25 “ The man is crazy.” By Mr. Barksdale, of Mississippi, again : “ No, air, you stand there to-day an infamous, perjured Uain.” By Mr. Ashmore, of South Carolina: “Yes ; he is a perjured villain, and he perjures himself rery hour he occupies a seat on this floor.” By Mr. Singleton, of Mississippi: “ And a negro-thief into the bargain.” By Mr. Barksdale, of Mississippi, again: “ I hope my colleague will hold no parley with that per- ired negro-thief.” By Mr. Singleton, of Mississippi, again: “ No, sir ; any gentleman shall have time, but not such a lean, despicable wretch as that I ” By Mr. Martin, of Virginia: “ And if you come among us, we will do with you as we id with John Brown—hang you as high as Haman. I say aat as a Virginian.” But enough—enough; and I now turn from his branch of the argument with a single re- nark. While exhibiting the Character of Slave-masters, these numerous instances—and hey might be multiplied indefinitely—attest he weakness of their cause. It requires no ;pecial talent to estimate the insignificance of in argument that can be supported only by violence. The scholar will not forget the story old by Lucian of the colloquy between Jupi- er and a simple countryman'. They talked vith ease and freedom until they differed, when he angry god at once menaced his honest op- jonent with a thunder-bolt.. “Ah, ah!” said he clown, with perfect composure, “ now, Ju- iiter, I know you are wrong. You are always vrong when you appeal to your thunder.” knd permit me to say, that every appeal, vhether to the Duel, the bludgeon, or the re- r olver—every menace of personal violence, and every outrage of language, besides disclosing i hideous Barbarism, also discloses the fevered nervousness of a cause already humbled in debate. (4.) Much as has been said to exhibit the pharacter of Slave-masters, the work would be incomplete if I failed to point out that unconsciousness of the fatal influence of Slavery, which completes the evidence of the Barbarism under which they live. Nor am I at liberty to decline this topic ; but I shall be brief. That Senators should openly declare Slavery (1 ennobling,” at least to the master, and also l(the black marble key-stone of our national areh,” would excite wonder if it were not explained by the examples of history. There are men who, in the spirit of paradox, make themselves the partisans of a bad.cause, as Jerome Cardan wrote an Encomium on Nero. But where there is no disposition to paradox, it is natural that a cherished practice should blind those who are under its influence ; nor is there any end to these exaggerations. According to Thucydides, piracy in the early ages of Greece was alike widespread and honorable; so much so, that Telemachus and Mentor, on landing at Pylos, were asked by Nestor if they were, “ pirates ”—precisely as a stranger in South Carolina might be asked if he were a Slavemaster. Kidnapping, .too, which was a kindred indulgence, was openly avowed, and I doubt not held to be “ ennobling.” Next to the unconsciousness which is noticed in childhood, is the unconsciousness of Barbarism. The. real Barbarian is as unconscious as an infant; and the Slave-master shows much of the same character. No New Zealander exults in his tattoo, no savage of the Northwest coast exults in his flat head, more than the Slave-master in these latter days—and always, of course, with honorable exceptions—exults in his unfortunate condition. The Slave-master hugs his disgusting practice as the Carib of the Gulf hugged Cannibalism, and as Brigham Young now hugs Polygamy. The delusion of the “ Goitre ” is repeated. This prodigious swelling of the neck, constituting “ a hideous wallet of flesh ” pendulous upon the breast, is common to the population on the slopes of the Alps ; but, accustomed to this deformity, the sufferer comes to regard it with pride, as Slave-masters with us regard Slavery, and it is said that those who have no swelling are laughed at and called “ goose-necked.” With knowledge comes distrust and the modest consciousness of imperfection ; but the pride of Barbarism has no such* limitations. It dilates in the thin air of ignorance, and makes boasts. Surely, if these illustrations are not entirely inapplicable, then must we find in the boasts of Slave-masters new occasion to regret the influence of Slavery. It is this same influence which renders Slave-masters insensible to those characters which are among the true glories of the Republic ; which makes them forget that Jeffer- son, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and Washington, who commanded its armies,* were Abolitionists; which renders them insensible to the inspiring words of the one, and to the commanding example of the other. Of these great men, it is the praise, well deserving perpetual mention, and only grudged by a malign influence, that reared amidst Slavery, they did not hesitate to condemn it. To the present debate, Jefferson, in repeated utterances, alive with the fire of genius and truth, has contributed- the most important testimony for Freedom ever pronounced in this hemisphere, in words equal to the cause, and Washington, often quoted as a Slave-master, in the solemn dispositions of his last Will and Testament, has contributed an example which is beyond even the words of Jefferson. Do not, sir, call him p, Slave-master, who entered into the presence of his Maker only as the Emancipator of his slaves. The difference between such men and the Slave-masters whom I expose to-day is so precise that it cannot be mistaken. The first looked down upon Slavery; the second look up to Slavery. The first, rec-
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