The moment this House undertakes to legislate upon this subject slavery, it dissolves the Union. Should it be my fortune to have a seat upon this floor, I will abandon it the instant the first decisive step is taken looking towards legislation of this subject. I will go home to preach, and if I can, practice, disunion, and civil war, if needs be. A revolution must ensue, and this republic sink in blood.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the profound consequences of legislating slavery, suggesting it could lead to the dissolution of the Union and civil strife.
In this quote, James Henry Hammond warns of the severe consequences that would follow if legislation were enacted regarding slavery. He asserts that such actions would not only lead to the disintegration of the Union but also advocate for rebellion and bloodshed, illustrating the deep divisions and moral crises surrounding the institution of slavery in his time. Hammond reflects a belief that compromising on this issue could lead to catastrophic outcomes for the nation and its values.
In practice
In a historical debate on civil rights, this quote can illustrate the stakes involved in legislative decisions.
If we cannot make a profit, that means we are committing a sort of crime against society. We take society's capital, we take their people, we take their materials, yet without a good profit, we are using precious resources that could be better used elsewhere.
Here ends the SILMARILLION. If it has passed from the high and the beautiful to darkness and ruin, that was of old the fate of Arda Marred; and if any change shall come and the Marring be amended, Manwë and Varda may know; but they have not revealed it, and it is not declared in the dooms of Mandos.
Om is the pointed piece and Dhyâna (meditation) is the friction.
All women, and men of color - we were owned like tables and chairs. We spent a hundred years getting a legal identity as human beings. That's a big thing.
Anesthetized time; nothing moves and everything is at once.
It is not the germs we need worry about. It is our inner terrain.
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