The Question of Slavery

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Senator Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster was a Senator from Massachusetts from 1845 to 1850. He was the Secretary of State from 1850 1852.http://dyn.politico.com/tag/daniel-webster

Daniel Webster's Remarks in the Senate of the United States on August 12,1848

"It is a peculiar system of personal Slavery, by which the person who is called 'Slave' is transferable, as a chattel , from hand to hand. I speak of this as a fact, and that is the fact, and I will say further, that although Slavery as a system of servitude attached to the earth exists in various countries of Europe, I am not at the present moment aware of any place on the globe in which this property of man in a human being, as a slave transferable as a chattel , exists, except America."

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I used the glossary to look up that peculiar means strange, or unusual. It is interesting that Webster defines slavery as an unusual and strange institution when it seemed supported by so many.

Mr. Webster explains how America is the only place he is aware of humans being seen as property. His language also seems to reflect a sense of misunderstanding toward the institution of slavery by using terms like "peculiar". How might this show his position on slavery?

I found from the description that Mr. Webster was a senator from Massachusetts, which is a northern state. As most northern states were opposed to slavery, how might this add to our take on Mr. Webster's position?

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