law of God, but as absolutely necessary for the advancement of
civilization. This party was organised within the last few years, and
met the violence of Mr. Thompson's party by a corresponding violence,
as a beam naturally seeks its balance. Another section of the
pro-slavery party, considered slavery a great evil, and wished that it
were abolished, but they did not see how this could be effected. They
had been born in a state of society where it had an existence, and
they could see no course to adopt but to let it cure itself. These
were the two sections into which the supporters of slavery were
divided. The anti-slavery party was also composed of individuals who
had different views of the subject. The one class had been called
Gradualists, Emancipationists, and Colonizationists.--The other were
called Abolitionists. With the latter class, Mr. Thompson had
identified himself. And now, as while in America, by his praises of
Mr. Garrison, and all their leaders, his abuse of their opponents, and
his efforts to chain the British public, hand and foot, to them and
their projects, shows his continued devotion to them. He would refer
to this party again, but, in the mean time, he would only say, that
its members manifested far more honesty than wisdom. In 1833, the
abolitionists held a Convention in Philadelphia, at which they drew up
a Declaration of Independence--a declaration which he dared to say Mr.
Thompson cherished as the apple of his eye; but which had been more
effectual in raising mobs than ever witch was in raising the wind. The
document of which he spoke announced three principles, to the
promulgation of which, the members of the Convention pledged their
lives and their fortunes. A number of the particulars specified, in
support of which they said they would live and die, went to change
materially the laws and Constitution of the United States, and yet
it was pretended that this was not a political question! Their first
principle was, that every human being has an instant right to be free,
irrespective of all consequences; and incapable of restriction or
modification. The second was like unto it, that the right of
citizenship, inherent in every man, in the spot where he is born,
is so perfect, that to deprive him of its exercise in any way
whatever--even by emigration, under strong moral constraint, is a
sin. Their third principle was, that all prejudice against color was
sinful; and that all our judgments and all our feelings towards others
should be regulated exclusively by their moral and intellectual worth.
Mr. B. said he stated these principles from memory only--as he did
most of the facts on which he relied. But he was willing to stand or
fall, in both countries, upon the substantial accuracy of his
statements. Mr. Breckinridge here closed his address, the period
allotted to him having expired.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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