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idI-idHtu WcaPon VI CilanuO, WA6tucl 1n0WOs
| ratio or FuRIoso! Much laughter The gem
tleman surely must agree, on q little reflection,
with the opinion Of his friend from Virginia Mr..
Wise), that this was not the place to brandsh
that sword. Mr.. A. said this because these gen.
tlemen, and others who had spoken ON the sub
ject after this most terrific threat to PROSTATE
the Union, had all resolved themselves at last
into the position that they would stand upon the
Constitution, and by implication seemed to inti-
mate that the abolition petitions (for neither Of
the gentlemen referred at all 10 the resolutions


Of the Legislature Of Massachusetts, the refer


ence OF which was the question before the
House) were violations Of the Consultations yes,


that petitions were violations of the Constitution
for that was what il came to. The gentlemen,


in the very midst Of their military fury, all de-
carcd that they were most deeply, most deyoutly,


the very bottom Of their inmost souls, attached
to the union Of the States, and seemed 10 inti-


mate that the Legislature Of Massachusetts,


Though they made no direct reference to the
resolutions Of that body,) and more especially


the abolitionists who sent their petitions here,


were not attached to the Union. M


Sir, (said MI. Az am not here 10 answer for
the purposes OF views Of any abolition society,
or Of any individual abolitionist though am,


in sense, an abplitionist myself in that sense
in which Thomas Jefferson, in the seventy
seventh year Of his life, deliberately committed
to paper his opinion, which he addressed to all
the shareholders of the country namely that abo-
lition must come; that the sooner il came the


better; and, if not, that worse would ensue.


Whoever will read his life and writings, as they
have been published by his grandson, will find


in one Of the volumes Of that publication this
ted It. Fate" he adds, " has decreed the free
dom Of that people" " Fate has decreed"-I
will change the word-the God Of Nature has
decreed the freedom of that people. and be will


make them free in his own tme-nO1 as I ex-
| pect in my day, but in some day hereafter In
| that sense, then, that Thomas Jefferson was an


abolitionist, and was 50 all his life, I am one.


hope with all my soul that the day will come when
slavery" shall be q word without ajmeaning in


the English language and in all other languages


when there shall not be found slave upon all


the earth. This, in my Judgment, will he the


consummation of the Christian religion; that will


be the long hoped-for day when the lion shall lie
down with the lamb, and when the all glorious


promises and prophecies Of the Old Testament,
promises and predictions repeated and confirmed
by Jesus Christ shall receive their complete full
flment. In that day believe that man will be
a nobler, purer, a more elevated being by far
than we see him now when he will approach


much nearer to the angels. In that sense am


an abolitionist: in the sense advocated and avow-


ed BY any abolition society that ! am now ac-


quainted with, am not, and never have been.


believe, however, that in those societies, and


in many of the anti-slavery associations Of this


day (and many Of them have published most Sc


we're animadversions and denunciations directed
| against me,) there are men OF as much intelli-
gence, as much virtue, as high rectitude, and as


ardent patriotism, as is possessed by man upon


this floor: still, as to the measures they pursue


and advocate, think they are often and greatly


mistaken. The tendency of their course is to


retard the coming Of that blessed day for which
fhoV oil ciCh Nav Inv,hf i'll. IL
same thing of me as think of themss / have


had little intercourse with these societies gener-
ally, and hold communion with very few of


them. The opinions hold, | hold from my God


and from my own Judgment, as we'll as from the


language Of the Declaration of Independence,


which still, l believe, is permitted to hang in this


hall, however any portion Of il may, in practice,


have been turned out Of doors. But while saw


ing this, wish to make no unmeaning insignif-
cant professions Of attachment to the liberties of
this country or to the Union Of thes States. /


wish, indeed, that the Union may last forever:
and, as an important means of securing that re-
suit, wish for the abolition of slavery through
out the Union. believe this to be Indispensable
to its preservation, and SO think il will turn
out But then, wish it 70 be effected peacea-
bly, and quietly, by the will of those who now
hold the slaves in bondage: convinced as Ibe-
lieve they will be, that such an issue is as much
their own interest as it possibly can be of those
who shall be disenthralled. wish no inter
ference whatever with the institutions Of the
South; Iwish to have nothing to do with them


That is the prayer Of many whose petitions are
now before the Committee on the Jddlciary


These petitions ask not that Congress should in
terere with slavery as it exists in the Sates but
only that they may be Liberated from Ill connex-
ion with it. They ask to be delivered from bur-
dens that they feel to be too onerons mon &hem.
For myself, wish 1t to be clearly understood
that | dlsclam all purpose or desire to interfere
with the institutions Of the South. claim TO
entertain as strong and ardent IA desire for the
continuance Of this Union as any nan m this
House, Or in this community and such l be-
ieve 70 be the feeling Of The great masses whom
| represent, and the people Of he State Of Mas
sachusetts who passed the resolutions lthave had
the honor to present. eses sEltT0A .tL


The time has been when, for presenting here