the writings-2-第52章

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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　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　maki