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Show 23-:1: 'l'H.E: ~ll ." ~0 U H l Q V ES'l' I 0 ::'-(. no more be determined, nor should they be n.ny moro stig4 mn.lizcd, lJy a pn.rtieulnr in stnncc of cruel ty to a !-dave, than the charnctcr of tho nott-slavehohlittg eoiHllltl tt ity by 11 particuln. r instnncc of cruelty in a parent toward hi" <·hild, n guardian to Li · ward, or n. mastor lo hi~-; n.pprcntice. No man among us cn.n be cruel to his fil:tV ' without iJH'urringthc execration of tho whole community. rrhc r;lnvc il'l train ed to iullustry; and ho is recompensed by !dullness nnd hn· mn.nity, which lighten his bnrdcn. His mn.Hter is his guardian. lie enjoys the rights of conscicllCC, fl.J\(1 worship:-3 God as he chooses. rrho Gospel sheds aH 1Jright n. lnstre on his path as on tlmt of the while man; nnd quite as grcnt n. proportion of them become believers in tho '1aviour, n.11d nrc ndmiLtcd into tbe communion of the Chri. tin.n Church. Bxccpt on tho sugnr, the rice, o.nd the cotton plnnt:1t ionA, n.L the ~outh, the slave is 110t a profit to his mn.Hte r. Upon u. fait· calculation of' debtor l.tliU creditor, tho mnjority ol' them would fall iu debt ; o.nu the holLl ing of them i~ more a matter of convenience than profit. A . olemn appeal has been m:.tdc to the Declaration of Indopcndenoo, as if that in trument had a bearing upon this qne Lion; though, a.l that uny, o.nu long Rince, slavery existed in every Stn.te of tho Union. 'rhat scnliment has been quoted, thnt all mon arc created equal; that they nrc endowed by their Crcn.tor with certain cqulll, inalicno.ule rights ; among which n.ro life, lillerty, and the pursuit of happiness. rrllis sacred truth should be engrn.vcn npon ('very llCn.l't, for it is the f'onn(latiou of nll civil rigltt.s, n.nd the pa.ILtdium of onr liberti es. 'L,he meaning- of' this sentence is defined in its application; that all communities slaiH1 upon an cqnality; that Americ:ws arc cqunl with Englishmen, uno have the right to orgn.ni~c such govern~ mont for themselves us they shall choose, whenever it iH thcit· pleasure to dissolve the bonus which unite them to another people. 'rhe same priuci ple applied to Missouri '1'1111 Ml::3~0 U lU Q U JJ;::3'l'lO.N. 205 will defeat the ohje ·t of gentlemen who au vocate this restriction. Could this principle 1Jc r duccd to practice in relation to every human being, it would he happy; but such i ~ the chn.rn.cLeL·, o.nd such the cond it. ion of mn.n, that it is perpetually violn.ted by every in cl ividunl, and by every bocly politic; often wn.ntonly, sometimes throu~h ne ·cssily. ]~very State in this Confecl('l'aey, not even cxccptiug tho great nud unambitious State Jf Pcnnsylvn~niu., violates this principle, if it he understood accordi ng to tho application given it hy g 'ntlrmen, in ih most important poliLical ri crhts-thc clcctiv frnnchisc nn<l tho qualifie:Jtion for oflier. r"' 'rhe orgn.ni~at.ion of (' V<'l'Y d 'p:trlment, both ol' the g"C'll<'l'al government nnd the talc govc!ntmc·uts, infringes upon thiH principl e. Dill'crent qu:tlific·ntions nrc n•quirccl in clifl'<'rcnt Stales; in some, n. freehold it thnit:1nce; nncl tho knst, in the most democratic taLes, arc nge nnd residcn ee. .And shall we reject a Stale for this violation of principle? However unfurtutHtle it may be, this great principle of equality, so del ightful in theory, is but. very p:trtially regarded in practice; and 1 will not deny the nllegat ion, when it is n..-ser t.eu thn.t nee ssit.y often ju.·Lifics the measnrc. Then, sir, let imperious necessity, in this case, also prefer its claim to consideration. * * * * * * * There is a mystery in this an xiety, this excitement of popular commotion on the one hn.IH1, and this utter in clifl'erencc on the other, whi ·h it requi res a ca.-uisl to divin . Is your ohj <'t the cmn.n ·i pation of slaveR? No one pretends that this mcnsurc will climinish the nulllbcr of slaves, unless, by this very s in ~ular kind f humanity, you diminish their coml'ort. to such n. d gt·ec ns to proven t the increase of thut speci e~ of populuLiou. N o1· is it pre tended Llmt tho failure of this fuvori tc motion for reHLriction will en ·lave a solitary individual of the hulllau race; though we havo wit- |