Year: 1860

founder of Methodism, whose ampl


experience of Slavery in Georgia an


the Caroiinas seems TO have been a


condensed in this sententious iudgmen


Language is feeble to express all tn


enurmity of this institution, which


now Wanted as in itself a form c


civilization, 'ennobling' at least to tn


master, ifnot the slave. Look at il il


whatever light you will, and it is al


ways the scab. the canker. the bar


bones, and the shame of the country
wrong not merely in the abstract, as i


often admitted by apologists, bu
wrong in the concrete also. possessin.
no single element of right. Look at i
in the light of principles. anil it i
nothing less than a huge insurrectioi
against the eternal law of God, involv
ing in It's pretensions the denial of al
human rights, and also the denial o
that divine law in which God himsel
is manifest, thus being practically TN,
groSsest lie and the grosScst Atheism
Founded in violence, sustained only
10y violence. such wrong must, by a
sure law of compensation, blast the
master as we'll as the slave; blast the
lands on which they live; blast the
community of which they are a part;
blast the Government which does not
forbid the outrage; and the longer il
exists, and the more completely il
prevails, must its blasting influences
penetrate the whole social system -
Barbarous in origin; barbarous in its
law; barbarous in all its pretentions;
barbarous in the instruments it en-
ploys; barbarous in consequences;
barbarous in spirit; barbarous where
ever it shows itself Slavery must
breed barbarians, while it develops
everywhere, alike in the individual
and in the society Of which he forms
a part. the essential elements of bar
barism. In this character it is now
conspicuous before the world. In un-
dertaking now to expose the barbar-
ism Of Slavery, the whole broad field
is open before me. There is nothing
in its character, its manifold wrong,
it's wretched results, and especially
in its influence on the class who
claim to be 'ennobled' by it, that will
not fall naturally y under consideration


| know we'll the difficulty of this
discussion involved in the humilita-
ting truth with which l begin. SEN
ators On former occasions, revealing
their sensibility, have even protested
against any comparison between what
were called the two civilizations,
meaning the two social systems pro-
duced respectively by Freedom and
by Slavery. The sensibility and the
protest are not unnatural, though
mistaken. Two civilizations' Sir,
in this nineteenth century of Christian
light, there can be but one civilization,
and this is where Freedom prevails.
Between Slavery and civilization there
is on essential incompatibility. If you
are for the one you can not be for the
other; and just in proportion to the
embrace of Slavery is the divorce from
civilization. That the slave-master
should be disturbed when this is expos
ed, might be expected. but the assump-
tions now so boastfully made, while
they may not prevent the sensibility,
yet surely exclude all ground of pro-
test when these assumptions are ex-
posed. Nor is this the only difficulty
Slavery is a bloody touch-menot,
and every where in sight now blooms
the bloody flower. 1t is on the way
side as we approach the nation Cap
itol; it is on the marble steps which
we mount; it ilaunts on this floor. |
stand now in the house of its friends.
About me while | speak, are its most
sensitive guardians, who have shown
in the past how much they arc ready
either to do or not to do where Slav-
cry is in question. Menaces to deter
me have not been spared; but should
i'll deserve this high post of duty here,
with which | have been honored by a
generous and enlightened people if
could hesitate. Idolatry has been Of
ten exposed in the presence Of idola-
tors, and hypocrisy has been chastised
in the presence of Scribes and Phari-
sees. Such examples may give en-
couragement to a Senator who under
takes in this presence to expose Slav-
cry; nor can any language, directly
responsive to the assumptions now
made for this barbarism, be open to
question. Slavery can only be paint
ed in the sternest colors; but | can
not forget that natures sternist paint
er has been called the best.


The barbarism of Slavery appears
FIRST in the character of Slavery, and
secondly. in the character of slave
masters. Under the first head W,
shall naturally consider Esst. the law
of Slavery and its origin, and second,
the practical results of Slavery. a
shown in comparison between th'
Free States and the Slave States
Under the second head we shall natu


rally consider first, slave-masters a
shown in the law of Slavery, sec
ond, slave masters in their relation


with each other, with society, an,
with Government; and, fourth. theI
be prepared for the consideration o


the assumption OF constitutional Law


|. In presenting the character o


Slavery there is little for NE to do
except to allow Slavery to paint itseli


When this is done, the picture vii
neel no explanatory words.


ID | begin with the Law OF Slav
cry and its Origin. and here this bar


barism paints itself in It's own chosel
definition. 1t is simply this: Man
created in the image of God, is divcst


I