The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-22


of the Constitution, could be thrust be-
fore the American people from the Su-
preme Judiciary, and receive the sanction
of the Chief Magistrate. An ancient
Roman prince said, that if truth should
be driven from every other place, it
ought to find home in the hearts of
, rulers.
We have fallen upon evil times, when
Chief Justice and Chief Magistrate
deliberately and officially utter what,
seemingly, they must know to be un-
true. Terrible are the necessities and
exactions of Slavery! How can these
gentlemen help knowing that these dec
larations are untrue? Do they not con-
tradict the entire history of the country?
Do they not contradict the repeated dec
larations of Madison on this very point ?
Has he not averred, over and over
again, that the idea of property was
carefully kept out of the Constitution,
so that when Slavery should cease to
exist in the States, there would be no
! evidence in that instrument that it had
ever existed at all And now this in
strument, so instinct with the spirit of
Freedom, so abhorring the idea of prop
erty In man, that it would not be pollu-
ted with the word slave, slavery, or ser
vitude even, this Constitution is assumed,
by its own inherent force, without any
express law or legislative sanction what
ever, to carry human chattelism into
the Territory of Kansas, and if into the
Territory of Kansas, into the State of
Kansas for what right has Kansas, or
any other State, to adopt Constitution
that contradicts or invalidates the Con-
stitution of the United States? If the
slave-owner holds his slave in Kansas by
a tenure derived from the Constitution,
/ would like to know what power can
take it away? If a new State forms a
Constitution with a clause prohibiting
Slavery, and comes and asks admission
into the Union with such an organic law,
it must be sent back with mandate to
strike out the prohibitory clause, as be-
ing contrary to the Federal Cons
This has at last been settled by the
highest judicial tribunal in the land.
And it is a mystery to President Blu
chanan how any one ever could doubt
it. Under this doctrine, carried to its
logical results, no more free States could
ever be added to the Union. Prob pudor!
To this complexion it must come at last.
To this complexion it has come already.
The question now is, whether the coun-
try shall be the home of Freedom or the
lair of Slavery whether the despotism
of the fetter and the scourge shall WELD
the sceptre, and Liberty be driven into
exile.
But still farther as to this property
principle. If human beings are prop
erty, as is now claimed, why has Fede-
raj legislation declared the slave trade
piracy? Is it piracy to 60 to the coast
of Africa and trade in elephants teeth,
or in palm oil, or in any other article of
commerce that may be produced there .?
If this property claim is correct, then
this law is unjust, and ought to be re-
pealed, unless it is to be considered in
the light of protective tariff, to en-
courage and promote slave breeding at
home.
More than this how often is it that
when slave owners lie down upon the
death couch, and look the future in the
face, they emancipate their slaves? How
often do they do it as a reward for some
heroic achievement Did you ever hear
of men emancipating their cattle in their
last will and testament Do they ever
bequeath freedom to their swine? or ex-
tend that precious boon to Newfound-
land dog that had rescued child from a
watery grave?
Besides, to whom belong all the stray
cattle that are without owners in this
country? There is certainly a goodly
herd of them. How many millions of
dollars worth / have not the means at
hand of estimating accurately. Per-
haps, at the instance of the President,
the Chief Justice would enter up judy
ment against them, and enter capias.
They have no rights that are to be
regarded. They are property, and all
property ought to have an owner. They
would bring goodly sum, hard as are
the times, enough to 60 far towards car
rying Pennsylvania for a second term.
But meant to be serious, and I will.
| have no patience with these abhor-
rent assumptions, for cannot call them
arguments, which claim property in man.
Such claims are an insult to the intelli-
gence, the Christianity, and the civiliza-
tion of the age.
have final objection to urge against
Slavery, and much more against its ex-
pansion. 1t lies across our country's
glory and destiny.
Century after century rolled over the
world-nay, whole decades of centuries
wore YEARLY away in earth's history
and the dogma gained universal preva-
lence and belief, that kings ruled by
right divine. Del gratia rer was en-
craven on their coin. This dogma was,
by education, Incorporated in the COM
mon faith, and acquired all the strength
of a religious principle, and all the ar
dor of a devotional sentiment.
i hardly need recite the unhappy
results that flowed to mankind from the
prevalence of this dogma. Monarchs
welded a sceptre of iron. The masses
were deemed of no value, only as they
could minister to. the lust, power, or
ambition, of the ruling class. The
Government was not made for them, but
they for the Government. Their blood
saturated the soil, and their bones en-
riched it. They had no rights that