15 CONFLICTING AUTHORITIES. At the late Union-saving meeting in this city, wherein sundry gentlemen distinguished themselves no less for their lofty patriotism in preventing the dissolution of the Union than for their generous abuse of the Republican party in general and Gov. Seward in particular, the speech of Mr. O’Conor was the gem of the occasion. The clerical patriotism and happy forgetfulness of the reverend theologian; the stately and heavy grandeur of the ex-Governor; the splendid hits and magnificent periods of the chameleon Thayer —all pale before the effort of this distinguished orator of the legal profession. It is, however, deserving of special notice, not on account of its novelty, its logic, or its moral tone, but for the simple fact that the leading Democratic journals havb pronounced it a bold and manly effort, and assumed it as the key-note of Democratic conservatism. As a lawyer, Mr. O’Conor, in giving utterance to his extreme Pro-Slavery sentiments, so utterly abhorrent to the intelligence and moral sense of the North, should at least have attempted to fortify his doctrine by a show of authority or logical argument. We do not, however, deny the right of this distinguished advocate, in presenting the case of his Southern clients and of the Northern Democracy, to take his own course; but we propose to call him and several other witnesses, whom he himself will recognize as men of some eminence as lawyers, jurists, statesmen, philosophers, and theologians, and present their testimony to the American people, in order that they may come to a right conclusion as to the success of Mr. Charles O’Conor’s defence of Slavery, and its Democratic indorsement. And first, consider an extract from Mr. O’Conor’s speech upon this subject of Slavery : “ It (Negro Slavery) is not only not unjust, it is just, wise and beneficent.”—Charles O'Conor. This ipse dixit closes the case on the part of the Democracy. Now, on the other hand : “ Slavery is inconsistent with the genius of Republicanism—it lessens the sense of the equal rights of mankind, and habituates us to tyranny and oppression.”—Luther Martin, of Md. “ It (Slavery) is so odious that nothing can be sufficient to support it but positive law.”—Lord Mansfield. “ It is injustice to permit Slavery to remain for a single hour.”—William Pitt. “ Slavery is contrary to the fundamental law of all so- cieties.”—Montesquieu,. “ Slavery, in all its forms, in all its degrees, is a violation of divine law, and a degradation, human nature.”— Brissot. “ Those are men-stealers who abduct, keep, sell, or buy slaves or freemen.”—G-rotius. “Slavery is detrimental to virtue and industry.”— Beattie. “ Slavery is a system of outrage and robbery.”—Socrates. “Slavery is a system of the most complete injustice.”— Plato. “While men despise fraud, and loathe rapine, and abhor blood, they will reject with indignation the wild and guilty phantasy that man can hold property in man.”— Brougham. “ Slavery is a state so improper, so degrading, so ruinous to the feelings and capacities of human nature, that it ought not to be suffered to exist.”—Burke. “ No man is by nature the property of another.”—Dr. ■Johnson. “ A system (Slavery) which is not only opposed to all the principles of morality, but as it appears to me, is pregnant with appalling and inevitable danger to the Republic.”— Baron Hwtnboldt. “ Every man has a property in his own person—this nobody has a right to but himself.”—Locke. “ It perverts human reason, and induces men endowed with logical powers to maintain that Slavery is sanctioned by the Christian religion,”—John Q. Adams. “I never would consent and never have consented tha. there should be one foot of Slavery territory beyond what the' old thirteen States had at the formation of the Union. Never, never.”—Daniel Webster. “ It (Slavery) ought not to be introduced nor permitted in any of the new States.”—John Jay. “Natural liberty is the gift pf the beneficent Creator of the whole human race.”—Alex. Hamilton. “ Slavery is an atrocious debasement of human nature.” —Franklin. “ It (Slavery) impairs our strength as a community, and poisons our morals at the fountain head.”—Judge Gaston, of N. 0. “ The evils of this system (Slavery) cannot be enumerated.”—George W. Summers, of Va, “ So long as God allows the vital current to flowthrough my veins, I will never, never, never, by word or thought, by mind or will, aid in submitting one rood of free territory to the everlasting curse of Human Bondage.”—Henry Clay. “ Sir, I envy neither the heart nor the head of that man from the North who rises here (in Congress) to defend Slavery from principle.”—John Randolph. “ We have found that this evil (Slavery) has preyed upon the very vitals of the Union, and has been prejudicial to all the States in which it has existed.”—James Monroe. “ The abolition of domestic Slavery is the greatest object of desire in these Colonies, where it was unhappily introduced in their infant state.”—Thomas Jefferson. “ I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it ” (Slavery).—Geo. Washington. For Mr. O’Conor’s special benefit, we introduce two other witnesses: “ Not only does the Christian religion, but nature herself cry, out against the state of Slavery.”—Pope Leo X. “ We further reprobate, by our Apostolic authority, all the above offences (traffic in slaves and holding them in Slavery) as utterly unworthy of the Christian name.”— Pope Gregory XVI. We simply add that the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran, the Greek, the Nestorian, the Church of England, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Reformed Churches of France, Switzerland, and Holland; indeed, the whole Protestant Church —all, except a few churches in the Southern States—now, and at all times, have deplored and denounced human bondage, as a social, moral, and political evil—either by their creeds, laws, br constitutions, or by the- authoritative opinions «of their most eminent divines. And yet, Mr. Charles O’Conor, as the representative man of the vast multitude of the Union-saving Democracy—standing in the great commercial emporium of this great Republic—has the efirontry to proclaim (and is applauded for so proclaiming) that the system of Negro Slavery, which the united voices of the great and the good, in all ages, and which the advancing civilization of the whole of Christendom unite in denouncing as abhorrent to all law, human and divine, “is not only not unjust, but is just, wise, and beneficent.” And the Pro-Slavery Democracy not only does not condemn the utterance of this abominable sentiment, but sustains and applauds it! 76 -
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