11 been sold in the slave-market, to go South, passed by, and lifted up his manacled hands, and shook his chains, and sung in a clear, loud voice, “ Hail Columbia, happy land.” The gentlemen may have blushed. They could do nothing. I don't mean to speak of the evils of slavery. It is enough to say it prevented this nation from being just. The South is demanding of Europe recognition of its independence as if it were its right. The blacks of Saint Domingo, who won their independence so long ago as the first Napoleon's time, could never obtain recognition from this government until President Lincoln’s day. Slavery made cotton and sugar. We wanted them. We kept up slave-markets in Washington. We passed the Fugitive Slave Law. We winked at the slave- trade. We kept up an expensive fleet on the coast of Africa, and would not let any cruiser of another nation search a ship sailing under our flag. We took no steps to hinder slave-ships from fitting out in northern ports. We winked at fillibustering expeditions. We took Texas away from Mexico. We did a great many unjust things. By we, 1 mean the nation. Individuals and even States protested, but in vain. The nation tried to make a slave State of Kansas, but the people rescued her. Those were Northern people. Now I say this war
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