The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-04-12
Speech of John a. Bingham.

Of Ohio, IN the House of Representa-
tives, on Kansas matters. We make the
following eloquent extract:
"We have seen that this act of the
Territory OF Kansas makes it felony for
a free citizen of the United States to
maintain that persons have not right to
hold slaves in that Territory. | deny,
sir, that the Territory has the power con-
ierred upon it by its organic law to makc
such an enactment. 1 insist upon it
that 1t is restrained by the very words of
the Statute from doing it; and that any
territorial enactment which makes it
felony ior citizen of the United States
10 know, to argue, and to utter freely, ac-
cording to conscience, is constitutionally
void, because it is not consistent with
that provision of the Constitution which
declares that the Congress of the United
States shall not pass any law abridging
the freedom of speech or of the press
1t has conferred the power of legislation
ON that Territory; but as, at the same
time of couferring that power, it said, in
terms plain and clear to the comprehen-
sion OF any man, that such legislation
should only extend to such rightful sub
jects of legislation as were consistent
with the Constitution. Congress has
the power to restrain and prevent any
such legislation. By permitting it to
stand, Congress approves it and, in fact,
enacts it. What Congress does by an
other, it does itself in effect.
Gay. sir, Congress is to abide by this
statute, which makes it felony for a citi-
zen to utter Or publish in that Territory
ANY sentiment calculated to induce slaves
to escape from the service of their mas
ters.' Hence it would be felony there to
utter the strong words of Algernon Sid
ney, Resistance to tyrants is obedience
to God;' felony to say with Jefferson,
Il have sworn upon the altar of my God,
eternal hostility to tyranny in every form
over the mind and body of man. a felo-
ny to utter there, in the hearing of
slave, upon American soil. beneath the
American flag, the words of flame which
shook the stormy soul of Henry, Give
me liberty, or give me DEATH felony
to read in the hearing of one of those
fettered bondmen the words of the Dec
laration, 'All men are born free and
equal, and endowed by their Creator
with the inalienable rights of life and
liberty a felony to utter there those other
words, blazing in letters of living light
on the great written charter of our Ma
tional Government. We the people of
the United States, in order to establish
iustice,' the attribute of God, aud 'to Sc
cure liberty the imperishable right of
man, do sordain the Constitution felo-
ny to harbor or aid slave escaping from
his thraldom; felony to aid freedom in
its flight; felony to shelter the house
less, to clothe the naked, to feed the hun
CRY, and give to the famishing cup of
water in the name of our Master. Oh,
sir, before you hold this ecactment
binding upon an American Congress,
tear down that banner of freedom which
floats above US, for stirring "reminiscences
linger in its folds, and the stars upon its
field of azure have cleaned upon the
field of poised battle.' where the earth
quake and the fire led the charge. and
where American virtue and American
yalor maintained the unequal conflict
against the mighty power of British
tyranny and oppression. Before you
hold this enactment 10 be law, burn our
immortal Declaration of our free-written
Constitution, fetter our free press. and
finally penetrate the human soul and put
out the light of that understanding
which the breath of the Almighty hath
Aindled.''