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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　confusion。＇



Can　any　man　doubt　that；　even　in　spite　of　the　people's　will；

slavery　will　triumph　through　violence；　unless　that　will　be　made

manifest　and　enforced？　　Even　Governor　Reeder　claimed　at　the

outset　that　the　contest　in　Kansas　was　to　be　fair；　but　he　got　his

eyes　open　at　last；　and　I　believe　that；　as　a　result　of　this　moral

and　physical　violence；　Kansas　will　soon　apply　for　admission　as　a

slave　State。　　And　yet　we　can't　mistake　that　the　people　don't　want

it　so；　and　that　it　is　a　land　which　is　free　both　by　natural　and

political　law。　　No　law；　is　free　law！　Such　is　the　understanding　of

all　Christendom。　　In　the　Somerset　case；　decided　nearly　a　century

ago；　the　great　Lord　Mansfield　held　that　slavery　was　of　such　a

nature　that　it　must　take　its　rise　in　positive　（as　distinguished

from　natural）　law；　and　that　in　no　country　or　age　could　it　be

traced　back　to　any　other　source。　　Will　some　one　please　tell　me

where　is　the　positive　law　that　establishes　slavery　in　Kansas？　　＇A

voice：　〃The　bogus　laws。〃＇　Aye；　the　bogus　laws！　And；　on　the　same

principle；　a　gang　of　Missouri　horse…thieves　could　come　into

Illinois　and　declare　horse…stealing　to　be　legal　＇Laughter＇；　and

it　would　be　just　as　legal　as　slavery　is　in　Kansas。　　But　by

express　statute；　in　the　land　of　Washington　and　Jefferson；　we　may

soon　be　brought　face　to　face　with　the　discreditable　fact　of

showing　to　the　world　by　our　acts　that　we　prefer　slavery　to

freedomdarkness　to　light！　＇Sensation。＇



It　is；　I　believe；　a　principle　in　law　that　when　one　party　to　a

contract　violates　it　so　grossly　as　to　chiefly　destroy　the　object

for　which　it　is　made；　the　other　party　may　rescind　it。　　I　will　ask

Browning　if　that　ain't　good　law。　　＇Voices：　Yes！〃＇　Well；　now　if

that　be　right；　I　go　for　rescinding　the　whole；　entire　Missouri

Compromise　and　thus　turning　Missouri　into　a　free　State；　and　I

should　like　to　know　the　differenceshould　like　for　any　one　to

point　out　the　differencebetween　our　making　a　free　State　of

Missouri　and　their　making　a　slave　State　of　Kansas。　　＇Great

applause。＇　There　ain't　one　bit　of　difference；　except　that　our　way

would　be　a　great　mercy　to　humanity。　　But　I　have　never　said；　and

the　Whig　party　has　never　said；　and　those　who　oppose　the　Nebraska

Bill　do　not　as　a　body　say；　that　they　have　any　intention　of

interfering　with　slavery　in　the　slave　States。　　Our　platform　says

just　the　contrary。　　We　allow　slavery　to　exist　in　the　slave

States；　not　because　slavery　is　right　or　good；　but　from　the

necessities　of　our　Union。　　We　grant　a　fugitive　slave　law　because

it　is　so　〃nominated　in　the　bond〃；　because　our　fathers　so

stipu1atedhad　toand　we　are　bound　to　carry　out　this　agreement。

But　they　did　not　agree　to　introduce　slavery　in　regions　where　it

did　not　previously　exist。　　On　the　contrary；　they　said　by　their

example　and　teachings　that　they　did　not　deem　it　expedientdid

n't　consider　it　rightto　do　so；　and　it　is　wise　and

right　to　do　just　as　they　did　about　it。　　＇Voices：　〃Good！〃＇　And

that　it　what　we　proposenot　to　interfere　with　slavery　where　it

exists　（we　have　never　tried　to　do　it）；　and　to　give　them　a

reasonable　and　efficient　fugitive　slave　law。　　＇A　voice：　〃No！〃＇　I

say　YES！　＇Applause。＇　It　was　part　of　the　bargain；　and　I　'm　for

living　up　to　it；　but　I　go　no　further；　I'm　not　bound　to　do　more；

and　I　won't　agree　any　further。　　＇Great　applause。＇



We；　here　in　Illinois；　should　feel　especially　proud　of　the

provision　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　excluding　slavery　from　what

is　now　Kansas；　for　an　Illinois　man；　Jesse　B。　　Thomas；　was　its

father。　　Henry　Clay；　who　is　credited　with　the　authorship　of　the

Compromise　in　general　terms；　did　not　even　vote　for　that

provision；　but　only　advocated　the　ultimate　admission　by　a　second

compromise；　and　Thomas　was；　beyond　all　controversy；　the　real

author　of　the　〃slavery　restriction〃　branch　of　the　Compromise。　　To

show　the　generosity　of　the　Northern　members　toward　the　Southern

side：　on　a　test　vote　to　exclude　slavery　from　Missouri；　ninety

voted　not　to　exclude；　and　eighty…seven　to　exclude；　every　vote

from　the　slave　States　being　ranged　with　the　former　and　fourteen

votes　from　the　free　States；　of　whom　seven　were　from　New　England

alone；　while　on　a　vote　to　exclude　slavery　from　what　is　now

Kansas；　the　vote　was　one　hundred　and　thirty…four　for；　to　forty…

two　against。　　The　scheme；　as　a　whole；　was；　of　course；　a　Southern

triumph。　　It　is　idle　to　contend　otherwise；　as　is　now　being　done

by　the　Nebraskites；　it　was　so　shown　by　the　votes　and　quite　as

emphatically　by　the　expressions　of　representative　men。　　Mr。

Lowndes　of　South　Carolina　was　never　known　to　commit　a　political

mistake；　his　was　the　great　judgment　of　that　section；　and　he

declared　that　this　measure　〃would　restore　tranquillity　to　the

countrya　result　demanded　by　every　consideration　of　discretion；

of　moderation；　of　wisdom；　and　of　virtue。〃　When　the　measure　came

before　President　Monroe　for　his　approval；　he　put　to　each　member

of　his　cabinet　this　question：　〃Has　Congress　the　constitutional

power　to　prohibit　slavery　in　a　Territory？〃　And　John　C。　　Calhoun

and　William　H。　　Crawford　from　the　South；　equally　with　John　Quincy

Adams；　Benjamin　Rush；　and　Smith　Thompson　from　the　North；　alike

answered；　〃Yes！〃　without　qualification　or　equivocation；　and　this

measure；　of　so　great　consequence　to　the　South；　was　passed；　and

Missouri　was；　by　means　of　it；　finally　enabled　to　knock　at　the

door　of　the　Republic　for　an　open　passage　to　its　brood　of　slaves。

And；　in　spite　of　this；　Freedom's　share　is　about　to　be　taken　by

violenceby　the　force　of　misrepresentative　votes；　not　called　for

by　the　popular　will。　　What　name　can　I；　in　common　decency；　give　to

this　wicked　transaction？　　＇Sensation。＇



But　even　then　the　contest　was　not　over；　for　when　the　Missouri

constitution　came　before　Congress　for　its　approval；　it　forbade

any　free　negro　or　mulatto　from　entering　the　State。　　In　short；　our

Illinois　〃black　1aws〃　were　hidden　away　in　their　constitution

＇Laughter＇；　and　the　controversy　was　thus　revived。　　Then　it　was

that　Mr。　Clay's　talents　shone　out　conspicuously；　and　the

controversy　that　shook　the　union　to　its　foundation　was　finally

settled　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　conservative　parties　on　both

sides　of　the　line；　though　not　to　the　extremists　on　either；　and

Missouri　was　admitted　by　the　small　majority　of　six　in　the　lower

House。　　How　great　a　majority；　do　you　think；　would　have　been　given

had　Kansas　also　been　secured　for　slavery？　　＇A　voice：　〃A　majority

the　other　way。〃＇　〃A　majority　the　other　way；〃　is　answered。　　Do　you

think　it　would　have　been　safe　for　a　Northern　man　to　have

confronted　his　constituents　after　having　voted　to　consign　both

Missouri　and　Kansas　to　hopeless　slavery？　　And　yet　this　man

Douglas；　who　misrepresents　his　constituents　and　who　has　exerted

his　highest　talents　in　that　direction；　will　be　carried　in　triumph

through　the　State　and　hailed　with　honor　while　applauding　that

act。　　＇Three　groans　for　〃Dug！〃＇　And　this　shows　whither　we　are

tending。　　This　thing　of　slavery　is　more　powerful　than　its

supporterseven　than　the　high　priests　that　minister　at　its

altar。　　It　debauches　even　our　greatest　men。　　It　gathers　strength；

like　a　rolling　snowball；　by　its　own　infamy。　　Monstrous　crimes　are

committed　in　its　name　by　persons　collectively　which　they　would

not　dare　to　commit　as　individuals。　　Its　aggressions　and

encroachments　almost　surpass　belief。　　In　a　despotism；　one　might

not　wonder　to　see　slavery　advance　steadily　and　remorselessly　into

new　dominions；　but　is　it　not　wonderful；　is　it　not　even　alarming；

to　see　its　steady　advance　in　a　land　dedicated　to　the　proposition

that　〃all　men　are　created　equal〃？　　＇Sensation。＇



It　yields　nothing　itself；　it　keeps　all　it　has；　and　gets　all　it

can　besides。　　It　really　came　dangerously　near　securing　Illinois

in　1824；　it　did　get　Missouri　in　1821。　　The　first　proposition　was

to　admit　what　is　now　Arkansas　and　Missouri　as　one　slave　State。

But　the　territory　was　divided　and　Arkansas　came　in；　without

serious　question；　as　a　slave　State；　and　afterwards　Missouri；　not；

as　a　sort　of　equality；　free；　but　also　as　a　slave　State。　　Then　we

had　Florida　and　Texas；　and　now　Kansas　is　about　to　be　forced　into

the　dismal　procession。　　＇Sensation。＇　And　so　it　is　wherever　you

look。　　We　have　not　forgottenit　is　but　six　years　sincehow

dangerously　near　California　came　to　being　a　slave　State。　　Texas

is　a　slave　State；　and　four　other　slave　States　may　be　carved　from

its　vast　domain。　　And　yet；　in　the　year　1829；　slavery　was

abolished　throughout　that　vast　region　by　a　royal　decree　of　the

then　sovereign　of　Mexico。　　Will　you　please　tell　me　by　what　right

slavery　exists　in　Texas　to…day？　　By　the　same　right　as；　and　no

higher　or　greater　than；　slavery　is　seeking　dominion　in　Kansas：

by　political　forcepeaceful；　if　that　will　suffice；　by　the　torch

（as　in　Kansas）　and　the　bludgeon　（as　in　the　Senate　chamber）；　if

required。　　And　so　hist