Our National Slave Trade

Wc publish to day on our last page, mrGidding3 speech in Congress in 1 839 against continuing our human fleshmarkets at. ] Washington. Or, to speak more accurate , ly, we publish a part of nis remarks;.for although he confined himself strictly within! the proper ümits of discussion, andspokej of theslave irade exclusively,he was choked; down, and obliged to stop, before he luuT well entered upon the subject. How longl shall we endure such treatmentf Tbe mera i bers of Congrcss eanction the slave trade, refuseto hcar our remonstrances against it, choke down every faitbful representutive who atterapts lo speak the views of his constituents, and thca year after year put their hands deep into the pockels of northern freemen to take trom thcm their hard earningsfor the purpose of building skvc pris. ionsj and beautifying the national slae market. Tho public prison at Washington, built from tho funda of the Uuited States is uscd every day by the soul traders as s depot for the safe kceping of the human cat' tle, while they are collccting a cargo foi the Southern market. The slaves areceived into the nation's prison and kept there ' c at the rale of 34 cents per day. Tbis trade' [( is carried on in the most public parts of the j, city. Says Mr. Giddi"gs; j j "On the beautiful avenue in front of tho Capítol, members of Congress, during this session, have heard the harsh voice of an inhuman auctioneer, publicly sellmg human ' beings while they were on their way„to the 1 Capítol. They liavo also been corapelled to i turn aside from their path, to permit a confie of slaves males and pemai.es, chained ÏO E ACH OTHER BY '1HEIR NECKS, 10 paS3 on their way to this national slave market." "We cannotlook out of our windows wilh-; out the liability of having our feelings woun j ded by seeing our fellow-be inge,'tme?i, wo-, men and children, indiscriminately chained by the neck, and driven by the Capítol!' . Reader! Do you eay that you rcgret ih at these things are sol That this trade ' is utterly abhorrent to your feclings and your principies? Then make your ; ence known and feit. Send in your name ] to Washington protesting against its con- tinuance. Write to your Roprcsi-ntatives and Senators, urging them to speak out in plain and manly language, as Mr. Giddings hs done. Why shculd not the voice o Michigan ba heard in our national councils against thisgreat abomination at the coming session? Are our members indifferent lo thewhole matter,or uie they so int nt on the bu 1 ainess of sociiring a whig President ior 1844 that tbey have no time to attend to 'ni Or ( do they fear that the South will be displeas-! ed and join the democrats, and Ihus theirj party will be brokeu down? Lot every' patriot exert himself to awnken the moral ( sense of community to the evil. liet every influence be brought to bear upon our Rep-! resentatives at Washington, that if they wll not voluntarily do their duty n this respect; from considerations of honor,conscience and self respect, they may at least bo led to a' performance of it from respect to the feel-j ings of their cooslitiients, and let them be assured, by the most unequivocal evidence, that if they are fuund recreant to liberty and humanity, they will ultimately rpceive a re-' tribution from the people, which will cause ! them, and the party which they represrnto tbebible! The truth is, thmgs are fast hastening on to a crisis. The time is coming, yea, it is even at the door, when men will be com- pelled to throw away their attempts at an affected neutrality and come out openly for'. hborty or slavery. When the issue is once, joined, the matter will not be dolayed, büt! the issue will be forth coming. Tho slaveocracy will not be able to gag the North for five years tb come as it has for five yearsast. The elements of dissolution have aleady sceized upon the proslavery partiee, nd no partizan efforts will cali thera back tol fe andvigor. When deadlhere wili'be tothcm O csurrcc.ion. Thaspiritoflibertyisalreadv tarting forth from her long elumber intoi ewne6s of life, and her voice will yet be ïeard in evcry hill top and every hamlet,! alling forth the latent energiea of an abused people, renovating tlieir inslilutions, removing their abuses, and securing to all the ir ust and equal rights. Her voice will bo leard, too, Ihrough her tremendous engine, the ballot box; and though its tones may be smal! and unosfentatious, they will raake the knees of the political demagoguea toj quake.when they are assured that they have been weighed in the scalea of hberty and are found wanting.