that this substratum of oppressed society was
frequently bursting forth into terrible and
bloody violence? Does he remember to have
read of one Spartacus, who himself a slave,
at the head of an army of slaves, had at one
time the proud city of Rome at his feet?
Does his reading lead him to the conclusion
that any State can endure, (amid other trials
to which I admit that empire was subjected,)
these ebullitions of bondmen bursting their
chains, these outbursts of manhood nobly
asserting itself in blood, if necessary? and
that there will not a time come when the last
outburst shall happen, and the fall succeed?
Does he not in his reading recognize the
fact which we assert here today, that the li-
centionsness, the fatal luxuries, the high and
riotous living of the chivalry of Rome, are
conditions of society necessarily incident to
any system of human slavery, and must, as
surely as effect follows cause, lead to ruin?
Does he not remember who it Was that finally
overran the Roman empire, blotted it from
the map of the world, as it were? who it was
that sacked the immortal city, mutilated its
works of art, desecrated its temples, trampled
under foot its sacred records, scattered to the
winds its accumulated lore?—The Goths and
Vandals,—to the Romans, barbarians—to the
bondmen of centuries, avengers? Does the
gentleman remember among others, Attilla
and Alaric.
" Nor blade of grass again was seen
Where Alaric and his hosts had been."
Hear also the further words put into the
mouth of this barbarian by the poet—
"Not for myself did I ascend
In judgment my triumphal car;
'Twas God alone on high did send
The avenging Scythian to the war
To shake abroad with iron hand,
The appointed scourge of his command."
" With iron hand that scourge I reared
O'er guilty king and guilty realm.
Destruction was the ship I steered,
And vengeance sat upon the helm,
When launched in fury on the flood,
I ploughed my way through seas of blood,
And in the stream their hearts had spilt,
Washed out the long arrears of guilt.' '
"Across the everlasting Alp
I poured the torrent of my powers,
And feeble Caesars shrieked for help
In vain, amid their seven hilled towers.
I quenched in blood the brightest gem
That glittered in their diadem,
And struck a darker deeper dye,
In the purple of their majesty;
And bade my northern banners shine
Upon the conquered Palatine."
This was a barbarian—to the Roman nation
a slave; and this was the fate of the |
civilized, christianized, chivalrous Roman
notion, after years of oppressive slavery.
I am sorry to find that that gentleman, and
that other gentlemen have perused history
and recalled past events to so little purpose.
The gentleman from Prince George's (Mr.
Clarke) must have travelled through the past
under a cloud more impervious than that
which enveloped AEneas when he paid the
visit to Dido to which he refers.
Mr. CLARKE. I did not refer to the visit
to Queen Dido. I referred to the visit of
Juno to King AEolus.
Mr. PUGH. I was under the impression
that the gentleman also referred to the visit
to Queen Dido. At any rate the gentleman
will remember that AEneas was enveloped in
a very mysterious cloud by Venus when she
took him to see Dido; but I think that under
which the gentleman has travelled through the
past, must have been more impervious, for
if my memory serves me, AEneas could see,
although himself unseen. Gentlemen seem
to have travelled through the past, either not
seeing the facts, or without being profited
by the sight.
Why have they failed to see—why do they
now fail to see that though slavery has ex-
isted in some portions of the globe in all
ages of the world—why have they failed to
see that which is the truth attested by the
facts throughout the whole record, that it
has always been a point of serious weakness in
the State, that it never bald any other ground
of support, but the false pride of those in
power, but the assumed superiority of one
race over another, or the still baser plea
where equality was admitted, the uncertain
chances of battle between equals—and further-
more, that it always led to enervation, licen-
tiousness, premature disorder in the State
and ultimate decay ?
Mr. President, I repeat my admission, that
the institution has existed in some form
or other from time immemorial, even since
the advent of the Saviour; but while I admit
it I wish to call attention to the fact that all
Christian nations, excepting Spain have abol-
ished it, and also to call attention to the dif-
ference that exists in enlightenment and
general civilization between the European
nations that have abolished and the Asiatic
nations that to some extent tolerate the
system, I admit that it has not been con-
sidered unchristian by some expounders of
the Scriptures, hut at the same time I ask
you to observe that this is not the only outrage
against human nature committed in the
name of the Lord The bloodiest page of all
history is the ecclesiastical page.
But, sir, while I admit these things I claim
that there is nothing in the record to show
that it is other than what it has shown itself
to be to us,—dangerous and finally fatal to the
State; that its fruit is as the fruit of all sin |
