New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-01


the use of slave labor; her acquisition was a
giant blow at freedom-still the nation went
blindly on. The genius of Northern man
created wonderous piece of Ofmechanism-the
cotton gin. 1t was the mightiest ally the slave
| power ever had. From the hour 1t began
its strange and cunning work, slavery
grew aggressive, defiant. seeking absolute
domain; hslting at nothing, bending all it's
energies to make itself the controlling power
in the government. It's advocates, trained
in subtle schools, we're ever armed with
keen and polished weapons, which they
used with most unwearied skill. The courts
! bent themselves low before the throne of
slavery. The church approved the curse,
and for years the nation blindly followed.
! No not ali the nation, a Massachusetts man,
| (Judge Hoare), honored forever. be his name
on freedoms roll, bearded the lion in his
| den, went boldly into a slave State to test In
| it's courts the constitutiorality of law by
| which black men were imprisoned. he was
not allowed to plead, the courts closed their
doors upon him, MS l'fe was threatened ana
he was driven ignominiously beyond the
| borders of the State. Judge Hoare was man
honored alike for the noble purity Of his
| private lite his vast learning and profound
acquaintance with the constitution and laws
OF his country The North stood aghast at
the treatment he received in South Carolina.
The friends of freedom spoke boldly out,
and from that hour the work began that
| was to end only with the complete and
utter overthrow of human slavery In
America [Applause. About this time The
| great question. OF the night OF State to
nul!ify al act of Congress agitated the
| county. A certain school OF politicians
maintained that State was sovereign in
itself, and the Only judge OF the constltu-
| tionality of laws affecting in any manner
! it's welfare. The opposite school claimed
| that the United States was the sovereign and
| deciding power upon ali questions OF con-
stitutional law, and that every State must
yield ready and willing obedience to its
| mandates. Notification was one OF the
many weapons used by slavery to advance
its interest. Read the history Of those
| days-days pregnant with great re
suits to America; call up the pic
lures OF some of the great debates in the
Senate of the United STATES. See courtly
Havne and the great Calhoun. armed cGp-a-
me, ride into the lists in defense OF the mon
strous dogma. Listen to the wondrous
eloouence, the almost mstchless skill with
| which the great defenders OF nulllhcatlon
and slavery urge their cause. The Senate
listens with hushed breath; the friends OF
freedom, who crowd the chamber, feel their
hearts sink within them. Where, they ask
| anxious,y, can the men be found to answer
their keen and subtle logic, to speak with
as touching eloquence for freedom as they
have plead for slavery? Daniel Webster
rises to reply, and, as his voice rolls through
the Senate. every eye is fixed upon him.
With quiet skill he attacks the outposts of
| his foes; step by step hsdrives in their lines,
until At length with his whole soul aroused,
all his forces well in hand he charges
! straight home upon their citadel, and be
| tore his mighty rush tower aud baS.ion of
their stronghold crumble into ruins, and he
| stands victorious in the greatest intellectual
contest of his age: [Great applause.l With
his triumph freedom telti her blood
flow once again, and all her followers took
courage to press onward. Slavery, though
overthrown, was Lot discouraged. but with
! ceasleas energy strove to recover Its lost
ground. The Missouri compromise was a
sop thrown to freedom; it answered well its
purpose. When the hour was ripe, slavery
demanded and received the fugitive slave
| lava law that made every freeman in the
| land the mere tool of the slave power. The
highest tribunal in the land, with solemn
| pOmp declared it right and still further de-
cided black men absolute chattels, with no
! rights in common with men OF falrer skins.
| The attempt TO execute the fugitive slave
law recoiied upon its orginators. No one
who did NOT see how deeply the people Of
the North were moved, can understand the
! intensity of their purpose to resist the car
rying ont OF the unholy law. remember,
when but a boy, standing in Boston, watch
ing with wonder akin to terror, to
see a black man, guarded by United
States soldiers, marched through its
streets back into bondage. l saw hun
dred thousand free-born men looking on
with flashing eyes and sullen faces. | heard
the angry roar of many voices, and child as
Twas, I felt and knew mighty hand was
moving. aud that somehow, some way, good
would come out from what seemed and was
so evil. [Applause.1 Slavery, notwithstand
ing the daily evidence it received OF the
growth OF party opposed to its extension,
| demanded aad received the repeal of the
| Missouri compromise. Kansas and NebraS(
ka, after heroic struggle with the minlons
Of slavery, came into the Union free States
From the turmoil that attended their birth
the Republican party sprang. Clear and
strong their battle cry rang out in the teeth
of their foes. Thus far shalt thou come and
| no further" was inscribed upon the banner
they planted III the face OF slavery. lAp'
plause.l With the birth of the Republican
party rose a man, john Brown, by name,
| who dared 10 strike slavery sturdy blow.
Enthusiastic applause. He had been train
ed upon the N'oOdy fields Of Kansas; he had
seen his ch ii. n shot down by border ruff
fans; he b ID 5, IN e heavens lurid with the
flames i .nern homesteads he
had wa.ched the contest till his heart
| almost burst within him, and he resolved
to strike as bold blow for freedom as ever
had been struck III slavery's interest. He
| gathered few men abOu. him and threw
himself across the borders OF virginia. 1t
| was il sublime sight-a gray haired man
with some twenty followers threw down the
| gauntlet and dared the powers OF darkness
to combat. John Brown was overwhelmed,
and paid the forfeit of his rashuess with his
life Men say that he was an enthusiast; II
he was, his enthusiasm was born of a wish
to do unto others As he would to be done
by. (Applause) Some say he was insane;
If he was, his was an insanity eminatlng
from God. (Applanse). The sun that Went
down upon the dead body OF old John
! Brown, set also upon the open grave OF
slavery, and toward its yawning mouth IN
| visible hosts were forcing the unholy lnStl'
tuition. I DO not deem II necessary, my
friends, to cay much of the war You know
rs well as l that at least the ballot was
thrown aside for the bullet; that the dis
cussion OF slavery was transferred from the
| House and Senate of the United States to the
field Of battle You know the whole world
stood by to watch the progress OF that
grand debate, where arguments fell not from
the lips Of statesmen, but Numbered from
! hot-moUthed cannon and crashed from
deadly rihes-a debate where the lights OF
history gave place 10 the flash OF bayonets,
where logic was Gought no longer IN books,
but in iron hoofs aud Ciasbipg sa5res. iou
know, as well as I, that after years OF IN
heard of struggles the smoke OF conflict
rolled awav, and the world saw freedom with
radiant face, standing above the lifeless
body OF her ancient foe. [Great aDplause.l
You know that race of four million peo-
people who, when the war begun wore
chains, felt not single fetter on their limbs
when it ended. Applause, My friends,
you feel, and justly So, that you nave been