The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-05-16
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1914.
rief exploitation of my views on this sub

allow not to human laws, be they pr
mary or secondary, no matter by wha
numbers. or with what solemnities or
dained, the least semblance of right 10 rs
tablsh Slavery, to make property of m,
'JelIoao, created, equally with myself ii
the image of God. Individually. or Al
political communities, men have no more
right 10 enact slavery, than they have t.
enact murder or blasphemy or incest Oh
adultery. TO establish slavery is to de.
throne right to trample on justice, the
only true foundation Of government, Gov.
ernrients exist, not for the destruction Of
liberty, but for its defence; not for the an
inhalation of mems rights, but their pres
ervation. Do they incorporate in their
organic law the element of injustice p
do they live by admitting it into practice
Then, do they destroy their own founda.
ton, and absoIve all men from the duty
of allegiance. Is any man so besoted as,
for moment, to suppose that the slave
holder has an atom of right to his slave ;
or that the slave has resting on him an
atom Of obligation TO obey the laws that
ensiave him, that rob him of every thing,
of himself. No one; else why do all
just men of all countries rejoice, when
they hear that the oppressed of any land
have achieved their liberty, at whatever
cost to their tyrants ?
On this ground were there no other, l
should say, we cannot receive Texas as a
Slave Territory. We have no right TO
continue chains, which we have no right
to forge or impose.
But there are other grounds the
Constitution of the United States does not
permit the organization or the con!inu-
ance Of slavery on domain brought with.
in its exclusive jurisdiction. None of the
specified powers authorize the establish
ment necessary or proper for carrying in
10 execution any OF these powers.
Again: Two OF the objects of the gov
eminent set forth in the preamble of the
Constitution are TO establish justice and
secure the blessings ofiiberty, in the land.
With justice and liberty, slavery is Who'll
ly Incompatible. All men so regard it
What, then, shall we do? Shall we so
interpret the silence of the Constitution
on this matter, as to make it outweigh the
establishment of justice, and the perpetual
lion of the blessings of liberty, those high
aims of the Union, expressed in the d.
rectest terms2 Surely not.
But, admitting, that on Constitutions
grounds, no valid objection can be made
against the acquisition of foreign terrific.
~; who does not know, that every insti-
luton, law, usage or custom existing in
he acquired territory, Inconsistent with
The fundamental principles of the govern
ment, making The acquisition, ceases, at
he moment of annexation, as a matter of
course. This is so plainly the instruc-
ion of common sense as to call for moth
ing but the mere statement of it. Thus.
when the District of Columbia was ceded
10 the Uniled States, the slavery then ex-
isling within it, being irrecouciiable with
fundamental objects of the government,
he esta blshment OF justice and the bless
ings of liberty, became extinct the mo-
ment the transfer was made. There was
is not-there cannot be, slave
within the District of Columbia. without
otaily disregaiding not ouI y the spirit but
he letter of The Constitution. The legis-
alive indireclion by which slavery was
continued in the District after the transfer,
was device wholly unworthy the repre-
sentalion of a people who had just adopted
such Constitution as ours. Could the
question Of the constitutiOnality of slavery
in the District, be submitted 10 compe-
tent tribunal, one not made up of actual
and others under the bias OF
slavery, there could not be a moments
doubt of the character of the decisiou.-
Before such a tribunal, the slavery SIDE
Of the question would be too bald for ar
gument.
So loo in regard to the slavery that
existed in Louisiana and Florida at the
time OF their transfer to the United States.
But it was determined on by our rulers
that u should be sustained. With that
view, as the most feasible device, provision
was made in the treaties of purchase, for
securing 10 the then resident Shareholders
of these territories their right(?) of con-
inuing to hold their slave property. By
what authority? No pOUer had been i'm
parted by the people, Ladmiltiug for argu-
ment's sa Ike, that they could lmpart such
powell 10 the government. itself, or 10 any
department. or office of it, 10 establish or
continue slavery within her jurisdicliona
domain. To infer from the silence ofthe
Constitution in regard to slavery as Ma.
Llonal- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, with full
knowledge, too, that deIiberatiOn on this
subject, engaged the attention of the Con-
vention to infer, say, from this silence,
that the people Intended TO clothe the
President and two-thirds of a quorum of
the Senate with authority 10 introduce
slavery into the Government, and this,
too, knowing, as we d. that justice and
liberty had been placed as sentinels in its
ynsti h Ia vuonId mot onl, ho a bc, ri hnt