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![handle is hein.slavery/scsdvh0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
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DELIVERED AT VERANDAH HALL, ST. LOUIS, AUG. 1, 1860.
Me. PxRSIDWT AND GENTLEMEx: To deny the: tions essentially maral are'imperceptibly chang-
existence of an evil they do not mean to reme- ed into qutestions of material interest, national
4y, to ascribe to paltry causes the origin of economy or politital power.
great problems they do not mean to solve, to The people of the South have evidently gone
charge -hose, who define the nature of an exist- through that process in regard to the institution
ing difficulty, with having originated it-theselof slavery; they have become accustomed to
are expedients which the opponents of reforma- identify its existence with the existence of South-
tory movements have resorsed to since mankindlern society, while even a large majority of the
has a history. An appeal to ignorance or tim- people of the North were rather inclined to si-
idity is their last hope, when all resources of lenoe their moral objections to it, and to acqui.
logic and argument are exhausted. The oldlesce, until its immediate interference with mt-
comedy is repeated again and again. ters of general interest gave a new impulse to
The assertions, that the great contest between their native antipathy. Although I am not
free and slave labor has no foundation in fact, ashamed to confess, t1ipt the moralmerits of the
that the origin of the slavery controversy is to question would alone have been more than suf-
be found in the fanaticism of a few Northern ficient to make me an anti-slavery man, yet I
Abolitionists, and that those who speak of an will confine myself to a discussion of its prac-
irrepressible conflict are to be made responsi- tical effects, in order to make myself intelligible
ble for its existence-these form,the argumenta- even to those who do not syinpathize with me.
tive staple of those whopossess either not sa ac- This is ;the first time that I have had the
ity enough to discern, or not courage enough to honor to address a meeting in a slave State,
state facts as they are. and eyen now I owe the privilege of express-
In investigating the causes of the great strug- ing my opinions freely and without restraint to
gle which has for years kept the minds of the the circumstance that, although in a slave
people in constant uneasiness and excitement, State, I stand upon the soil of a free city, and
I shall endeavor to act with the most perfect under the generous protection of free men.
fairness. I shall not indulge in any denuncia- [Applause.] Must I call a privilege what
tions. I shall impeach the motives of no one. ought to be universally respected as the sacred
I shAllinot appeal to prejudice or passion. I in. birthright of evervy American citizen? Ask
vite you to pass in review the actual state of any slaveholder hu, may be present in this
things with calmness and impartiality. vast assembly whether he does not deem it
It is one of the best traits of human nature, wrong and unjustifiable that I, an anti-slavery
that we form our first opinions on matters of man, should be permitted to give a public ex
general interest from our innate sense of right pression of my views in a slave State ? whether
and wrong, Our moral impressions, the die- he would not be in favor of silencing me by
tates of our consciences, the generous impulses whatever means within his reach? whether I
of our hearts, are the sources from which our first would not be &ilenced at once in a strong slave-
convictions spring. But custom, material inter- holding community ? I do not mean to blame
eat, and our natural inclinations to acquiesce in him for it. Let us give him a fair hearing.
that which is, whether right or wrong, that vis The slaveholder will state his political views
idieive which has brought so much suffering substantially as follows: On a point of astron-
upon humanily, are apt to overrrule the native omy, or chemistry, or medicine,you may enter-
instincts of op moral nature. They are sicklied tain and express w batever opinion you please;
over by the pale cast of calculation; the'fresh_ but we cannot permit you to discuss the relation
ness of their impelling powers is lost, and ques- between master and servant, as it exists here in
SPEECH](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.slavery/scsdvh0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)