The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-06-19

Port Bill, and l am content with this prece.
dent. l have said that II any man finds In the
Gospel any support Of Slavery, il ID because
Slavery is already in himself; 80 do now say,
ifany man finds in the Constitution of ouf
country any support Of the Fugitive Slave bill
it is because that bill is already In himself -
One of our ancient masters--Ar ristotlc, ! think
tells US that every man has beast in bis bo-
som; but the Northorn citizen who has the Fu.
gitive Slave bill there, has worse than beast
la devi!--And yet in this bill, more even than
in the ostracstti at which you rebel does the
Slave Oligarehy stand confessed; heartlees,
tyrannical, grasping; careless of humanity, right
or the Constitution; wanting that foundation OF
justice which is the essential base OF every
civilized comtiunity; stuck together only by
confederaoy in spoliation; and constituting ia
itself magnum iatrocinium; while it dsgrades
tho free States to the condition of a slave plan
tation, under the lash Of vulgar. despised and
revolting overseer.
Surely, fellow citizens, without hesitation or
postponement, you will insist that this oligar.
chy shall be overthrown; and here ID the fore
most among the special duties Of the North,
now required for the honor fthe Republic, for
our own defense, and in obedience to God
Urging this comprehensive duty ought to
have hours rather than minutes before me; but
in few words you shall see its comprehensive
importance. Prostrate tho Slave Opgarchy,
and Slavery will cease at once in the National
capital. PROSTATE the Slave Oligarchy, and
the wickejness of the Fugitive Slave bill will
be expelled from the statute book. Prostrato
the Slave Oligarchy, and liberty will become
tho universal law of all the National territories.
PROSTATE the Slave OligarOhy. and the Slave
meath the national flag. PROSTATE the Slave
| Oligarchy, and the National Government will
at length be divorced from Slavery. Prostrate
the Slave Oligarchy, and the whole national
policy will be changed from Slavery to Free
dom. PROSTATE the Slave Oligarchy. and the
North will no longer be the vassal Of the South.
PROSTATE the Slave Oligarchy, and the North
will be lifted to its just share in the trusts aud
honors Of the Republic. PROSTATE the Slave
Oligarchy, and you will possess the master key
to unlock The whole house of bondage. Pros
trate tho Slave Olgarchy, and the gates Of
emancipation will be opcn at the South.
But without waiting for this contamination,
there is another special duty to be donc here
at home on our own soil, which must be madd
free in reality as in name. And here I shall
speak frankly, though not without proper
sense ofthe responsibility Of my words. know
that cannot ddress you entirely as private
citizen; but shall say nothing here which 1
have not said elsewhere, and which I shall be,
proud to vindcate any. "A lie" IL has been
said should be trampled out and extinguished
forever" and surely you will do nothing less
with tyrannical and wicked enactment. The
Fugitive Slave bill. whio il continues unrepeal-
cd, must DO made dead letter-not by vio-
lence, not by any unconstitutional activity Of
Intervention, not even by hnsty conflict between
jnrisdietians, hot by IN aroused Public Opnion
which, in its irresistible might, shall blast with
contempt, indignation and abhorrence, all who
consent to be its agents. Thus did our faith
ers blast all who became tho agents Of the
Stamp Act and surely their motive was small
compared with ours. The Slave-huhter who
drags his victim from africa Is loathed 40 q
monster, but defy any acuteness of reason
to indicate the moral difference between his
&C. and that of the slave hunter who drags his
victims from our Northern free soil. A few
puny persons calling themselves the Congress
of the United States, with the titles OF Sena-
tors and Representatives, cannot turn wrong
into right-cannot change man into thing
cannot reverse the irreversible law of God
cannot make him wicked who hunts a slave on
the burning sands of Congo or Guinea, and
make him virtuons who hunts q slave in the
colder streets of Boston or New, York. Nor
can any acuteness of reason distinguish bo-
tween the bill of sale from the kidnappsr, by
which the unhappy African was originally trans
ferred in Congo or Guinea, and the certificats.
of the Commissioner, by which, when once G
gain in Freedom. he was reduced anew to bond
age The acts are kindred and should share
kindred condemnation. h orcs III. .iiu,t;sl
One mans virtue becomes a standard of ex-h
cellence for ALL and there is now in Boston .
simple citizen, whose example may bo lesson
TO Commissioners, Marshals, Magistrates, while
IL fills all with the beauty of generous act
refer to Mr.. Hayes, who resigned his place
in the city police rather than take any part 10
tho pack of tho slave-hunter. He is now the
door keeper Of the public edifce which has
been honored this winter by the triumphant
lectures on Slavery. Better be q door keeper
in tho house of the Lord than dweller In the
tents of the ungodly. For myself let me say'
that can imagine no Office, no salary, no con-
sideration, which would not gladly forged
rather than become in any way agent for the en-
slavement of my brother man. Where, for mo,
would be comfort or solace after suoh work
In dreams and in waking hours, in solitude and
in the street, in the study of the open book and
in conversation with the world, wherever 4
turned there my victim would stare me IN the
face, while from the distant rice folds and SUI
gar plantations of the South, bis ories beneath
the vindictive lash, his moans at tho thought
Of liberty once his, now, alas! ravished away,
would pursue me, repeating the tale Of his
fearful doom, and sounding--forever sounding
lin my ears, "Thou art the mani" Mr.. Prss-s
ident, may no such terrible voice ever fall up.
on your sonl or mine. Do otrniiao u1 Gsoi % oi
Yes, sir here our duty is plain and para-
mount u While the Slave Olgarchy, thro' itg
unrepealed Slave bill, undertakes to eus'avef
our free soil, we can only turn for protection
to Public Opinion worthy Ola humane, jost
and religious people, which shall keep perpet-c
ual guard over the liberties Of all within our
borders; nay, more, which; like the flaming
sword of the cherubim at the gates OF Paradisssl
turning oresery SIDE -shall prevent any Slsve-b
hunter from ever setting foot on our sacred soil.
Elsewhere he may pursue his human prey; be
may employ his coneenial blcodhounds, and
exult in his successful game. But into these
domains of Freedom he must not come .nc And
this Public Opinion. with Freedom as its wstch-.
word, must proclaim not only the overthrow I
of the Slave bill, but also the overthrow OF the
Slavo Oligarehy behind--the two pressing du-
ties of the North, essential to our own smanci-
patton; and believe me, sir, while they rsmsiu
undone nothing 10 donss nIgal1l nfi 1nh frSt'