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

reason being that slavery would ultimately come to an end; and

they did not wish to have any reminder that in this free country

human beings were ever prostituted to slavery。  'Applause。' Nor

is it any argument that we are superior and the negro inferior

that he has but one talent while we have ten。  Let the negro

possess the little he has in independence; if he has but one

talent; he should be permitted to keep the little he has。

'Applause:' But slavery will endure no test of reason or logic;

and yet its advocates; like Douglas; use a sort of bastard logic;

or noisy assumption it might better be termed; like the above; in

order to prepare the mind for the gradual; but none the less

certain; encroachments of the Moloch of slavery upon the fair

domain of freedom。  But however much you may argue upon it; or

smother it in soft phrase; slavery can only be maintained by

forceby violence。  The repeal of the Missouri Compromise was by

violence。  It was a violation of both law and the sacred

obligations of honor; to overthrow and trample under foot a

solemn compromise; obtained by the fearful loss to freedom of one

of the fairest of our Western domains。  Congress violated the

will and confidence of its constituents in voting for the bill;

and while public sentiment; as shown by the elections of 1854;

demanded the restoration of this compromise; Congress violated

its trust by refusing simply because it had the force of numbers

to hold on to it。  And murderous violence is being used now; in

order to force slavery on to Kansas; for it cannot be done in any

other way。  'Sensation。'



The necessary result was to establish the rule of violence

force; instead of the rule of law and reason; to perpetuate and

spread slavery; and in time to make it general。  We see it at

both ends of the line。  In Washington; on the very spot where the

outrage was started; the fearless Sumner is beaten to

insensibility; and is now slowly dying; while senators who claim

to be gentlemen and Christians stood by; countenancing the act;

and even applauding it afterward in their places in the Senate。

Even Douglas; our man; saw it all and was within helping

distance; yet let the murderous blows fall unopposed。  Then; at

the other end of the line; at the very time Sumner was being

murdered; Lawrence was being destroyed for the crime of freedom。

It was the most prominent stronghold of liberty in Kansas; and

must give way to the all…dominating power of slavery。  Only two

days ago; Judge Trumbull found it necessary to propose a bill in

the Senate to prevent a general civil war and to restore peace in

Kansas。



We live in the midst of alarms; anxiety beclouds the future; we

expect some new disaster with each newspaper we read。  Are we in

a healthful political state?  Are not the tendencies plain?  Do

not the signs of the times point plainly the way in which we are

going?  'Sensation。'



In the early days of the Constitution slavery was recognized; by

South and North alike; as an evil; and the division of sentiment

about it was not controlled by geographical lines or

considerations of climate; but by moral and philanthropic views。

Petitions for the abolition of slavery were presented to the very

first Congress by Virginia and Massachusetts alike。  To show the

harmony which prevailed; I will state that a fugitive slave law

was passed in 1793; with no dissenting voice in the Senate; and

but seven dissenting votes in the House。  It was; however; a wise

law; moderate; and; under the Constitution; a just one。  Twenty…

five years later; a more stringent law was proposed and defeated;

and thirty…five years after that; the present law; drafted by

Mason of Virginia; was passed by Northern votes。  I am not; just

now; complaining of this law; but I am trying to show how the

current sets; for the proposed law of 1817 was far less offensive

than the present one。  In 1774 the Continental Congress pledged

itself; without a dissenting vote; to wholly discontinue the

slave trade; and to neither purchase nor import any slave; and

less than three months before the passage of the Declaration of

Independence; the same Congress which adopted that declaration

unanimously resolved 〃that no slave be imported into any of the

thirteen United Colonies。〃 'Great applause。'



On the second day of July; 1776; the draft of a Declaration of

Independence was reported to Congress by the committee; and in it

the slave trade was characterized as 〃an execrable commerce;〃 as

〃a piratical warfare;〃 as the 〃opprobrium of infidel powers;〃 and

as 〃a cruel war against human nature。  'Applause。' All agreed on

this except South Carolina and Georgia; and in order to preserve

harmony; and from the necessity of the case; these expressions

were omitted。  Indeed; abolition societies existed as far south

as Virginia; and it is a well…known fact that Washington;

Jefferson; Madison; Lee; Henry; Mason; and Pendleton were

qualified abolitionists; and much more radical on that subject

than we of the Whig and Democratic parties claim to be to…day。

On March 1; 1784; Virginia ceded to the confederation all its

lands lying northwest of the Ohio River。  Jefferson; Chase of

Maryland; and Howell of Rhode Island; as a committee on that and

territory thereafter to be ceded; reported that no slavery should

exist after the year 1800。  Had this report been adopted; not

only the Northwest; but Kentucky; Tennessee; Alabama; and

Mississippi also would have been free; but it required the assent

of nine States to ratify it。  North Carolina was divided; and

thus its vote was lost; and Delaware; Georgia; and New Jersey

refused to vote。  In point of fact; as it was; it was assented to

by six States。  Three years later on a square vote to exclude

slavery from the Northwest; only one vote; and that from New

York; was against it。  And yet; thirty…seven years later; five

thousand citizens of Illinois; out of a voting mass of less than

twelve thousand; deliberately; after a long and heated contest;

voted to introduce slavery in Illinois; and; to…day; a large

party in the free State of Illinois are willing to vote to fasten

the shackles of slavery on the fair domain of Kansas;

notwithstanding it received the dowry of freedom long before its

birth as a political community。  I repeat; therefore; the

question: Is it not plain in what direction we are tending?

'Sensation。' In the colonial time; Mason; Pendleton; and

Jefferson were as hostile to slavery in Virginia as Otis; Ames;

and the Adamses were in Massachusetts; and Virginia made as

earnest an effort to get rid of it as old Massachusetts did。  But

circumstances were against them and they failed; but not that the

good will of its leading men was lacking。  Yet within less than

fifty years Virginia changed its tune; and made negro…breeding

for the cotton and sugar States one of its leading industries。

'Laughter and applause。'



In the Constitutional Convention; George Mason of Virginia made a

more violent abolition speech than my friends Lovejoy or Codding

would desire to make here to…daya speech which could not be

safely repeated anywhere on Southern soil in this enlightened

year。  But; while there were some differences of opinion on this

subject even then; discussion was allowed; but as you see by the

Kansas slave code; which; as you know; is the Missouri slave

code; merely ferried across the river; it is a felony to even

express an opinion hostile to that foul blot in the land of

Washington and the Declaration of Independence。  'Sensation。'



In Kentuckymy Statein 1849; on a test vote; the mighty

influence of Henry Clay and many other good then there could not

get a symptom of expression in favor of gradual emancipation on a

plain issue of marching toward the light of civilization with

Ohio and Illinois; but the State of Boone and Hardin and Henry

Clay; with a nigger under each arm; took the black trail toward

the deadly swamps of barbarism。  Is therecan there beany

doubt about this thing?  And is there any doubt that we must all

lay aside our prejudices and march; shoulder to shoulder; in the

great army of Freedom?  'Applause。'



Every Fourth of July our young orators all proclaim this to be

〃the land of the free and the home of the brave!〃 Well; now; when

you orators get that off next year; and; may be; this very year;

how would you like some old grizzled farmer to get up in the

grove and deny it?  'Laughter。' How would you like that?  But

suppose Kansas comes in as a slave State; and all the 〃border

ruffians〃 have barbecues about it; and free…State men come

trailing back to the dishonored North; like whipped dogs with

their tails between their legs; it isain't it ?evident that

this is no more the 〃land of the free〃; and if we let it go so;

we won't dare to say 〃home of the brave〃 out loud。  'Sensation

and confus

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