Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-22

and Benjamin. and their confedera:es would
not have 1t so. They preferred pursuing a
policy which necessarily led to immediate
emancipation and all their woes.
AT the close of our labor I resumed my
occupation of newspaper writing. and In
January, 1864, I became connected with the
Daily Chronicle of this city as editorial
writer, at which / continued until ! was
appointed United States marshal of North
Carolina, in September, 1865.
The National Era was founded and con-
Quoted in the interest Of the liberty party,
an organiza ton which recognized the oh
legations of The Constitution, and the rights
of the states to control their domestic af-
fairs. 1t he'd that slavery was sectional.
and freedom national 1t therefore insisted
that slavery should be excluded from The
territories, and abolished in the District OF
Columbia. 1t maintained that the section
Of the fourth article of the Constitution.
which required that fugitives from labor
should be returned, was a compact among
the states, to be enforced by state author
ity, and that il did not empower Congress
to legislate upon the subject, and they had
the authority of Mr.. Webster for this con-
struction to the extent at least. that he
had said that it would be his construction,
IL the Supreme Court had not decided other
wise.
Garrison and Phillips.
"Messrs. Garrison and Phillips, on the
other hand. admitted that the Constitution
was thoroughly pro-ssvery; they agreed
Phillips wrote and published a pamphlet
in support of the extreme states rights
theories. which was quoted approvingly by
South CaroliniaEs. Il was on this ground
that Mr.. Garrison and his followers de-
nourced the Constitution of the United
States as "a covenant with death. and
league with hell. and would never vote.
net even in state elections, because Massa-
chusetts like the other states. acknowl-
edged the Constitution to be the supreme
law Of the land.
Mr.. Gerrit Smith of New York equally
radical in his opposition to slavery. held
that the Constitution was anti-slayery,
and warranted Congress in 'proclaiming
liberty throughout the land
The political views of the liberty party
and OF DIR. Bailey, editor of the Era, apart
from slavery, were those of The southern
They were strict constructionists' of the
Constitution, and they were free traders
that is to say, anti-protectionists. The lib-
erty party was the germ of the republican
party, but when Mr.. Seward, with the
northern wings. Joined it. and the war,
with its exigchcies came on, these origi-
nal principles were laid aside and forgot
ten.
Il imbibed. early in life. the free trade
principle, from reading the works of NJ.
Say and Adam Smith / was a whig by
inheritance, and remained one. in conse-
querce of the relatively liberal and toler-
ant spirit of the party toward anti-slavery
men, while the democracy of the day.
called, was as intolerant as an inQuisi;or.
1t was the great debate in the Virginia
legislature, in January, 1892 which i'm
planted or rather developed in my mind.
the sentiment of opposition to slavery. and
could never eradicate ii, If had tried 20
do so. That debate has never been sur
passed in eloQuence, in this country. 1t was
caused by the Nat. Turner insurreclion,
which took place in the preceding August"