4. In its negotiation with Great Britain and Mexico for the surrender of fugitive slaves. 5. In its invasion of Florida, in pursuit of fugitive slaves. 6. In its negotiations with Great Britain, for compensation for slaves who had taken refuge on board British ships of war. 7. In its negotiation with Great Britain, for compensation for slaves, ship-wrecked in the West Indies. 8. In its tolerance, protection, and regulation of the American slave trade. Smithfield, and strewed the plains of Palestine with the corses of the crusaders, stands with lighted and uplifted torch hard by the side of abolitionism, ready to spread conflagration and death around the land". - he declares that "so long as the DEMOCRATIC OF State Rights' party shall maintain the ascendency, the efforts of the abolitionists will be comparatively innoxious :" and he announces what will be no less news to the New-York merchants, that it is to abolitionists, that "the Federal or NATIONAL BANK PARTY, believe the Federal Legislature not only have the power to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, but also in the States." From the opinions and motives we have ascribed to masses, we know there are many exceptions. No community can offer bright er examples of virtue and philanthropy than the merchants of New-York; and he who thinks that there are not among our ultra-democrats, men who conscientiously believe the principles they profess, and act in consistency with them, does not know them. 9. In its duplicity, with regard to the abolition of the African slave trade. 10. In its efforts to prevent the abolition of slavery in Cuba. 11. In its conduct towards Hayti. 12. In its conduct towards Texas. 13. In its attempt to establish a censorship of the press. 14. In its invasion of the right of petition, and the freedom of debate. Such has been the action in behalf of human bondage, of a Government which, in the language of the constitution, was formed to establish JUSTICE, and secure the blessings of LIBERTY. And by whom are the men composing the Government which thus perverts the objects of its institution, invested with their power? They are the agents, the mere instruments of the people of the United States of the North and the East, as well as of the West and the South. This consideration calls us to consider THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FREE STATES. The advocates of slavery and the tools of party, are continually telling us, that "the North has nothing to do with slavery." A volume might be filled with facts, proving the fallacy of this assertion. There is scarcely a family among us, that is not connected by the ties of friendship, kindred, or pecuniary interest, with the land of slaves. That land is endeared to us by a thousand recollections - with that land we have continual commercial, political, religious, and social intercourse. There in innumerable instances, are our personal friends, our brothers, our sons and our daughters. How malignant and foolish then is the falsehood, that the thousands and tens of thousands of abolitionists among us, are anxious to see that land reeking in blood! But the more intimate are our connexions with that land, the more exposed are we to be contaminated by its pollutions; and the more imperatively are we bound to seek its real welfare. Let it then sink deep in our hearts, let it rest upon our consciences, that in every wicked and cruel act of the Federal Government in behalf of slavery, the people of the North have participated, we might almost say that for all this wickedness and cruelty, they are solely responsible; since it could not have been perpetrated but with the consent of their representatives. Vast and fertile territories, which might now have been inhabited by a free and happy population, have by northern votes been converted, to use the language of the poet, into "A land of tyrants, and a den of slaves." By northern Senators, have our African slavers been protected from the search of British cruisers. By northern representatives, is the American slave trade protected, and the abominations enacted in the Capital of the Republic, sanctioned and perpetuated: and northern men are the officiating ministers in the sacrifice of constitutional liberty on the altar of Moloch. But representatives are only the agents of their constituents, speaking their thoughts, and doing their will. THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTH have done "this great wickedness." When they repent, when they love mercy, and seek after justice, their representatives will no longer rejoice to aid in transforming the image of God into a beast of burden then will the human shambles be overthrown in the Capital -- then will slavers "freighted with despair," no longer depart from the port of Alexandria, nor chained coffles parade the streets of Washington. Then will the powers of the Federal Government be exercised in protecting, not in annihilating the rights of man; and then will the slaveholder, deprived of the countenance of the free States, as he is already of nearly all the rest of the civilized world, be led to reflect calmly on the character and tendency of the institution he now so dearly prizes, and seek his own welfare and that of his children in its voluntary and peaceful abolition. But here we are confronted with direful prophecies. Let us then proceed to inquire into THE PROBABLE INFLUENCE OF THE ANTI-SLAVERY AGITATION ON THE PERMANENCY OF THE UNION. Before we can predict what this influence will be, we must first inquire, what will probably be the direction and aim of the agitation? Every State possesses all the powers of independent sovereignty, except such as she has delegated to the Federal Government. All the powers not specified in the Constitution as delegated, are by that instrument reserved. Among the powers specified, that of abrogating the slave codes of the several States, is not included;' on the contrary, the guarantee of the continuance of the African slave trade for twenty years, the provision for the arrest of fugitive slaves, and the establishment of the federal ratio of representation, all refer to and acknowledge the existence of slavery under |