The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-25

ty, was the declared will of Heaven toward part
of mankind.
Here, at this starting point, the two great par
ties of the country separate. 1t is on this funda-
mental truth, that all men possess the indiieH-
able right TO liberty" Separating this primal
doctrine, it is impossible for to agree upon
any collateral question in which the rights of
mankind are involved.
! These rights being expressed in language so
plain, so obvious, so just, so forcible, were well
understood by the men OF that age. Accordingly,
when the Convention which framed the Consti-
tuition met, they bore with them the full and per-
feet understanding, that Governments were con-
! stituted among men to these rights of Gt,
| liberty, and happiness" to all under their juris-
| dcton. Taking these declared objects and pur-
! poses of Governments FOR their guide, they-or
| dained that Z" no person shall be depriUed Of lie,
liberty or property, icitIOHt due process Of tytg'
This portion of the Constitution we are bound
to support. The gentleman from South Carolina
! Mr.. KEITT and myself, and every member of
| this body, have often sworn that " no person."
where Federal laws have force, where this Con-
stitution extends - shall be deDrred Of life HJerfu
or property, ecithOut die process Of lac" That
oath will observe and hold sacred; that oath
will be carried out by every true Republican, by
every true american, by every patriot. | need not
| say that due process of law has reference to
! proceeding in courts of competent jurisdiction,
| upon prosecutions regularly before them. As if
man commit murder, or piracy, or treason, he
may be charged with the offence, arrested in
| dicted, tried convicted, and sentenced, then
| by due process of law he is to be executed and
! deprived of life. If he commits robbery or lar
| ceny, he may in the same manner be indicted
tried, convicted, and sentenced TO Imprisonment
| and thus by due process of law he may be de-
prived of liberty; and for minor offences he may
be fined and deprived of property. But sir, in
| no other way, outside of the several States of
this Union, can any individual, however humble
be constitutionally deprived of life, liberty, or
property. Nor can such individual be deprived
of either of those rights except by violation of the
Constitution, and violation of the natural rights
| of mankind, which our Constitution was intend
ed to secure.
My heart swells with emotions of gratitude to
God, and respect for the memories of those who
! founded our Government and framed our Con-
stitution, when | reflect that these rights to life
liberty, and property, are thus secured by the
laws OF God and the supreme law of our Gov
| eminent to all men; to the humble and the ex-
allied, the poor and the rich, the iterate and the
learned; the man of dark complexion, of light
complexion, and of mixed complexion that all
who bear the image of God, whose countenances
| are lighted with Immortality, thus secured
in the enjoyment of their natural and inalienable
rights.
1t is true the Constitution does not give US the
power to enter within the State Jurisdictions
and legislate for the freedom of slaves held un-
der State laws nor does the Constitution pro-
| vide even that free blacks shall be allowed TO
vote or hold Office; but it does provide that out
side ofthe State jurisdictions, wherever our Fed
eral laws and Federal power extend, their Hres
their liberties, and their property, shall be 2ecurcd
! That no tyrant hand shall enslave, rob, scourge
and brutalize Gods image: That the right of
self-defence, that first principle in Natures law,
| shall mot be taken from any human being: That
no pirate hand shall be permitted to take the
life of him who resists unlawful assaults upon
his person.
Sir, during this debate many and violent at
tacks have been made upon the Republican par
! ty; but wish friends and foes to understand that
| am not about to defend the Republican party
while it stands upon its present platform of prn-
| cples. We stand where our Republican fathers
OF l77G stood. Their faith is our faith their
| doctrine is our doctrine; their objects are our
| objects; their God is our God. To defend the
doctrines of the Republican party would be to
defend the doctrines of the Republican fathers
Instead Of doing that, it is our duty to expose
! those who make war upon these doctrines upon
those who seek to Oyerturn the essential elements
| the fundamental principles on which, all our
hopes OF liberty and progress are based. Men who
war upon those doctrines are separated from the
Republican party by a moral gulf as deep and
broad as that which separated Dives and Laza-
| rus. Against them wage an unfolding de-
termined, political warfare.
Gentlemen have made inquiries rs TO the doc
! trines and policy of the Republican party. In
answer, say that no man of ordinary intelligence
| can be ignorant of our doctrines OF our policy
| Our political creed has been published to the
world. 1t is known and read by all men, II was
adopted at Philadelphia, where the original Repub-
lican creed was adopted in l776. will read the
first and principal declaration of sentiment, unan-
| imously adopted in solemn Convention. by as in
| teligent, as patriotic body of men as ever as
sembled in these United States. 1t is in these
words;
"Rsoired That the maintenance OF the principles pro-
mga,eo n me DecIaraon OF independence and perpGt-
uaied IN the Federal Constitution shall be maintained
Sir, have already shown that the great truth,
that all men are endowed by their Creator with
the inaenable right to life and liberty" was
! promulgated in the Declaration Of independence,
! and perPctudtc6in the Constitutions and now add,
! that to the maintenance Of these doctrines, the
Republican party stand pledged to mankind and
! to God,
! We are conscious that when these doctrines
were proclaimed by our Republican fathers, there
were men in the Colonies who denied them but
these men were regarded as enemies to their
! country and to mankind They were held in such
contempt, that the very name is yet regarded as
| odous.
! Mr.. BENNETT, of Mississippi I ask the mem
her from Ohio whether he, on a former occasion,
ever uttered this language that is here attributed
! to him will send it to the Clerk to be read.
! The Clerk read, as follows;
"Ilook forward to the day when there shall be a servile
/ lnsurrecuon IN the South; when the black armed
with British bayoneis and led by British officers shall
assert his freedom, and wage a of determination
against his whe the torch of the mcendary shall
light up the towns an@ ,ies Of the South, and blot
| the last vesige OF Slay very. And though | may not
mock their calamity and laugh when their fear comeh,
yet Will han IL as the dawn OF pouca millennium"
Mr. GIDDlNGS. | will answer the member
| kindly. l do not blame him; he is a young men,
ber, is unacquainted with me personally. May
| God forgive his ignorance. freely forgive him.
| have seen the language quoted by him going
| the rounds of the Democratic papers during the
! Presidential campaign. In some parts of the
country it seemed to constitute almost the whole
| capital of the party but / did not expect that
any member of this body would be green enough
! to put it forth here whence an exposure would 90
out to the whole country. On Monday, when the
member from Tennessee Mr.. SMITH alluded to
this same matter, inquired when and where
| had uttered such language. He first attempted
to say used it in Philadelphia, but finally init
mated that if had not used that language, I had
! said something else. Now, that is quite possible
| But if ! ever uttered such language, there is
record of IT, END no man can claim the right to in
/ terrUpt me while making a speech to inquire
whether the thousand and one falsehoods with
which the Locotooo press has has so long teemed,
! be true or not Yet | will say to the member
and TO all members of this body, and the country
that on no occasion, under no circumstances have
| uttered desire for the unnecessary shedding of
! human blood. have no recollection of using
| the language quoted by the member, nor have
any idea or belief that | ever used il, here or
I al rfacra aol,. -. 4. I l.