The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-04-06

has been announced over the hand of tho
Governor. 1t shc ws majority Of ten
thousand voters against this Lccompton
constitution. 1t was an indication Of pub
lie sentiment, clear, distinct, and decisive
---one that no man can deny or evade.
1t stamps the seal Of popular condemna
tion on this document. 1t brands it as
swindle that has escape from the Terrific
ry to deceive with lying pretenses, and
counterfeit with brazen arrogance.
And now, Mr.. Chairman, / ask, are
members of the merican Congress ready
TO become actors and participants in this
scheme? Are they, in the MONDAY Of the
nineteenth century, and with the flag of
the free floating above their heads, will
ling to commit this great crime against
justice and right? Are, they, with the
impulses of manhood in their Lcarts and
the obligations Of official duty upon their
consciences, ready to become parties to
this trickcry and fraud! Will they force
upon an unwilling, protesting people,
cons tuition that is rank with usurpaton
and rotten with the leprosy Of falschood
1u American Con @ ress will lend itself 70 such
despotism, or stoop to such degradation.
now reach the last point of inquiry: is
this Lecompton constitution republican in
it's provisions? Let me read one of them.
The first section of the seventh article de-
clares:
''rhe right Of properly is before and CHER
than any constitutional sanction. and the right
Of the owner Of slave to such slave and ITS in.
crease is the same, and is nvioable, as the right
of the owner Of any property whatever"
Now, l assert that constitution in
dorsinr and avowing such principle is
not a repu blican constitution, in any true
signification of the word. deny that
the institution of slavery is founded on
natural right, or that it has sanction be-
fore and above any constitutional law. 1t
is monstrous doctrine, contravening cve-
ry fundamental principle Of our Cove rn-
ment, and falsifying tie testimony of the
living and the dead.
Washington, when he took his farewell
of earth, left his recorded opinion of slave :
ry as moral and political wrong. JEFF
ferson donorneed "the whole commerce
between master and slave" as "a contin-
ual exc rcisc of the most unrcmitting des
potism on the one part and degrading SUI :
mis- ion on the other;" and asked emphat-
ica'ly-
"With what execration should the Statesman
be loaded, who, permitted one half of the citizens
thus to tramplo the rights Of the other. trans
forms those into despots and these into enemies,
destroys the morals of the part and the amor
patriG of the otherl Can tue liberties Of nation
be thought secure. when we have removed their
firm basis, conviction. in the minds of the pco-
pe that these liberties are the gift of God! that
they are not violated butby His WRATH Indeed.
ttemble for my country when reflect that God
is jnst, and His Justice cannot sleep forever"
And even southern courts stamp this
doctrine Of the Locompton constitution as
falls /; they declare that slavery is a. un-
natural right, existing only By Writ ue Of To-
: cal laws. 1t was decided in the State Of
Mississippi, (soo Walkers Reports, se,(
that
"The right of the master exist by force Of the
law of nature Of nations, but by virtne only of
the positive law Of the State"
In The same State, the court say, (Wal-
ker's Reports, 423
Slapery is condemned by reason and he iars Of na-
cipal regulations"
A Kentucky court, in the case Of r. n
kin as. Lydia, e Marshall's reports,)
declare that slavery Is
"a right existing by positive law, of a munich
pal character, pithoat foundation in the lao Of ma
tnre the uRnritteR and iap'
place by the side of this Lecompton
Instrument the Constitution of our fathers
"a Constitution that comes dowa to us
as a sacred legacy from the sagcs Of the
Revolution. The men who framed it a
vowed it to be their object to establish JUS
tice and secure he blessings of liberty to
themselves and their prosterity. That
Constitution you and ] have sworn to
support. 1t is a standard 10y which we
can de erlninc the political doctrines
of better day; and vixen we contrast
them with those Of the present, we have
startling evidence ofour downward pro-
gress. 1t is a significant fact that the fra.
mers Of the Federal Constitution excluded
even words that would imply an idea of
property in man; while this Lecompton
contrivancc indorses property in man as
founded on good policyand natural rigth !!
Sir ! will never recognize the doctrine
that this Lecompton constitution teaches,
or the principles that it avrws. If it had
received the sanction of every citizen, of
the Territory Of Kansas, it would make no
difference with my vote; for constitution
which places slavery over and above law.
is constitution which no community or
people have right t. makc and, sta nd
ing hero by virtue of tho sufferages of sew
cnteen thousand frcemcn, and in their
name, | declare that | will never, by my
vote recognize any extension of slavery
outside of the limits whero State sovereign.
ty now protects it. The motto of my peo.
pie is, mo moro slave States" Their
position is unequivocally en- the side of
free labor and FREQ institutions. They
protest against the extension, by tho in.
huence Of this Government, Of system
which inevitably degrades the white labor.
or, and which gives to the owner Of five
slaves politcical power equal to that Of four
of our own free electors. So far as that
unfair advantage exists under the compro.
misses Of the Federal Constitution, they
yield to il; but they go not an inch beyond
They yield TO no men in loyalty TO the
Union and allepiance to the Constitution