s fellow-man--that we
should be assembled here this evening to protest against the conduct of
a mighty and a Protestant people, who, in the spirit of the Romish
Babylon, which they had renounced, resort to her most abominable
practices--making merchandise of the temples of God, and trafficking in
the bodies and souls of men. [Cheers.] We are not here to proclaim and
maintain our own immaculate purity. We are not here to stand forward and
say, 'I am holier than thou.' We have confessed, and that openly, and
freely, and unreservedly, our share, our heavy share, in by-gone days,
of vast wickedness; we have, we declare it again, and we had our deep
remorse. We sympathize with the preponderating bulk of the American
people; we acknowledge and we feel the difficulties which beset them; we
rejoice and we believe in their good intentions; but we have no
patience--I at least have none--with those professed leaders, be they
political or be they clerical, who mislead the people--with those who,
blasphemously resting slavery on the Holy Scriptures, desecrate their
pulpits by the promulgation of doctrines better suited to the synagogue
of Satan--[cheers]--nor with that gentleman who, the greatest officer of
the greatest republic in the whole world, in pronouncing an inaugural
address to the assembled multitudes, maintains the institution of
slavery; and--will you believe it?--invokes the Almighty God to maintain
those rights, and thus sanction the violation of his own laws!--[Cries
of 'Shame!'] This is, indeed, a dismal prospect for those who tremble at
human power; but we have this consolation: Is it not said that, 'When
the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift
up a standard against him?' [Hear, hear!] He has done so now, and a most
wonderful and almost inspired protector has arisen for the suffering of
this much injured race. [Loud cheers.] Feeble as her sex, but
irresistible as virtue and as truth, she will prove to her adversary,
and to ours, that such boasting shall not be for his honor, 'for the
Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.' [Hear, hear! and loud
cheers.] Now, I ask you this: Is there one of you who believes that the
statements of that marvellous book to which we have alluded present an
exaggerated picture?--[Tremendous cries of 'No, no.'] Do they not know,
say what they will, that the truth is not fully stated? [Hear, hear!]
The reality is worse than the fiction. [Hear, hear!]