Slavery Debate Documents
Slavery Debate Documents
Slavery and its abolition debates are perhaps one of the most interesting discourses that ever existed in the American public history. Speeches were prepared and delivered by both sides of the debate with a strong manifestation of the standoff that existed between the proponents and opponents of slavery. One of the factors that made the debate to attract the prolific attention was the human rights issue attached to the debate as applied by the abolitionists. While slavery was observed as a major boost to the economic integrity of the American people, proponents of slavery were not willing to allow the practice die at the wish of the raging abolition campaigners. This article includes two of the famous speeches delivered by prolific individuals taking part in the debate, highlighting the comparison, context and writers’ overall views on slavery and the country.
Abraham Lincoln and James Henry were key figures in the slavery debate and through their contributions that included public speeches on their positions; they made much impact that shaped the direction of the debate. The striking similarity is the importance with which these two gentlemen introduced into the debate that was very important to the American society. Lincoln’s “Speech in Peoria” deeply expressed slavery issues in a passionate way just as Henry’s “Letter to English Abolitionists” did. The reader is able to extract the strong character of the two personalities that these gentlemen were from their documents.
However, there are a few contrasting issues that emerge from an analysis of the two documents. On one hand, it appears that Lincoln advocates for the abolition of slavery which defines his historical engagement with the American political scenes. Lincoln delivered his speech in reiteration of the repealing of the Missouri Compromise that was powerful in prohibiting slavery in some parts of the United States. This powerful document acted as a conflict resolving compromise agreed by the two sides of the debate on slavery in the United States. By delivering the Speech in Peoria, Lincoln was delivering his opinion and that of the antislavery campaigners who obviously stood disadvantaged from the unfortunate repeal decision that meant verification and authentication of slavery (Lincoln Institute, 1).
On the other hand, the Letter to English Abolitionists prepared by Henry was delivered at a time when the standoff on slavery was still fresh. Henry contributions, unlike those contained in Lincoln’s speech seemed to favour slavery in the US. He argued that the appropriate solution to slavery was not in the abolition of slavery. By attaching importance of slavery to the general economic progress of the country, Henry identified that the debt ridden states in the US were in such a poor situation since they did not embrace free slave labour. However, he twisted the slave title in the labour aspect to replace it with free labour in order to appear euphemistic (Gorrido, 1). However, the general position in his letter was exactly in the opposite position from that taken by Lincoln.
Another contrast is the difference in the two documents is the legal regimes that the two reactions therein had to deal with, in terms of slavery regulation. While Henry’s letter was written at a time when the Missouri Compromise was in force, there is an expectation that his opinion must have been mild since the legal provision under the regime of the regulation in the western territories was defined. However, Lincoln’s position was taken at a time when the legal regime clarifying the standoff was withdrawn and indiscrete. In fact, his speech was an immediate reaction of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise.
With regard to personal position by the gentlemen on the issue of slavery and the republic, it is clarified that they were on the opposite side of the slavery ideology. While Henry generally held the view that the continuity of slavery for labour purposes would consolidate the productivity of the republic, it was the exact opinion on the part of Lincoln. Henry was earlier in support of abolition of slavery from the perspective on the slave owner who wished to, rather than to impose such regulations as would have implicated on the productivity of the republic. Lincoln was particularly bitter about the “monstrous injustice” that the implementation of a slavery territory would be implying to the Americans (Lincoln Institute, 1). There is a general implication that Lincoln attached freedom of the Americans and perhaps the entire world to practices that would dedicate input in elimination of human suffering. Lincoln was of the opinion that in order for America to have been founded on free institutions, the entire system must have considered free institutions, including the economic foundations.
Works Cited
“Speech at Peoria, October 16, 1854,” Lincoln Institute 2011. Web. HYPERLINK “http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=11&subjectID=2” http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=11&subjectID=2 (accessed 12 May 2011)
Gorrido, Nancy “James Henry Hammond,” (n.d). Web. HYPERLINK “http://cghs.dade.k12.fl.us/slavery/defense_of_slavery/hammond.htm” http://cghs.dade.k12.fl.us/slavery/defense_of_slavery/hammond.htm (accessed 12 May 2011)
