hod; it had shown distinctly the extent of their
zeal and usefulness. Why, setting aside their influence altogether,
they might, had they been as numerous as represented by his respected
opponent, have manumitted as many of their own slaves. It was said, no
doubt, that the laws prevented this; but who made the laws? The child
could not do what her mamma had commanded her to do, because she was
tied to the mahogany table, she could only answer, when asked who tied
her, that it was herself. In like manner, he could turn round on those
whom his respected opponent represented, as haters of slavery.
Emancipationists they wished to be called; colonizationists they ought
to be called. He would ask them, what had they done? Had they not
compromised every principle of justice and truth, by permitting
slaveholding in their Union? Had they not even bestowed exclusive
privileges on the slaveholders? Had they not bestowed on them such
privileges as that, even now, they sent twenty-four or twenty-five
representatives to Congress more than their proportion? His respected
opponent had said this was not a national question. Why, then, send
six thousand bayonets to the South for the protection of the
slaveholder? Why were the American people taxed in order to maintain
bayonets, blunderbusses, and artillery in the South? Not a national
question! Why, then, was Missouri admitted a member of the
Union--Missouri a slaveholding State, admitted by the votes of the
Northern republics. Mr. Breckinridge had fought very shy of the state
of the Capital, and the power of Congress to suppress the internal
traffic in slaves. He (Mr. Thompson) trusted, however, that this
branch of the subject would be taken up. His opponent himself, in a
letter addressed to the New York Evangelist, had stated, that Congress
possessed full power to suppress the internal traffic in slaves; and
yet they did it not. There was in fact no question at all respecting
the power of the Congress, in this matter; yet it was said the
question of slavery was not national. The people of the Northern
states,--the slavery-hating, liberty-loving people of the Northern
states had said they would fight shoulder to shoulder with the
Slaveholders of the South, should the slaves dare to rise and say they
were men, and after all this, it was asserted that this was not a
national question. Mr. Breckinridge had said, that he (Mr. Thompson)
got all his information at second hand. He might have to