the
master, and the poor object is one doomed, in his own person, and in his
posterity, to live without knowledge, and without capacity to attain any
thing which he may call his own. He has only to labor, that another may
reap the fruits.' [Hear, hear!] Mark! this is from the sacred bench of
justice, pronounced by one of the first intellects in America! 'There is
nothing else which can operate to produce the effect; the power of the
master must be absolute, to render the submission of the slave perfect.
[Hear, hear!] It is inherent in the relation of master and slave;' and
then he adds those never-to-be-forgotten words, 'We cannot allow the
right of the master to come under discussion in the courts of justice.
The slave must be made sensible that there is no appeal from his master,
and that his master's power is in no instance usurped; that these rights
are conferred by the laws of man, at least, if not by the law of God.'
[Loud cries of 'Shame, shame!'] This is the mode in which we are to
regard these two classes of beings, both created by the same God, and
both redeemed by the same Savior as ourselves, and destined to the same
immortality! The judgment, on appeal, was reversed; but, God be praised;
there is another appeal, and that appeal we make to the highest of all
imaginable courts, where God is the judge, where mercy is the advocate,
and where unerring truth will pronounce the decision![Protracted
cheering.] There are some who are pleased to tell us that there is an
inferiority in the race! That is untrue. [Cheers.] But we are not here
to inquire whether our black brethren will become Shakspeares or
Herschels. [Hear, hear!] I ask, are they immortal beings? [Great
applause.] Do our adversaries, say no? I ask them, then, to show me one
word in the handwriting of God which has thus levelled them with the
brute beasts. [Hear, hear!] Let us bear in mind those words of our
blessed Savior--'Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones who
believe in me, it were better that a millstone were hanged about his
neck, and that he were cast into the depths of the sea.' [Loud cheers.]
Now, then, what is our duty? Is it to stand still? Yes! when we receive
the command from the same authority that said to the sun, Stand over
Gibeon! [Loud cheers.] Then, and not till then, will we stand still.
[Renewed cheers.] Are we to listen to the craven and miserable talk
about 'doing more harm than good'? [Hear, hear!] This was an argument