future times" 1t was in
this celebrated debate with Gen. Havne, of
South Carolina, that Mr.. Webster enuncia-
ted the beautiful and memorable sentiment,
in concluding his unrivaled speech upon
that occasion, Liberty and Union now and
forever one and inseparable." No higher
eulogy upon the late but now impaired Con-
stitution-than that contained in those few
simple pithy, comprehensive and memora-
BILE words, could be conceived by genius and
intellect, and expressed in the English Ian
guage;-and now the irrepressable question
forces itself upon every patriotic heart, twill
the Constitution or can it, with the preva-
lence of the new ideas or definitions of free
government, and patriotism, which have
sprung up in the last five years in this coun-
try, be repaired or restored in its original
vlgor, and give the assurance contained in
the sentiment of Mr.. Webster ! answer I'M
hesitatingly, no, never or until new gen
Grafton shall have learned the principles and
guarantees for the security of free govern
ment, in the schools founded by Locke, Mil
ton and Hampden in the first half and Hal
flax and SOmers in the last half of the 18th
century and their followers and disciples in
America in I776 and 1889.
Persons of distinction both North and
South, who, from the time of the revolution,
down to the time at which | write, who re-
GREETED the recognition of slavery in the
Constitution, and were anxious to see their
country freed from what they considered a
reproach to our free institutions, found the
means of giving currency to their views by
cooperating with the colonization societies
established at Washington and in the lar.er
cities; and looked upon the plan proposedbv
those societies, as the most feasible as well
as safest mode, of relieving the country of
the institution of slavery, without the viola
ton of any existing rights, or any disturb
ance of the public peace
This scheme had the advantages attend
ing gradual change, in the condition of
the slaves, by which the evils of a sudden
emancipation might be avoided and guarded
against. But like all men of one idea, Gar
rison could not brook any opposition to his
particular views and he denounced coiOni-
cation as temporizing policy, as furiously
as he did slavery itself This course was deci-
dedly Characteristic of Garrison and the class
of men from whom he received his principal
support. 1t was in spirit sectarian. fanati-
cal, exclusive and intolerant.
The Massachusetts, anti-slavery society on
the 18th day of August, 1885, under the
signature of committee of % men, who |
infer were leading members of the society in
New England, and among them the name of |
VIM. l.. Garrison, published studied and
well written address to the public, in which
they complained that their doctrines and
proceedings had been grossly misrepresented
with the design of making them odious in
the community, and that among other char
ges against them, it had been represented
that they were hostile to the Union: that
they had sent incendiary addresses to the |
South to excite the slaves to instruction. |
On the contrary they affirmed that their adj |
dresses contained no encouragement to the |
slave to seek their freedom by violence
that their addresses were sent to the plan |
tiers, masters and owners not to the slaves. |
They admitted that neither Congress nor |
the Legislatures of the free States, had anv |
right under the Constitution to interfere |
with the slaves in the Southern States. They |
further more made this extraordinary avow- |
al, I'VE can assure our assailants that we |
would not sacrifice the life of a single slave |
holder to emancipate every slave in the |
United States"
They then proceeded to state their creed |
that they were Internationally opposed to
slavery; that they held it to be n sin: that !
they believed it to be the duty of the slave |
holders to emancipate their slaves immedi- |
ately; that the freedom of speech and the |
freedom Of the press were guaranteed to them |
by the Constitution; that they had a right |
freely to utter and TO print all such argu- |
mentS and views, as In their Judgment tend /
ed to establish those principles; that It was |
by their triumph alone that they could sue |
coed in abolishing slavery in tranquility |
and with safety to the country.
Ii is material 10 notice that concurrently |
with the above address, the American anti |
slavery Society-put forth similar address |
in ali reSpects-except the extraordinary |
declaration that they would not sacrifice the |
life of single Shareholder to emancipate |
all the slaves in the United States" This |
Nras cis al b,- Artbt,r I