Thursday, May 30, 2013

"You cannot give them their personal freedom without their having arms in their hands"

   "Mr Chairman, I agree, too, with all those southern gentlemen who have spoken, that it is impossible that the southern States should abolish slavery whereeever there is a majority of colored over white people, or wherever there is a approximation to equality of numbers. It cannot be done, especially if there is a majority of slaves over freemen. You cannot give them their personal freedom without their having arms in their hands. If free, they would demand political rights, and if you give them political rights they become the governing power, and no white man will ever submit to be governed by a negro; no, never. They have got to remain as and they now are. It is most unfortunate, so far as human wisdom can see, that they are in this country, but in the Providence of God they are here, three millions and a half of slaves, and like the Israelites of old. God has chained the cause that brought them here, and so astonishingly multiplied them to their future destiny of weal or woe, and we, the whites, may well contemplate that future with awe and trembling."--SPEECH OF HON. BISHOP PERKINS, OF NEW YORK, NEBRASKA AND KANSAS. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 10 1854. [REMARKS OF MR. ENGLISH, OF INDIANA, AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS, UPON THE OCCASION OF THE INTRODUCTION AND REFERENCE OF THE HOUSE BILL TO ORGANIZE THE TERRITORIES OF NEBRASKA AND KANZAS, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JANUARY 31, 1854. WASHINGTON: PRINTED AT THE CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE OFFICE, 1854.]   

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