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Show 230 TliE :MISSOURI QUESTION. hesitation to remand Oncsimus to his master ; and not even to employ him in the can .. e of God, without first obtaining his master's con ·cnt. Now, sir, as it is cvi<lcnt, that, under every dispensation of Ilcavcn, slavery has exi.-t •cl, and that neither patriarchs, prophets, nor apostles, to whom the word of inspiration was committed, over made the snbjccl a. test of piety, or matter of animaclvcr·ion, I k11ow of 110 principle, either human or divine, l>y which slaveholders in .America can be justly reprobated as the most odious of mankind. Do I attempt to justify the principle of slavery by thus adverting to sacred history to prove its existence among good men ? No. But tlJe a1lu ·ion is made to prove this fact : that tlJere may be a state of things in which slavery becomes a necessary evil, and which its existence is not incompatible with true religion. Such a state of things, tho gentlemen on the opposite side must acknowledge to have existed among themselves; for in the abolition of slavery in those States where it is aboli hcd, though the number 'vYns small, yet the wisdom of their legislature , in almost every instance, prevented the evils which they expected to result from a sudden change, by providing for its gradual abolition. Yes, sir, those who arc now most censorious in their declamations against slavery, have, by their own acts, in their own States, sanctioned, every principle which the Rlaveholder in other StateR, either sanctions or avows; because, in the gradual instead of sudden abolition, they have acknowledged the existence of that state of thinga among themselves, which justified the holdin()' of some in a state of involuntary servitude for life, and of others for a term of years. If such has been the policy of States, where the numbers of slaves, owing originally to the coldness of their climate rather than to any moral canso, Lore but a very small proportion to their whole population, it is but reasonable to conclude that they would have justified the sawc 'rll~ :MISSOUlU QUES'l'lON. 231 policy which has governed their sister StutcH, ha<l it been their lot to have cmbosomcd as great a. proportion of slaves. But humanity is the plea. And can g nilcrncn sincerely believe that tho ca.u c of humanity will be promotctl by still confining this population wilhin such limits as that their relati ve numbers will oppose everlasting obstacles to their emancipation? Upon the most extensive principle of phllanthropy, I sn.y, let tlwm spread forth with the growing extent of our nation. I am sn rc I plead the cn.n. c of humanity. I advocate the best interests of the sons of bondage, wbon I entreat yon to give them room to be happy ; and so (lispcrse them n that, under the auspices of Providence, they m!ty one day enjoy the rights of man, without con vuL·ing the empire or endangering society. We mu ·t now take the world as we find it-not as we would l1ave it-an<.l adapt our measnres to the aetual state of thiugs. rl'hc cruelties which arc pas .. cd cannot be retracted; and upon the slave trade we can now only look back with emotions of regret, which have but ono balm of consolation to mitigate our so rrows. It is thi : that outrages upon humanity may le tolerated in civilized society, which arc overruled by I iviuc Providence, for the ultimate good of those who wct·c tho viclims of cruelty. Such has been the consequence of the slave trade; and let it now bo our object to make them feel the benefit, since they have not been ex mptcd from the misery. There is no ju t cause for irritation on this . uhjcct. We should suppress our feeling , when they threaten to transport us Leyond the l>ounds of reason. Early habits beget strong prejudices; and untler a heavy burden of them we all labor. nut it becomes ns to bring them to one common altae, and cousumc them together. Before we compel our brother to pluck the mote from his eye, it will be wise to take the beam from our own. On this occasion I cannut |
