ere were three opinions on the the subject:
1st. That in a State situated like most of those in America, public
policy required the mixture of the races to be prohibited; so that, in
nearly all the States, intermarriages were prohibited, and in many
States they were punishable as a felony with fine or imprisonment.
2d. That the practice was inexpedient, but so far innocent as to be
left to the discretion of the parties, which he believed was the
opinion of sober-minded people generally in this country. 3d. That, as
the chief practical objection to it is a sinful prejudice against
color, that prejudice is to be broken down, and the contrary right
upheld, as neither improper nor inexpedient, when voluntarily
exercised. This last, or even a much stronger advocacy of
amalgamation, is the doctrine of abolitionism; facts deducible from
their declaration of independence, and found in the whole scope of
their writings and speeches. Mr. Breckinridge then went on to show the
utter folly, and, as he believed, wickedness of advocating
amalgamation; or so acting or talking as to create the universal
impression that was what was meant. In the first place, the result
after which the abolitionists seemed to strive, was impossible; in the
most strict sense of the terms, naturally or physically impossible. He
by no means meant to contend with some freethinkers, who, to upset the
Mosaic cosmogony, asserted that the different races of men were not
fruitful if intermixed beyond a given and very near point. But what he
meant was this: all who believe the Mosaic account of the origin of
the human race, must, of course, believe that they were once all of
one complexion. Now, if they could all be amalgamated and made of one
complexion again, those causes, whatever they are, which have produced
so great diversities, would, after a time, reproduce them. And having
gratified Mr. Thompson and his friends, by universal levelling and
mixing the world, would soon find that they had done a work which
nature did not permit to stand; and would again behold, in one belt
upon the earth's surface, the black, in another the red, and in a
third the white man. And to whatever degree they carried their
principles into practice, they would find proportionately great
counteracting causes--continually fighting against them, and
continually requiring the reproduction of their amalgamated breed,
from the original stocks. This, then, is a fatal objection to their
sch