Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-08-09
Ubc Antt- 5loprrp BuoIc.
SPEECH OF
G Err RIT SMITH.

" IL IL IL l. l. y M L l. Ill.
In Tie Kansas Convcation IN Bq0aio, July 10, 1856.
MR. PRESIDENT: Of my series of resolutions
the Convention has adopto1 the three, which set
forth our plan OF operations. | wish that the 9TH
Resolutions IN this series hight also be adopted
But it is objected to of thcm that they 20 to
array us din Getty and dangerously against thc Gov
ernment. In point of fact, however, the Govern
ment has disappeared. 1t has identified itself with
tho scoundrels who invade and tyrannize over Kan
sas. 1t is sunk and lost in Border Eulianism-
Had We q Government, We should have occa-
sion and no right to be here dcyising succor and
dolivcrance for the oppressed and outraged people
of Kansas. In that VIC should have stayed
mt home and called or Government to do this work.
With me Government is II sacred thing | can
never consent to the usurpaton OF its powers. To
it alone under Heaven do ! accord the right to
destroy human life Not even to subycrt whole
system of slavery, would have one drop of blood
shed aside from tho legitimate operations of al
existing Government. Where Government does
not exist-where GUcrnmcnt is not 9rcsent-indi-
vduais and communities must do. as best they
can. They may feel bound to extcmporizc q Gov
ernmcnt-to make themselves the Government.
In such circumstances are the people of Kansas
and VIC their friends. We may WELD the sword,
because there is no Government or rather be-
cause through the failure of government we obey
the necessity of the case, and recognize ourselves
to We the Government.
just here let me advert to the great mistake,
into which the people and friends of Kansas fell.
They took ground against the Missouri scOundrels;
but the Federal ovcrnmcnt-unworthy Of the
name OF government and called such by me only
for the sake Of CONFERENCE.-The Government, the
patron and partner of these less guilty scoundrcs
they declined to oppose. Absurd distinction =
Disastrous inconsistency for it is this Govern
mont, which maintains and cniorccs the spurious
and cruel dominion, that the Missouri scoundrcls
have set up in Kansas. Are there Of late some
symptoms Of the relentings of the Federal Govern
ment? The relcntiugs are probably far more po.
litic than sincere 1t is true, that the Kansas Bill
which recently passed the Senate, would nullity
some of the worst enactmcnts of the Ruff IN Leg
islature. But it leaves that Legislature still in cx-
istencc, and free to enact tUrturUg expressions
as any, which it has hitherto cnactcd--as any,
viii ;h Congress might repeal | admit that it
can hardly do than it has done. | admit
that IL Legislature which has enacted, that, in
order to vote, man must swear to support the
Fugitive slave Act; and that holding anti-savcry
sentiments is disqualification for sitting as IL
Juror; and that to be sent to the Pcnitentiary for
two years. is not too severe punishment for ex-
pressing opinion against the righluncss of slave
holding; l admit, that such Legislature has
probably done its very worst, and is longer ca
pablc Of beating ITSELF
What We ask of Congress is to sweep aside this
whole luiiian GOvcrnmcn5--its Election, Statutes,
Legislature, Judiciary Executive and all Moth.
the people of Kansas still under that Government
and with the Federal Government still to enforce
it, then is COngreas, whatever the deceptive APP
pcaranGcs may get up to the contrary, to be re-
gardcd rs the enemy of Kansas; and then must
the people and friends of Kansas draw the sword
TO defend themselves, as we'll against the Federal
troops rs against Missouri and other l;ulians.
Another objection to these Resolutions is that
if adopted they will emburrass the friends and pre-
judice the cause of freedom at the approaching
Election. This objection has been urged both with
in and without the Convention.
Most Of you are rel ying largely on political ac
ton, and especially ON the next Election to save
Kansas. Unhappy reliance! speak deliberately,
when say, that nothing so much ~ that reliance is
now in the way of the dclivcrancG Of Kansas. NUu
are looking to ballots, when you should be looking
to bay0nets counting up voters, when you should
be mastering armed and none but armed emf
grants: cectionecring for candidates for civil rulers
when you should be inquring for military rulers
All the time, that you are making this mistake,
slavery is lortyGyinG itself in Kansas, and weaken
ing and eXpcliing liberty. Political action is our
greatest hnderance, because it delays the only
remedy for the wrongs of kansas-bccausc it d-
reefs us from the only dctlOn that Is now called
fOr--tho action of armed men. There Il 'timc
when slavery could have been ended by political
action. But that time has gone by:-and, as |
apprchend forever. There not vii tue enough
i'll tho American people to bring slavery to a blood
less termination all that now remains for them
is to bring it 10 IL bloody one. No man has called
longer than have ON the American yeoYle to vote
slavery to death. For many years however ! have
wellnigh dcspaircd of their doing so and for the
last month or two | have entirely dcspared Of it,
For long time slavery has been giving proofs to the
whole land OF its utterly lawlcss ana piratcal char
actcr. For long time it had shown, that no laws
no constitutions, and no conventions can bind it
and it is ever ready TO break the most solemn COM
pacts the first moment it becomes its interests to
brnak them Rut nov uutI within tho lact fvrol
months has it openly, forced its way by fire and
sword into new and free territory. And yet
since this outrage, and notwithstanding all this
s1roYGcaion to resolve to vote slavery to DEATH the
american people have held their great political
Conventions, and resolved to let slavery live. Will
it be said, that thorc is large party which for
bids its extension? There is not. All the great
political parties agree, that slavery may live in
any present and also in any future State. One of
themt is true is opposed 10 its living in Territories
and this is all tae differences in this respect be-
tween them. As if any of tho sheep folds could
be sato for even any time, so long rs the wolf is
suffered to live. All but one of these parties
say: "Let the wolf so whore he pleases. Let him
go among any or all the sheep" Tho other
Gays, "Yes--savo onlya fow folds, into which he
must not go for the present." All but one of the
parties say: "4es--sayc only few parts of it for
ihe presepi" As if any part could be saved, un-
acss the fire is oztinguishcd in in every part.
What is worse than all--just now, when slavery
is making such unusual demonstrations of Its utter
lawiossness, the great political parties are especial
ly forward to confess, that it is obligatory and
sacred law, just now. when the deeds ofthis pro-
eminent pirate ara calling louder than ever for
sentence OF outlawry against 1t, these great par
ties are louder than over in according to slavery
inviolable legal rights. They are still guilty Of
the folly of holding that the Federal Constitution
"a paper, which is all for liberty and not at all
for slavory-logalaes, or at least admits the legal
ity of slavery. But how absurd to muintain, iiat