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Show 336 SLAVERY AGITATION. his, he may rest assured that a state of eternal non-intercourse will exist between us. Y cs, sir, I think tho American ~1ini, tor would have best pursued the dictates of true dignily by regarding the language of that member of the British llousc of Commons as tho malignant raving · of the plunderer of his own country, and ibo libeler of a foreign and kindred peoplo. But the means to which I havo already adverted nre not the only ones which this third class of ultra-abolitionists arc employing to effect their ultimate end. They began their operations by professing to employ only persun, iro means in appealing to illC humanity, and enlightening the understandings, of the slaveholding portion of the Union. If there were some kindn ess in this avowed motive, iL mn. t be acknowledgeu that there was rath er a presumptuous display also of an assumed superiority in intelli o·euce and knowledge. For some timo they continued to nHtko these appeals to our duty n.ncl onr interest; but, impatient wHh the slow influence of their logic upon our stu pitl minds, they recently resolved to change their system of action. To the agency of their powers of persuasion, they now propose to substitute the powers of tho ballot box; and he must be blind to what is passing Leforc us, who uocs not perceive that the inevitable tonuency of their I)l'OCcedincrs • 0 1s, if these shoul<l bo found insufficient to invoke finally I 1 I the more potent powers of tho bayonet. Mr. President, it is at this alarming stage of tho proceedings of the ultra-abolitionists that I would seriously invito every consiueratc man in the country solemnly to pause, and deliberately to reflect, not merely on our existing post.ure, but upon ihat dreadful pl'ecipice down which they would hurry nR. IL is because thoRo ultra-aboliti onists have ceased to employ the instruments of reason and persuasion, have made their cause political, and have appealed to tho SLAVERY AGITA'l'ION. 3R7 ballot box, that I am induced, upon this occasion, to ad-dress you. . · r There b av e been three e11ochs 111. . the h. ~ ~Lory o . our country a t w hieh the spirit of aboltLton . dtRplayed 1L·elf. Tho r. t immcdin.tcly after the formatiOn of Lltc present Ill'S was . fcdcra1 govc•i ·t1 mcnt. When the Constitution wa.s about gom. er 1· 0 i o 01 )er(a tion , its IJOWcrs were not well understood b t;e comnnmiLy at large, ·and remain cU. to be accurately y t~,l anu defined At thu.t period numerous ubo-intcrpre ~ · . . 1 h S h.t 1. on socw· "~ 1· c 8 were formed ' comprnnng not mere y t o o- "> •• cw. ty of F~ .u·e n ds ' but many other good men. . .I et1L10ns we.r e d t Congress praying for the a bolt Lton of slav OJ y. prcscnte 0 . . r d They were received without serious opposttJon, re errc ' d t d u11011 by a committee. The report stated that an rcpor c . . . the gcueml govcrnmcut bad no power to al.>Oh. h slavety as 't . ~ d in the several State·, and that these States them- 1 ex1s ~e 1 · '1'1 selves hn.d exclusive jurisdiction over the s.u >Jec~. te rcpor t wn.s generally acqnicsccd in, and sa.LJHfnctton . a1.1 d tranquillity ensued; the abolition socieLie thor after. lmHt-ing their exertions, in respect to the l)l~wl.~ populatlon, to offices of humanity within tho scope of cxtstJng laws. The next period when the subject of slavery ~nd ~bo- 1.tt l.o n, w. c1' d en ta~ lly, wus broucor ht into notice an.d d. tscusston, was on the memorable occasion of tho adnusswn of the State of Missouri into tho Union. Tbe struggle was long, st reno 0 uS , anu., fearful. It is too recent to make it nece. ssary to do more than merely advert to it, and to say tlJat It .w~s finally composed by one of those compromis~s c~1ara~tensL~e of our institutions, and of which the ConstliutJOn Itself IS the most signal instance. rrhc third is thn.t in which we now find oursclve:q, ~nd to which various causes have contributed. The pn~cipal one, perhaps, is British emancipation in tho isl~nds adJaCent to our continent. Confoundiug the totally different cases of the powers of the British Parliament and those of our 22 |