Address: Delivered Before "the Young Men's State Liberty Ass...

I cannot mal;e inyself believc. tbat I cdJress lo doy, any person who doea not Lelieve iliat Slavery in tho abstract is a great cvil. íf there be such an onc here, he may clnsc his ear lo my voice, he mny shut his eyes to sleep; for to him, I have no word lo say. The most heart-stirring nppeals full powerless upon his ear. The most vivid picturea of wo and misery are unmeaning o his eyo. To thosc who, educated to love Librty, hale Slavery - wlio, born heirs to the aweets f Freedoni, believe thnt to its oppositc, belongs nly bitterness. I come with the pleasing ihought that I shall find open ears and atientive eyes. - Accustomed as we havebeen, to hcar the praises of Liberty sounded from our eradle up, it would indeed be slrange that tve should not think Slavery a curse. Such have we believed it to be, bnt without any proper conceptions of the frighiful enormiiy of that curse. We have considered it a mountain etil, perhaps, but yet 80 far from us, that we did not, and cared not, to mcaaurc its rocky and jagged peaks. or to faihom its dark ravinc and fcarful caves. It' we woulc feel the extent of any evil - if we would realizo ' the woes arising from it, we mu3t examine il in detail, rather than as a whole. Many a heart that unmoved has contemplated ihe army of Drunkards in our land - that has looked with ! stolid ndifítjrence upon column after colurr.n oí " fact and figure, Temperance eloquence, has melted by '.he hedside of one of ihïi numerous army, before the fever of Delirium Tremens, or awake in giant indignation on the simple story ol the sufferings of the drunkards wi'fé. ín thuc 5 looking at the items which go to swcll the moun) tain curse of Slavery, I propose to spend a few . moments.The civil law fram which our Southern jurists ( pretend to draw the law of S!avery - "held 6!oves is nobody - as dcad as beast." The Louiaianian code says "a slave is one who is in the power "of n master to whom ho bclongs. The maser ':may sell him - dispose of bis person - his 1 "try,andhis abor. He c?n do nothing - possess I nothing, nor acquire any thing but what must ;belong to his master". Civil code, Art. 35. South Carolina says - "Slaves shall bc decmed, 'sold, taken, reputed and ndjudsed in law to "be chaltels, personal in the hands of the own"ersand possessors, ar.dtheir executorp, admin"istrators, and assigns, to all intents, construc'tions and purposes whatsoever." 2ud Brevards Dig. 229. Trince Dig. 446. In this condition, "deemed. eoid, taken, reputed and adjudged in law to be chattels personal, to nll ïntents, constructions nnd purposes whatsoever" are now nearly onesixth of the inhabitants of thie fret Republic. By what right? Might, niakcth right. The Law of nature saith, the soul alone may command, may use. may own the body. The Divine law saith." oppress not the poor and the stranger that is within thy gales." Slave law sauh, "thy body to to use - to own - yca, the immortal mind within thee, is thy master's. The unknown, üie stranger that is within thy gaies, thou mayest sell into interniiniib'.e bondage. Say. thou proud despiser of God ind of Nature, thou binder of flesh and spirit, whence cometh thy right? "JMight vta'icth riffht." Slave law is founded then only in force t breaks through and contemns ihe great Ijw of lovc, by whicb God intended his Universo to be governed. It violates the principie ol natural justice which hath ever been itnplanted in man - it breaks up and destroys the domestic relations which God founded in Eden. Can nalions or individúala despise and break the law of nature and of God, without drawinc upon the:.r heads, evil and only evilí Go, wallow in the sensualista pleasurc: or night after nighl nn ' literary hall, over the ponderous fame- chcat na. ture of her rest; and racking pain will soon proclaim nature's iaw hath been violated. Moral lawsas surely clnim n penaliy for their violation ns physical. V.'hen man so violates the law oflus moral bang, as to claim ana rcccive unrau:rol!cd power over his fellow man, guiJcd by no rule, but his owri interest, conveniencc or caprice, he finrls nature avorigïng herself in hc ivranny which the passions and the temper excited by tbat power, enercisea over íiimself- ah, doubly avenged isshc in the perrons of hischildrrn. For r.s said by President Jefiersorï. "the wholc commerce benveen mastèr and slve, is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions.fnc moat unretnUting despotism on thé one part. nnd degrading submissiori on the other. - Our children seo this, and Iearn to imitate it, - The parent storms, the child look on, catches the liniaments of wratl, puts on the same airs in tho c:rcle of smaller alavés, gives a lone to hit worst passions; and thus nursed, educatcd and exercised in tyranny. cannot but bo stampccl by it, with odious peculiarities." Of tho nwful iruth of these remarks, every mail brings us obundant evidenre. Why are streel fighis, duelsr brnwls, murders, nr.d lyncbing, so common in tho sUveholding portion of our landl Wl,y horsc racing, gombline d every kindred vice? Tis but the elícct of trampling on nature's law. 'They have sbwn the wind, ihey shal! reip the whirlwind." Non bul an nngtf is fit to bo a Slaveholder, and, if righlly vieweJ. none but a devil w'ould. The cfTect of Sluvery upon lbo moral charactcr of the Slaveholder, I put down as ore of the greateaï in thó catalogue of evils reaulling from this violution of ature's iaws. Nations, not less than individúala, muet anêwer at nature'o judgment soa:. Eabylon, in a!l her glory and strengrh. and God-defying power, 3bccamc enervated and weak, froin the luxurios, vices and crimes, induced by wnr and oppression, until the prophecy '-I wil] make c man more precious than fine gold - even a man than tho wedge of Ophir" becnmo hiatory, and the song was sung in tri':mph over her ruined polaccs. - "How hath the oppreesor ceascd, the golden city cea9ed!" While Roman Senators and Generala returned from the -forum of the camp to the farm and the plow, Rome vas safe; but when conquect had glimetf her markets wuh slavcs,' luxury, diísipation, vico end crime, followcd witli ropid step?. Tyranny took the plucs of law, and abject submission of henest obedicnee. Then outraged naturo dssertcd her claims, and Romo found vvithin lier valI3 nn enemy she could not conquer. We too are daily admoniphed that our diaobedience símil not go ur.puni?hed. Even.' now complaints come up to our ears, f deserted and falling houses, of fruiileos, worn-out and abandoned ficlde - of depoprlating emigraüon- - of unnumbered bankruptcies. Why7 Slavery witli lier children, idlcness, and ignornnce, her grand children, vice and crime hmh heen ihere," and "he tliat earneih wages, earneth wages to' pot into a bag with holes." ín vain Bnall that naiion look for prosperity which despises God's commands. Military vcakneos is onother in tho catalogue of evils induced by Slaverj'. and Slaveholders confesa it. Why was the Souih so brave, so intrepid, so tinnn wl:en. Mexico was tobe robbed,and Teas stolen. Vhy ñow bo pcEceful. when our just rigliis in Orcgon are to' be defended? Mexico has no power to strike at her through tho "peculiar iristitutiotis" - F.ngland ha?. Tlie spirit of Slavery tends to vertrtrow Republicanism and establish monarcliism'. The moment you deny to any portion of the inhabitant8 of any State the right to be representod in its government you takc away the cardinal principie of a Rcpublic. If one man may wield the whole poliiical power of a planlation, additional wealth may givc him the power of a Town," County or State. When ihe half milHon inhabitanta of a Siate sbal thu9 be govsrned, yea owncd by onc man, would yoú cali hím the peoyle and the government republican or woulü" youcallhima monarch nn'd the government a despotism! Jnt.tead of onc, Iel 20 wield tbO por1 er of lbo State, you havean olfgarchy. Increase 1 the 20 to 1000 you rightfy name il an aristocra f cy. Siill divido the powor among 50,000 and 3 you have no leas an dristocrucy although you '' nameit Soúth Carolina An afistocracy too," - tint, prohibit8 discussion, muzzles the presa, and pi ages the mails thac its divtne right may be c ur.qucsiioñed.Of the illa tbat flb'vr to tho peor slave conso[uent upon the viotation of Natura's law, hunan longue can oever fully teil. Th8 manïood his Creator gave him, has been wrapped ip in Chaitel-hood, and his soul in thia dark and Jreary cell, Iieth ns it wero dormerít. íf ever iwaked ii is but to gaze fcr awhile on the dark. ■valls of its prison house, to put fcr'ih nnrhapa,' sne spasmodici cffort for liberty, and then sink lown in eternal nïgbt. His offaprfng" aio not lis chüdren - his companion not his wife - hi jouse not his home. Day nftèr day his weary eet drag him to unrequitted toïl. Niglit after night, wecping and mourning visit his palet - vissioni of siripes and blood and wounds trouble his si amber, with no hope thnt th'is suall ever end - nay, not always so. lri the silent nlght he niay gaze at the pure sky and sparkling with ita raillion gems and may thlnk beyond these stara iheré is a land whero the weary are at re3t, where sorrow and igliing flee Ewj{ and one is' their mnster even God. Of the sufferïngs and woes - of the ignominy and ahame - of thé dradation and vïce of tho slave voman, I canuol speak. No wonder he seeka death rather han life. We were lold a fevr ycars cince of the choice sucli an ono made in the District of Co'umbia, Fleeing from iho streets of thé city, with her pufsuers in full cry close upon hcr,ehe reached the long bridje whichi crosses the Potomac. Night aml the extensivo forests upon the opposite eide of the rivcr. might afford a few hours of libcrty. TJope addeth epeed to her steps - she gains upon lier pursuers. - Already has shc passed the centre of the stream - jy lighteth up her face. Strengih' for a few motnents moré, end the cnptive will be free. - Suddcnly she stops. Betwccn her and her hopea the niyrmidoms of Slavery have sprung up. - Tho Iaugh1 of derisïon soundeth in lier ears from beforè and beln'nd. One suppücating look, full of anguisli and wo. shc ensts tov.ards Ilenven - one thought psrhnp of loved ones- onc piercing shriek breaks on the enr, and she le.ps into thö ebrk water below. Whf.t imainaücn can picture thei'ufforingi which so wrought up the souí of the slave tfoman, that she oouicf act out - what a lV.rick Henry coüld only speak, "Give tue Libcrtr, or give me Death." Of the pecuniary èvüs foisted upon us by Slavcry, I shall eay ñothing. My cataloguo is (uil cnouírh. If bul a jot or tittlo of what I have said bc true, u is evident a great sin lieth' at snmphoilv's door. An orcanic sin it yau pleasc:o cali n, founded in, and sustaincd by the Lavr. Who 3 rcÈnonsible for thia legal abomination 1 . let. It is not the church. Is has becoine fadbionable oflate. to s.vMle thiá cnormous wrong entireW on the church, and she is ndignnntly siyled the bul vark of Slavery. Against ihis I protest. J Binnd not hero 'o soy tbat she hattí done her dutywith regard' to SUireholding- far from it; but 1 do stnnd herc to nsk a prope discriminaüon in ou'r charges. Slavery exists by law. TIn: liiw the c-hurch can noither make nor Sh'c is net organized for ptirposes of legi'slation, or to exerciso osuporvisory care over the Siatè. Conscquemly for the legal existenco of Slavery, ehe is not responsible. For Slaveiiolding in lier members- for the taking advantage of a wicked law- to exercise a wicked power- she is responsible. Lel her beware how tb dischnrgo ihis trust, lest He that is ho!y and true, write unto ier f I will spew thee oui of my tnouth." Nor is it thèclergy. My heart hath been often pained to'.heir whoicsale denunciations oí minisiers as a class. for their lulcr.-arrunea on Uiis subject, üenunciationa which have ba. nono the Ies3 painful, hecause thcy cane fronr warmhearted, vhole-hearted obolitioniBls. I deny that as a clnss they ore backward on the eub ject. Our best speakers- our most devoted iRturcrers- our warmestheortedmënare mlnuttr. Yea,,tbe martyrs' in thife' holy cause have btn Kvên now, volees oS weoking ir h8rótpsy;ng my hueband, rpy fa!hr, my