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Mr. Polk And Abolition

Mr. Polk And Abolition image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
March
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

There is quite a diñe re nee among slaveholders in reforence to theïr views upon Emancipador) genenlly. Some of them, like Washington, Jefiecson and othersof'ïhë Kcvolulionary school, seem to have clear conceptions of the rights of iheir slaves and condeuin and repróbate the whole systemn as wrong and wieked. while through the torce of habit, educalion, and peculiar circuinslancesthey continue to perpétrate that wrong. Others again appear to liave no regard for equity and juslice, so far as the right of their slaves to liberty is involved, but they have sagaeity and in.lepcnience enough to repróbate the system as utterly at war wilh the general prosperity and financial interests of the country that tolerates t. Of this class is Mr. Clay. He labored for the prohibition of slavery in Kentucky, and since it has become the cstablishcd policy of his State, he has repeatedly expressed his regret that a course so ruinous to its pecuniary interests was pursued. This theoretical conviction of his understanding, however, has not prevented him (Í9m being one of the most eüectual supporters of the syslem.The third class is of the Calhoun and McDufiie school. lis members are distinguished froni olhers by their dcvoted and bigotled attachment to the institution itsclf: by the absence of liberal and enlarged views respecting it; and by the scowling looks and vigilant jealousy with which they regard every forin of emancipation. Among this worst and most incorngible class of slaveholders we must place the President of the United States. All his writings or speeches on thisject that we have seen betray a narrow and bigotted spirit, very Tar removed f rom the liberal views of Jefferson. His abusive letter to Hon. S. M. Gates, which we published last summer, gave satisfactory evidence of t h It appears from his Inaugural Address that he is disposed to use his influence as President to reprobate the doctrines of the Liberty party as"moral tbeason." He contends that "domestic insütutions" musí be suffered to remain in quiet, and if they shall be "disturbed or destroyed," he propbecies ifiat the "dissolution of the Union" must fol]ov. Mr. Polk may possibly live long enough to see and acknowledge his great mistake. ín his Inaugural Address, speaking of íhe Union, he says:"To preserve it the cotnpromise.s wlnch aIone enabled our fathrrs to form a commnn conBlitutionfor the governmeTit and protection of so monv States and difitinct communities, of such diversified habit?, interesls, and domestic institutions, must be sncredly srid religiously observed. Any attrmpt to disturb or desfroy these compromise?, being terms of the compact of the Union can lead to none clhcr thán the most ruinous and disastrons cunsequences. It is a source of deep regrot tliat, in eorae eections of our country, misguided persons have ocasioiially indulged in sehemes nnd ngitations, whose object is the due destructi"n of domestic institutions existing in olher sections, insti utions which existed at the adoption of theconátitution, and were recognised and pro tected by it. All must see that if it were pussible for theni to be successful in aitoining their object, the dissolution of the Union and ihe consequent destruction of our Imppy form ofgovernment, must epeedüy follow. I am happy in beheving tliat at everr pe riod of our existence as a nnlion, tliere has cxisted and continúes to exist amnng the great tnass of our people, a devo.ion to the Union of ihe Stat?s, which will shield and proiect it against the moral trotón of itny who would seriously contémplate its destruction. To secure a continuance of that devotion, the compromiües of the constitution mu4 not only be preserved, bat seelionnl jealousies and heart burnings must be discounlenanced: and all hould remember that they nre members of the ame politica] family, having a common destiïy. To increase the attachment of our people to the Union, onr laws shonld be just. Any poíicy which shall tend to favor monopolies, or the peculiar interest of 6ections or classes, must opérate to the prejudice of the interest of theif feÜow citizens, and should be avoided. - if the compromises of tiie constilution bepreserved - if seetionul jealomies and heertburnings be discountenanced - if ourlaws be be just, and the goverjiment practically administered strictly wítliíh the limils of power prescribed by it, we mny ducard all apprehensions for the safety of the Union."'

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News