Established Customs

Last week wc mentioned the fact that it is the custotn of our country to select its chicf magistrates from a band of slavcbreeders, and we showed,, that the exceptions to the general rule, which have hitherto taken place will probably occur in future, either not at all, or very rarely. unles3 a counteracting -public sentiment shall soon prevail. Tkrce slaveholding candidatos are preparing for the next Prc3dential race, and the prospect seems fair that that privileged class wijl soon enjoy the exclusive monopoly ofthepresidential office. But there is another oflïce, second in importance, perhaps. only to that of President, to which custom has now conceded their exclusive right. The Speaker of the House of Representatives preáidea over the deliberations of that body, deiermines all points of order, and designates the standing eommittees. By knowing the views of the niembers he appoints, he can forcknow the tenor of their reports on the questions submitted to them, and by constructing the materials of the eommittees to suit his views, he can indircctly, thongh to a large extent, govern the action of the Ilousend through that. of the entirc nation. - Since 1899, a period of 33 years, the North ïave possessed th:s office threc years, and the slaveholders tJiirty! and since 1825. a period of seventcen years, the slaveholders have held unibrm, and we had almost said, undisputed possession.Is it asked how tliis r-onopo!y has been secured? The Southern members o( the House, of )Oth parties, have been determined on having a slaveholding Speaker; and one party or the other ha8 ahvays been servüe enough to support a slaveb1 ecder. and he was regularly elected. Tbus vhichever party mightbe in power, the slcction of a slaveholding Speaker wns certnin. We shall makc no corr.ment on these facts. - Our object is now simply to show, that white political parties are constituted as they have been. CFthe idea ol clecting a non-slaveholding Speaker of the House is vtterly hopeless ! jj) The custom of conceding that office to the slave-holders is now legitimater! by long established usage. Ts it not so? We cali on the 'Northern Democacy' to answer. We cali on the Home Leaders for Northern Industry. (we wish we could for Liberty) to'tcll ua whother it be possible o break through this custom of thirty year'e standing? If they answer at áll, they must say, that at the Ia6t session, a feeble and ineffect-ial attenipt was made by some of the Northern Whigs. or rather was talked of, and wae abnndoned, nnd thnr there 5 no grentcr prospect of future succeas. We might go through wiih the other public offices, and mention that ücclve out oïfourttzn foreign ministers have been selected from the South, in the spacè of about one year, and show, from documentsry evidence. how fast the North is becorning reduced to the condition of a conquered province. But we iniend at present to offersome reasons why this enstom of being ruled by slaveholders is so readily submitted to by the free millions of our country.l he charactcr of a sla ve breeder or slove-írader is considered detestable in most pnrts of the civil ized world. When we read of a Mahomctan Pasba. or an African Chief, who lives by the labor of slaves, and by exporting them for foreign consumption. and who keeps them in subjecrion only by force and violence. we do not consider fiim to be a very amiable being. We rather consider him as an unprincipled, half civilized tyrant. We cannot view him in any other light. We may admire his military exploits. or his intcllectual superiority. But our sympathfes do not go forth towards him, warm from the heart. ns they do towards a generous, noble minded man. Should we further read concerning this Persian or African slaveholder. that the beings whom he had purchased of others, or whom he ïad himself kidnapped in 'he years of infancy, n hope of regaining their liberty, éomeumes eft tlieir kindred, dear by the ties of nature, toseek tor freedom in a foreign land, and should perform a journey of a thousand miles, through the storm, the tempest, and midnight darkness, enduring cold. hungcr, fatigue and nakedness - hould this foreign slaveholder envy them tiiem iieir liberty, thus dearly purchased, and offer revar Js for their apprehension, that their bondage nght be restorcd and rendered more rigorous, nel their pusteii y be held as slaves through all oming 'time - could we think of a foreign tyrant who should do these things without indignation? Sliould we not feel that he was unworthy of civilized society, and searcely fit to live? Yet these 8nme ihings are done in óur midst, not by Ali Pacha. or Tamerlame, hut by those whom millinns ofour citizens delight to honor - a. John Ttj ler,an Andrew Jadsm.or a Henrv Clay! The inqi-iry recure. why do we not feel tywards these domesiic p!.vebeeders as we do towards those of foreign 1 fn the íirst placa, a spuriou? . ':nzmlc! Or.rhiigp _öicp3 in bc-trtv:.i them c.fid publictidignation, andsnnct-f.es their crimes. Those who hnve been sohmnly set apart to expotind tht precepts of Christianity, publicly t'each on eveiy Öabbath, tiiat to rob ch.ldren oí' their liberty- to roL them. wlicn oriiper yeats, of their wages, every day, (II tl:e day of tbeir death - to deprive ihein of iHclIcctual knowledge and a written Bi ble - to tr.sk. harrass oud torment them - is according to thowill of Gvd. T!;e people lioai ibis - bcüeve ir, nnd ïhe robbery of the poorgoes bil. In mnny cases, as in thut of President 'lyler, the robber s a regular member of n Christian Church, and at stated interva Is he parinkes of the emblems of the breken body and shed blood of the Son of God. which were ofiered for all. Perhaps the victims oi'his tyrnnny partakc with lu'rn, and tlie oificiatini piicst magnifies the wisdom of God in estabüshing such a '' relatioa" bctween man and i;;an. Tlius public sentiment, led by a corrupt religión, sanctions the crime at the South At the North.the same result s accomplislied a by similar process. The proflígate and unprincipled part of eotnohinity care very hule about wrong or inustice which ih:y do not fee!; and the religious part are told by the clerical slavcbreeders who visit the North, that slavsry is an evil which they intend to get rid of as fast as they can, allhough it is not so bad afier all, and is, bcaides. of divine appointment. Thus it has been in all ages. - God's rcligim maíces all men happy toko practico ii. Slaveholding religión is ol man's invention, and it partakes of man'B nature. It is full of blood, lust and cruelty. It cries for victims! As among the Carthagenians and Canaanites. human sr.crifices were offcred to the deities in the name of religión, so now. tn theninie oíChrist. thoso for whom he dicd are cönverted into merchandize by his profesBed followers.Is it tobe expected that the state will be mor ally aheadofthe Church - that politicians wil! be more scrupulous than ministers of the Gospel - and that community 'will reiuse to make Presidenta ofthaf class oi' crimináis, whom Doctors of Divimtv. North and South, recommencl as consistent foüowera of the Son of God? Again, the odiousness of manstealing in our public men 9 rcndered iess striking by their other qnDÜfications. Gen. Jacksoh. has been an able and successlul military coinmander,and hns defended his country in the hour of danger. Mr. Calhoun, is aman of much intellcctual talent and encrgy. Henry Ctay is consic'eied a great orator, a gíeat statesman, a greal comí romiser. &c. and the multitude are nccustomed to look on these qualifications,and to forget tnat he is a slavebreeder. slave-buyer, and slave seller, and so fiaos depririitg a human bcinj of Uberty can contt:titc cr'vv, he is as deserving of capital pühishment as tlic piratical slave traiTicker who li i cl- naps his victims on the coast of África, and sells them in a foreign market. Is it not so? Wc would not speak hnrshly or unkindly of any. especially of one who stands high in the estimation of his fellow citizens; but we ask oür readers to examine the matter candidly, and judge for themselves whether our proposiiion is not true. Henry Clay owns female slaves. Their children, according to the docrine of the P,evolution, are bom free. Henry Clay steps in between them and Uberty. their birthright. and kidnaps them as soon as they breath the vital air. He calis them his slaves, He assumes over them absolute authority. He holds them in subjection by violence He i obs them of their wages as fast asthey earn them, arid continúes this robbery for Iife. The African trader perhaps kidnaps a man n the prime of Iife. and sells him. Mr. Clay seizes on a child, and continúes to rob it of all that is valuable through Iife. Whose guilt is the greatest? Another circumstance that makes mansfealing in our public men less hateful, is the continued emission of fulsome eulogies on our f ree and glorious institutions. We need nutenlarge on this, Every Fourth of July oration - every President's message - and every Gcvernor'e message, contain the freedom and equality of all men in our nation set forth in g'.owing colors. Children hear these tbings as soon as they can understand. and continue to hear them through lifis. What citiz2n, North or South, thus educated, will venture to dispute the proposition, that ;this is the freest Nation on earth?" Lastly, the continued pretension's that are made by our public men, to philanthropy, and a regard for the welfare of mankind, has a tendency to deaden the public reprobation of their individual wickedness. Thue Mr. Clay. though a professod dueliat, and doublless possessing those traits of character vvhich, from the nature of the vice. must accompany the practice of duelling, is found, on certain occasions, holding forth, very truly indeed, concerning the benefits of Christianity.and professing much regnrd for the rehgion of his country. In his great speech for th e per-r petufition of slavery, he said, "1 cali the great Searcher of Hearts to witnesa, that every pulsation of my hoart beats high for civil liberty" -whüe at the sanie lime he held sixty human beings in abject slavery, Jn his colonization speeche3 he has professed a great desire to Christianize and evangeüze África, by means of the Colonization Society, but not a single slave has he liberated for that purpose, but on the contrary has addcd to his stock, by purchases made as far distant from home as thé city of Washington. We cannot but think. thepreceding rematks, if eandidly regarded, will receive the assent of oar readers. It is notour intention to do injustice to any. It would be much pleasanter to commend. ihan to censure - to speak of the virtues and exceüencies of our public men and of professed Christians, than of their robbery and injustice.- But truth requires that things should be represented as thcy are. Neither will the plea of sinccrity help the case at all. It may be sakl, as it hr.s been truttj' 'said, of many professing Chrislians at the South, that they are as conscientious in thinking their title to their slaves to be as good and justifiable in tho sight of heaven as their tille to their horscs, and that if we had been educated as they were, we should believe nnd ac as they do. Adtuit it: what then? Because I rob n man of his wages, is it any lesa robbery because I do it conscientiously? Wlien Paul stood on M;irs' hilt, the Athenians were conscientious in worshipping idols. Were rhey noi güilty of idolatry ? Did not Paul exhort them to repent! Were ho living among us, he w ;uld exhort slavcholders to repent, and do work.' meet for repeotence. Some have repetiré i, atf insr.y raora will. Thcy wiil düinonstrato tliutiliey are iruly Chviatiana as Birney, Nelson, nai and Biisb.inehai'edone,by Iiboratingthcir slaves