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difficulty；　and　determine　what　is　possible　and　just。　　We　must　not

be　led　by　excitement　and　passion　to　do　that　which　our　sober

judgments　would　not　approve　in　our　cooler　moments。　　We　have

higher　aims；　we　will　have　more　serious　business　than　to　dally

with　temporary　measures。



We　are　here　to　stand　firmly　for　a　principleto　stand　firmly　for

a　right。　　We　know　that　great　political　and　moral　wrongs　are　done；

and　outrages　committed；　and　we　denounce　those　wrongs　and

outrages；　although　we　cannot；　at　present；　do　much　more。　　But　we

desire　to　reach　out　beyond　those　personal　outrages　and　establish

a　rule　that　will　apply　to　all；　and　so　prevent　any　future

outrages。



We　have　seen　to…day　that　every　shade　of　popular　opinion　is

represented　here；　with　Freedom；　or　rather　Free　Soil；　as　the

basis。　　We　have　come　together　as　in　some　sort　representatives　of

popular　opinion　against　the　extension　of　slavery　into　territory

now　free　in　fact　as　well　as　by　law；　and　the　pledged　word　of　the

statesmen　of　the　nation　who　are　now　no　more。　　We　comewe　are

here　assembled　togetherto　protest　as　well　as　we　can　against　a

great　wrong；　and　to　take　measures；　as　well　as　we　now　can；　to　make

that　wrong　right；　to　place　the　nation；　as　far　as　it　may　be

possible　now；　as　it　was　before　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri

Compromise；　and　the　plain　way　to　do　this　is　to　restore　the

Compromise；　and　to　demand　and　determine　that　Kansas　shall　be

free！　＇Immense　applause。＇　While　we　affirm；　and　reaffirm；　if

necessary；　our　devotion　to　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of

Independence；　let　our　practical　work　here　be　limited　to　the

above。　　We　know　that　there　is　not　a　perfect　agreement　of

sentiment　here　on　the　public　questions　which　might　be　rightfully

considered　in　this　convention；　and　that　the　indignation　which　we

all　must　feel　cannot　be　helped；　but　all　of　us　must　give　up

something　for　the　good　of　the　cause。　　There　is　one　desire　which

is　uppermost　in　the　mind；　one　wish　common　to　us　all；　to　which　no

dissent　will　be　made；　and　I　counsel　you　earnestly　to　bury　all

resentment；　to　sink　all　personal　feeling；　make　all　things　work　to

a　common　purpose　in　which　we　are　united　and　agreed　about；　and

which　all　present　will　agree　is　absolutely　necessarywhich　must

be　done　by　any　rightful　mode　if　there　be　such：

Slavery　must　be　kept　out　of　Kansas！　＇Applause。＇　The　testthe

pinchis　right　there。　　If　we　lose　Kansas　to　freedom；　an　example

will　be　set　which　will　prove　fatal　to　freedom　in　the　end。　　We；

therefore；　in　the　language　of　the　Bible；　must　〃lay　the　axe　to　the

root　of　the　tree。〃　Temporizing　will　not　do　longer；　now　is　the

time　for　decisionfor　firm；　persistent；　resolute　action。

＇Applause。＇



The　Nebraska　Bill；　or　rather　Nebraska　law；　is　not　one　of

wholesome　legislation；　but　was　and　is　an　act　of　legislative

usurpation；　whose　result；　if　not　indeed　intention；　is　to　make

slavery　national；　and　unless　headed　off　in　some　effective　way；　we

are　in　a　fair　way　to　see　this　land　of　boasted　freedom　converted

into　a　land　of　slavery　in　fact。　　＇Sensation。＇　Just　open　your　two

eyes；　and　see　if　this　be　not　so。　　I　need　do　no　more　than　state；

to　command　universal　approval；　that　almost　the　entire　North；　as

well　as　a　large　following　in　the　border　States；　is　radically

opposed　to　the　planting　of　slavery　in　free　territory。　　Probably

in　a　popular　vote　throughout　the　nation　nine　tenths　of　the　voters

in　the　free　States；　and　at　least　one…half　in　the　border　States；

if　they　could　express　their　sentiments　freely；　would　vote　NO　on

such　an　issue；　and　it　is　safe　to　say　that　two　thirds　of　the　votes

of　the　entire　nation　would　be　opposed　to　it。　　And　yet；　in　spite

of　this　overbalancing　of　sentiment　in　this　free　country；　we　are

in　a　fair　way　to　see　Kansas　present　itself　for　admission　as　a

slave　State。　　Indeed；　it　is　a　felony；　by　the　local　law　of　Kansas；

to　deny　that　slavery　exists　there　even　now。　　By　every　principle

of　law；　a　negro　in　Kansas　is　free；　yet　the　bogus　Legislature

makes　it　an　infamous　crime　to　tell　him　that　he　is　free！



Statutes　of　Kansas；　1555；　chapter　151；　Sec。　　12：　If　any　free

person；　by　speaking　or　by　writing；　assert　or　maintain　that

persons　have　not　the　right　to　hold　slaves　in　this　Territory；　or

shall　introduce　into　this　Territory；　print；　publish；　write；

circulate　。　　。　　。　　any　book；　paper；　magazine；　pamphlet；　or

circular　containing　any　denial　of　the　right　of　persons　to　hold

slaves　in　this　Territory　such　person　shall　be　deemed　guilty　of

felony；　and　punished　by　imprisonment　at　hard　labor　for　a　term　of

not　less　than　two　years。

Sec。　　13。　　No　person　who　is　conscientiously　opposed　to　holding

slaves；　or　who　does　not　admit　the　right　to　hold　slaves　in　this

Territory；　shall　sit　as　a　juror　on　the　trial　of　any　prosecution

for　any　violation　of　any　Sections　of　this　Act。



The　party　lash　and　the　fear　of　ridicule　will　overawe　justice　and

liberty；　for　it　is　a　singular　fact；　but　none　the　less　a　fact；　and

well　known　by　the　most　common　experience；　that　men　will　do　things

under　the　terror　of　the　party　lash　that　they　would　not　on　any

account　or　for　any　consideration　do　otherwise；　while　men　who　will

march　up　to　the　mouth　of　a　loaded　cannon　without　shrinking　will

run　from　the　terrible　name　of　〃Abolitionist；〃　even　when

pronounced　by　a　worthless　creature　whom　they；　with　good　reason；

despise。　　For　instanceto　press　this　point　a　littleJudge

Douglas　introduced　his　Nebraska　Bill　in　January；　and　we　had　an

extra　session　of　our　Legislature　in　the　succeeding　February；　in

which　were　seventy…five　Democrats；　and　at　a　party　caucus；　fully

attended；　there　were　just　three　votes；　out　of　the　whole　seventy…

five；　for　the　measure。　　But　in　a　few　days　orders　came　on　from

Washington；　commanding　them　to　approve　the　measure；　the　party

lash　was　applied；　and　it　was　brought　up　again　in　caucus；　and

passed　by　a　large　majority。　　The　masses　were　against　it；　but

party　necessity　carried　it；　and　it　was　passed　through　the　lower

house　of　Congress　against　the　will　of　the　people；　for　the　same

reason。　　Here　is　where　the　greatest　danger　lies　that；　while　we

profess　to　be　a　government　of　law　and　reason；　law　will　give　way

to　violence　on　demand　of　this　awful　and　crushing　power。　　Like　the

great　JuggernautI　think　that　is　the　namethe　great　idol；　it

crushes　everything　that　comes　in　its　way；　and　makes　a　＇？＇or；　as

I　read　once；　in　a　blackletter　law　book；　〃a　slave　is　a　human　being

who　is　legally　not　a　person　but　a　thing。〃　And　if　the　safeguards

to　liberty　are　broken　down；　as　is　now　attempted；　when　they　have

made　things　of　all　the　free　negroes；　how　long；　think　you；　before

they　will　begin　to　make　things　of　poor　white　men？　　＇Applause。＇　Be

not　deceived。　　Revolutions　do　not　go　backward。　　The　founder　of

the　Democratic　party　declared　that　all　men　were　created　equal。

His　successor　in　the　leadership　has　written　the　word　〃white〃

before　men；　making　it　read　〃all　white　men　are　created　equal。〃

Pray；　will　or　may　not　the　Know…Nothings；　if　they　should　get　in

power；　add　the　word　〃Protestant；〃　making　it　read　〃all　Protestant

white　men。。。？〃



Meanwhile　the　hapless　negro　is　the　fruitful　subject　of　reprisals

in　other　quarters。　　John　Pettit；　whom　Tom　Benton　paid　his

respects　to；　you　will　recollect；　calls　the　immortal　Declaration

〃a　self…evident　lie〃；　while　at　the　birthplace　of　freedomin　the

shadow　of　Bunker　Hill　and　of　the　〃cradle　of　liberty；〃　at　the　home

of　the　Adamses　and　Warren　and　OtisChoate；　from　our　side　of　the

house；　dares　to　fritter　away　the　birthday　promise　of　liberty　by

proclaiming　the　Declaration　to　be　〃a　string　of　glittering

generalities〃；　and　the　Southern　Whigs；　working　hand　in　hand　with

proslavery　Democrats；　are　making　Choate's　theories　practical。

Thomas　Jefferson；　a　slaveholder；　mindful　of　the　moral　element　in

slavery；　solemnly　declared　that　he　trembled　for　his　country　when

he　remembered　that　God　is　just；　while　Judge　Douglas；　with　an

insignificant　wave　of　the　hand；　〃don't　care　whether　slavery　is

voted　up　or　voted　down。〃　Now；　if　slavery　is　right；　or　even

negative；　he　has　a　right　to　treat　it　in　this　trifling　manner。

But　if　it　is　a　moral　and　political　wrong；　as　all　Christendom

considers　it　to　be；　how　can　he　answer　to　God　for　this　attempt　to

spread　and　fortify　it？　　＇Applause。＇



But　no　man；　and　Judge　Douglas　no　more　than　any　other；　can

maintain　a　negative；　or　merely　neutral；　position　on　this

question；　and；　accordingly；　he　avows　that　the　Union　was　made　by

white　men　and　for　white　men　and　their　descendants。　　As　matter　of

fact；　the　first　branch　of　the　proposition　is　historically　true；

the　government　was　made　by　white　men；　and　they　were　and　are　the

superior　race。　　This　I　admit。　　But　the　corner…stone　of　the

government；　so　to　speak；　was　the　declaration　that　〃all　men　are

created　equal；〃　and　all　entitled　to　〃life；　liberty；　and　the

pursuit　of　happiness。〃　＇Applause。＇



And　not　only　so；　but　the　framers　of　the　Constitution　were

particular　to　keep　out　of　that　instrument　the　word　〃slave；〃　the

reason　being　that　slavery　wo