Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-28
DAILY NATIONAL ERA.

man, in virtue simply OF his humanity. lhis
right includes his right TO his body and his
mind, to his material and his spiritual nature.
IL is the foundation of all responsibility; for
the moment cease to have right to myself,
that moment also cease to be responsible for
my actions, either to God or to man. 1t is this
right which distinguishes me from brute.
Brutes are endowed with no such right, and
we may lawfully enslave them, slaughter them,
and feed on them. Governments are estab-
lished and laws are enacted, not to confer this
right-it existed before them-but to prevent
its violation. II is the sole foundation OF the
right of property; for if have right to my
self have right to the product OF my own
energies, provided those energies are nnocently
directed--that is, not in interference with this
right in another.
But assume the opposite, and what is the
result Suppose man not to have right
to himself and what is the consequence (?
Government is impossible. Every man be-
comes the prey Of every other man. Right
personal and right in property are annihilated
by a single blow. Turks may Cypress Greeks
Russians may trample on Turks, Austrians
may deluge Italy or Hungary in blood, and no
right is violated. Nay, more: you, sir, may
enslave me, Ok may enslave you; the white
man may ensave the black man, and the
black man nay in turn enslave and MUIR
der the whit man, and all are innocent of
crime The rising of the slaves universally
would thus b justified, and all cause for our
aiding to subaue insurrection would be taken
away. But it is needless to pursue doctrine
so monstrous Slavery is a sin against God,
and an outrage on humanity. 1t deprives a
man not Of one or another right, but it vio-
lates that fundamental law of humanity on
which all right rests. would protest against
this iniquity anywhere, in the name of hui
mainly, and Justice, and universal love | pro-
test against it, here at home specially, when
this outrage is to be perpetrated on soil of
which and every other American citizen are
the sole andrightfnl possessors
But secondly, as an American citizen pro-
test against his bill. Our Government owes
its existence to the assertion of the principle
to which have just alluded-that every man
has right 10 himself The Declaration of In
dependence, that bill of rights which made us
nation, affrms, first of all, "We hold these
truths to be sell. evident, that oil men are Gre
ated equal that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable rights that
among these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness It was for this principle that
our fathers contended in that prolonged strug-
gle, the Revolutionary war; 1t was for this
that blood was poured out like water at Con-
cord and Bunker Hill, at Bennington and
Saratoga, at Red Bank and Trenton and York
town. And when they asserted this principle,
they asserted it of humanity, without exclu-
ding from it any portion of the race. This is
abundantly shown by the writer's of that time,
who were also actors in the war of independ-
ence. To omit the mention Of all the men at
~ n - - ~, 49, II
lection the names Of Washington, Jefferson,
Madison, and, in fact, all the fathers of the
Republic, whose opinions were of sufficient i'm
portance to reach to the present day.
The sentiments of these men were fully OK
empEaed by the act Of 1887. Slavery existed
in eeveral Of the States. 1t was acknowledged
to be at variance with the sentiments of the
whole people, and in violation Of the principle
asserted in the Declaration of Independence
That it might be forever restricted within its
then limits, and thus be more easily extin-
guished, all the territory then possessed by the
Confederation was declared to be forever free
When ths CONSTITUTION was adopted, the OBJ
iect Sor which il was formed was explicitly
stated; hyas TO esfabhsk Justice, and aeerre
-, kfsziags Of libsrtyn II is the recognition
q this principle, as the great object Of our
Uni0n, that gave this nation consideration
among men. This we have always, it has
been said even obtrusivcly, claimed for our
selves IL is in this respect that we have
held ourselves up in contrast with Govern
ments in which the rights of man az man
were trampled under foot. 1t is this principle
which has made the stars and stripes tho
dawning star of Liberty TO the civilized world.
Abolish thir and there il nothing more to dis
tinguish US from those despotic oligarchics in
which few declare themselves free, while they
hold millions under them in bondage.
Now, / affirm that this proposed measure is
in the gravest sense revolutionary, far more 30
than il it enacted that the Office of President
should be abolished, and its place supplied by
an hereditary monarchy. This latter might
be done, and yet the great object for which
the Government was established be maintain
ed: but here the great object for which the
Government was formed is not changed, but
reversed Tho particular manner in which
the agents of Government are to be related
TO each other and to the people, is of far less
consequence than the principle by which all
their action Is to be directed.
An insurance company is formed to protect
buildings from loss by fire. IL establishes it's
laws and elects its officers. But If its object he
reversed, and it devotes itself to setting build
ings on fire, 1t were vain TO tell me that they
elected their President in the same manner, OF
that the clerks and the President we're not per-
mitted to interfere with the duties Of each
other. Nor, were an original member Of such
company, could |, by any cry Of union, be
persuaded 70 be partner TO their transactions.
| should say, the object being changed, the as
sociation is dissolved, and will be a partaker
in none Of your villany. Now, cannot bnt
consider this measure rs Of precisely this char
acter. We united TO form Government on
the principle Of the Declaration Of Independ-
ence and the preamble Of the Constitution
namely, to establish justice and secure the
blessings Of liberty to illustrate to the world
the truth that all men are endowed by their
Creator with an nalienable right TO life, liber.
ty, and the pursuit Of happiness. This bill re-
verses this principle, and makes this Govern
ment declare that men are not endowed with
these rights, and that our object is not to cs-
tablish justice or secure the blessings OF hber-
- b,,t - o~kov,d C1o vorv ovcr orr whole do