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1 John Sergeant, Speech of Mr. Sergeant, on the Missouri Question 1 (1820)

handle is hein.slavery/spmsmoq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SPEECH OF MR. SERGEANT, ON THIE MISSOURI QUESTION. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE U. STATES, The question before the Committee was on agreeing to the follo-wing amendment : And sbhall ordain and establish that there shall be neither slavery nor involunn, tary servitude iii the said state, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereor the party shall have been duly convicted Provided always, that any person escaping ' into the same, fi'om whom labor or service is lawful!v claimed in any other state, sucha fugitive may be lawfully ieclaimed and conveyed to the person claiming Lis or? her labor or service as aforesaid. And provided also that the said pr ,vision shall rot be construed to alter the condition or civil rights of any person now held to service or labor in the said territory. S'Tti important question now before the Committee, has al. ready evqgaged the best talents and commanded the deepest at. teu lfion of the Nation. What the people strongly feel, it is nat. urai that they should freely express; and whether this is done by paw phlets and essays, by the resolutions of meetings of citi- zens, or by the votes of State Legislatures, it is equally legiti. mate, and entitled to respect, as the voice of the public, upon a great and interesting public measure. The free expression of opinion, is one of tihe rights guaranteed by the constitution, anti in a government like ours, it is an invaluable right. It has not. therefore, been without some surprise and concern, that I have heard it complained of, and even censured in this debate. Ono member suggests to us that in the excitement which prevails, he discerns the efforts of what he has termed an ,, expiring party. aiming to re-establish itself in the possession of power, ad has spoken o[ a ,juggler behind the scene.' He surely has not reflected upon the magnitude of the principle contendedI for, or he would have perceived at once the utter insignificance of all objects of factious and party contest, when compared with the mighty interests it involves. It concerns ages to come, and millions to be born. We, who are here, our dissensions and conflicts, are nothing, absolutely nothing, in the comparison: and I cannot well conceive, that any man who is capable of raising his view to the elevation of this great question, could suddenly bring it down to the low and paltry consideration oi party interests and party motives. Another member, (Mr. MLane) taking indeed a more liberal ground, has warned us against ambitious and designing men$ who, he thinks, will always be ready to avail themselves of oc. c ? sions of popular excitementp to mouut into power upon the

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