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Palfrey, John Gorham : Speech of Mr. Palfrey, of Massachusetts, on the Political Aspect of the Slave Question. Delivered in the House of Representatives, January 26th, 1848

Printed by J. & G. S. Gideon, Washington, D.C., 1848

Original publisher's beige paper wrappers. Text printed in black ink. 5 3/4" x 9." Sixteen pages, complete. Pages are clean and intact except for light age toning, small occasional spots of foxing or discoloration, and slight chipping and splitting along spine. A Very Good copy. A speech that was originally delivered before the United States House of Representatives on January 26, 1848 by John Gorham Palfrey (1796-1881), an American Unitarian minister, historian, and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1847-1849. He was a member of the Whig, Free-Soil, and Republican Parties over the course of his career. Notably, Palfrey was a "Conscience Whig" who openly opposed slavery and freed sixteen slaves he inherited from his father. In this speech, Palfrey vehemently speaks out against the disproportionate representation of slaveholders to the free population of the U.S. and likens the slaveholding interest to an oligarchy. He estimates that free people outnumber slaveholders 50 to 1 yet he points out that the latter wields a disproportionate amount of political power. To back his claim, Palfrey uses metrics such as the number of terms served by politicians representing free and slave states. According to the figures he presents, politicians from slave states have consistently served more terms than those from free states. He goes on to denounce the fugitive slave law and the lack of evidence required for a slaveholder to potentially claim an individual in a free state as his escaped slave. Palfrey also discusses how the Massachusetts Constitution recognizes people of color as citizens yet they are subject to the questionable "laws" of Southern slave states if they visit those states. According to Palfrey, a free African-American man from Massachusetts can hypothetically be forced into slavery in South Carolina for the simple reason of setting foot in its state boundaries. Palfrey also lambastes phrenological claims of the inferiority of black or mixed-race people and notes instead the genius of Frederick Douglas and Alexandre Dumas. Palfrey also highlights how most of the "civilized" countries have already abolished slavery and argues that the emancipation of slaves in the West Indies was not a disaster as pro-slavery advocates had claimed. Palfrey then summarizes the current main political factions. While Palfrey expressly affirms his support of abolishing slavery and stopping the spread of it, he disagrees with the abolitionists for their apparent support of disunion for the sake of abolishing slavery. He goes on to explain another anti-slavery group, the Liberty Party, and then those who are pro-slavery. He concludes that no matter one's view on abolition or slavery, the Union must stand.. Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Soft cover

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