The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-16
JEFFERSON AGAINST DOUGLAS.
SPEECH OF HON. AARON n. CRAGlN,
OF New Hampshire,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AUGUST a. 1856

The House being in Committee OF the Whole the
of the Union
Mr.. CRAGIN said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: If these were ordinary times,
should be quite content to return to my con-
stituents at the close of this session, with the
simple record of my votes. But, sir these are ex-
traordinary times; times when great principles
are at stake; times that call for words as well as
acts. At such a crisis, when the theory of our
Government is questioned and denied, when
even freedom of speech is denied in the Halls OF
Congress, the commission Of free and generous
people, which gives me equal privilege upon
this floor, commands my voice, if for nothing
else, to demonstrate and vindicate their right OF
free discussion.
My own inclination, as well as my sense OF
duty, leads me to the discussion of the one great
question that now occupies the public mind.
The subject that has entered so largely into the
debates in this hall for the past six months will
claim my attention while the clock shall measure
the passing hour.
Mr.. Chairman, the demands of Slavery for
extension and political power have become so
unreasonable, persistent, and violent, that no
man who values the welfare of his country and
desires the perpetuity of the great truths estab-
lished by the Revolution, can be silent or in
different spectator in the momentOus struggle
now pending. The issue that is TO decide the
future history of our country now presses upon
US. We are called to a great responsibility. The
rights of the people are in danger. The same
great rights which our ancestors battled for are
threatened and denied. If these rights were
worth half the price paid by the noble patriots
of the Revolution, they are worth preserving
now. God helping us, we will preserve them,
and hand them down to posterity unimpaired.
Propose to contrast the past with the present,
and show how far the Government has departed
from the principles and policy of Washington and
jefferson, on the question of human rights.
When our forefathers reared the magnificent
structure of free Republic in this Western land,
they laid its foundations broad and deep in the
eternal principles of right. Its materials were
all quarried from the mountains Of truth and,
as it rose majestically before an astonished
world, it rejoiced the hearts and hopes of man
kind. Tyrants only cursed the workmen and
their workmanship. Its architecture was new.
1t had no model in Grecian or Roman his
tory. 1t seemed paragon, let down from Heaven
to inspire the hopes Of men, and to demonstrate
the favor Of God to the people of a new world.
The builders recognised the rights of human
nature as universal. Liberty, the great first
right of man, they claimed for "all men," and
claimed it from "God himself" Upon this
foundation they erected the temple, and dedicated
1t to Liberty. Humanity, Justice, and Equality.
Washington was crowned its patron saint.
The work completed was the noblest effort of
human wisdom. But it was not perfect. 1t had
one blemish-a little spot-the black stain of
Slavery. The workmen-the friends of Freedom
verywhere-deplored this. They labored long
and prayerlully to remove this deformity They
applied all the skill of their art; but they abored
in vain. Selfinterest was too strong for patriot
ism and the love of Liberty. The work stood
still, and for time it was doubtful whether the
experiment would succeed. The blot must re-
MAN, or the whole must fail. The workmen re-
vanished their work, to conceal and cover up
the stain. Slavery was recognised, but not
sanctioned. The word slave or slavery must
not mar the Constitution. So great an incon-
sistency must not be proclaimed to the world.
All agreed, at that time, that the anomaly
should not increase, and all concurred in the
hope and belief that the blemish would gradu-
ally disappear. Those noble men looked for