Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians, with Illustrations and Speeches
History
Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians, with Illustrations and Speeches
North Carolina -- Biography
When peace came with those splendid acquisitions of territory,
so gratifying to the national pride, he was not disappointed in
discovering in them an apple of discord which was to prove fatal to
tranquillity at home. In the contention which was thus inaugurated,
he steadily supported the rights of his own section, maintaining
the justice and expediency of opening the Territories to all
emigrants, without restriction as to any species of property. In
an argument, replete with scriptural learning, he defended the
servitude existing in the South, under the name of slavery, as not
inconsistent with the divine law, more than justified by Jewish
precedents, and not forbidden by the benignant teachings of the
Saviour of the world, who found in the Roman Empire, at His coming,
and left without condemnation, a system of far greater severity.
He reminded Northern Senators of the responsibility of their
ancestors for the introduction and establishment of slavery in this
country--ours being but purchasers from them, at second hand, for a
consideration vastly greater than they had paid; the profits being
the foundation of much of their wealth, which their consciences did
not forbid them to retain. He brought home to their sense of duty
and of honor the obligation to maintain the Constitution, so long
as it remained the Constitution, in all its parts, as well those
which, as individuals, they disapproved as those to which they
assented. If any representative of the South urged any or all of
these considerations in favor of the rights of his section, with
more earnestness and ability than Mr. Badger, it is some one whose
argument has not fallen under my observation. But he refused to go
further. He refused to argue that Congress had no constitutional
power to legislate on the subject of slavery in the Territories.
He discussed the question with boldness, and adduced a decision of
the Supreme Court, announced in an opinion of Judge Marshall, to
the effect that the power did exist; and therefore, he addressed
his appeals to the legislative discretion of Congress. For this he
incurred the disapprobation of the extreme advocates of Southern
interests. But his opinion on the question had been deliberately
formed, and though he maintained that the exclusion of the Southern
emigrant with his peculiar property from these Territories would be
an unjust exercise and abuse of power, he declined to make what he
believed to be a false issue, in pronouncing it unconstitutional.
He dealt with the whole subject in the interest of peace, in
subordination to the Constitution, in the hope of allaying
excitement, and with an earnest desire for continued Union. He
therefore gladly co-operated with his old political associates,
Clay, Webster, Pearce of Maryland, Bell, Mangum, Berrien, Dawson,
as well as his Democratic opponents, Cass, Douglas, Dickinson,
Foote and other compatriots of both parties, in the well-remembered
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account