Year: 1860

SPEECH OF DANIEL WEBSTER,
in the United States Senate, August 18th,


1s4S. (Works Of Daniel Webster, Vol


une 6, page 504.)


So much for the parliamentary question.
Now there are two or three political ques-
tions arising in this case, which wish to
state dispassionately not to argue, but to
state The honorable member from Georgia,
{Mr. Berrien) for whom have great respect,
and with whom it is my delight to cultivate
personal friendship, has stated, with great
propriety, the Importance of this question:
(The exclusion of Slavery in the Territories.)
lie said, that it is question interesting to
the South and to the North, and one which
may very well attract the attention of man
kind. He has not stated any part of this
too strongly. 1t is such question. With
out doubt, it is a question which may well
attract the attention of mankind. On the
subjects involved in this debate, the whole
world is not now asleep. 1t is wide awake
and agree with the honorable member, that,
if what is now proposed to be done by us
who resist this amendment is, as he supposcs,
unjust and injurious to any portion Of this
community, or against its constitutional
rights, that injustice should be presented to
the civilized world, and we, who concur in
the proceeding, ought to submit ourselves to
its rebuke | am glad that the honorable
gentleman proposes to refer the question to
the great tribunal of Modern Civilization as
well as the great tribunal of the American
people 1t is proper. 1t is question OF
magnitude enough, to all the civilized nations
of the earth, to call from those who support
the one side or the other statement of the
grounds upon which they act.


Now propose to state as briefly as can
the grounds upon which proceed, historical
and constitutional In the first place, to view
the matter historically The Constitution
founded in 1857, and the government under
it, organized 1889, do recognize the existence
Of slavery in certain States, then belonging
to the Union; and particular description of
slavery hope that what am about to say
may be received without any srppostion
that intend the slightest disrespect. But
this particular description of slavery does
not / believe, exist in Europe, nor in any
other civilized portion Of the habitable globe.
1t is not predial slavery. ltis not analogous
to the cause of the prcdial slaves, or slaves
alebe a5scripti of Russia. or Hungary, or
other States 1t is a peculiar system OF per-
sonal slavery, by which the person who Is
called slave is transferable as chattel,
from hand to hand l speak of this as
fact And will say further, perhaps other
gentlemen may remember the instance, that,
although slavery as a system OF servitude at.
tached to the earth, exists in various parts of
Europe, am not at the present moment
aware of any place on the globe in which
this property of man in human being as a
slave. transferable as chattel, exists, except
in America.


Now, that it existed, in the form in which
it still exists in certain States, at the forma-
ton of this Constitution, and that the fra
mers of that instrument, and those who
adopted it, agreed that, as far as it existed, it
shold not be disturbed or interfered with by
the new general government, there is no
doubt.


The Constitution Of the United States re-
cornizes it as an existing fact-an existing
relation between the inhabitants ofthe South
arn States. do not call it an "institutioa,
because that term is not applicable to it for
that seems to imply a voluntary establish
ment. When first came here, it was
matter Of frequent reproach to England, the
mother country, that slavery had been en-.
tailed upon the colonies by her, against their
consent, and that which is now considered
cherished '.institution'' was then regarded as
II will not say an evil--but an entailment
on the colonies by the mother country against
their wishes.