the writings-2-第51章

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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　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

S