The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-09-04
BY G. w. BROWN & CO.
From tie National Era.

novel sound-nay, there Is scarcely an
other, more perfectly stereotyped in the
minds and hearts of the American peo-
pie. Formerly, it was supposed to possess
a meaning, and that one of no ordinary
significance. 1t was believed to denote
something of value inestimable, which
pertained alike to all the individuals of
the race, no matter of what complexion,
lineage, or geographical location. Parallel
phrases, such as natural rights, %" human
rights" &C., equally significant, are no
less familiar, and-until very late date
--have been regarded, by the people Of
this country at least, as denoting an in
heritance universal, invaluable and un-
alienable. They arc universal, because
they pertain to US in virtue Of our COM
mon humanity invaluable, because, when
deprived of them, every other object be-
comes comparatively worthless and un-
alienable, for since by their loss other
objects become worthless, we can receive
for them no adequate compensation
Need we add, that to deprive a man of
his valuable and lawful possessions with
out some adequate compensation - to
say nothing of his free consents the
very definition OF injustice. II, then hui
man rights be not an empty name, "vox,
ct preterea nihil"-if any rights pertain to
men in virtue of the place which their
Creator has assigned them in the scale of
being, it will be pertinent to inquire what
some at least of those rights are.
Some eighty years since, an assembly
of wise and virtuous men, whose fame
it has been at once the pride and the pas
sion of succeeding ages to celebrate, after
long and grave deliberation upon the con-
ditiOn of this then infant nation, and the
oppressions-as they were regarded-of
the Mother Country, solemnly enunciated,
and, at the hazard of "life, fortune and
sacred honor" boldly recorded their de-
termination to become a free and inde-
pendent people, and thus to assume and
vindicate their rank among the nations of
the earth. They then laid the founda-
ton of our country's liberty upon the fol-
lowing declaration of Human Rights" as
corner stone, never doubling that it was
an immovable rock
ave hold these truths to be self-evi-
dent-that all men are created equal that
they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness. That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the con-
sent Of the governed; that whenever any
form of Government becomes destructive
of these ends, it is the right of the people
10 alter or abolish it, and to institute a
new Government, laying its foundation on
such principles, and organizing its powers
in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their safety and happi-
ness"
This foundation Of our national liberty
remained not only mistaken, but unas-
sailed, for more than half a century,
When the storm of the Revolution, sweep
ing in blood and fire over the land, had
passed by, the sky seemed clear and the
heavens serene. In the distant Southern
horizon was seen, to be sure, small black
cloud, but it was no bigger than mans
hand, and nobody feared that it was bear.
ing onward and upward the elements of a
destructive tempest. But 1--WE live in an
age of progress" and "time and tiden are
not the only things which tarry not fol
human bidding. If the banners of Lib.
erty are borne aloft, and her cohorts are
moving forward, we have sad occasion to
remember also that the rod of oppression
is not broken, nor are her sentinels asleep
This foundation rock, on which repose.
| fho ororNOlio Of frx,sa froadfrr,
at last boldly assailed. And its assail
ants are no contemplate foe. The politi
clan, the priest, and the jurist, are al
among the leaders of the host. Whel
the politician first assured us that Thoma
Jefferson, the immortal author of ou
Declaration of Independence, penned no
the noble sentiments quoted above as sobe
truth. but merely as "a flourish of rhet
oric," we could not but admire the inge
nious device with which he could s.
quickly slide round citadel of Liberty
which no power of logic could subdue
But little did we then expect ever to Sc
the day-how fully come-when the min
lister of the Christian religion should marc
boldly up to storm its battlements, OF tn
Supreme Court of the United States, b
one bold stroke, practically demolish ii
ramparts. But these events, once so in
credible, now stare us in the face. Th
Supreme Court has at last risen to tn
sublime judicial announcement, that on
unfortunate portion of our countrymeI
amounting nearly to one-sixth, possess n
rights which the remaining portion ar
| Io,,nl 90 NJ NA,z kho III has
judicial tribunal in our land, which ougf
20 be the sure palladium of our libertie
at one fell blow has demolished, so far 6
it could, the foundation principle on whic
they rest. Yet even this high Court,
making the announcement-so shockin
to the friends of Human Rights-relit
solely for its authority upon the assume
fact, (since proved to be baseless fiction
, that this outraged portion of the huma
! family had endured the oppression unit
+ some "two hundred years of" (robbery
; "had sanctioned and sancti6ed" the il
+ iquity, and all the nation had given it Ii
most unqualified and unquestioned acqu
escence. Still, becrazed as that coul
try was by its devotion to the inte
ests Of slavery, it seems not to have d,
signed to overrun the foundation of Il
,riits mans liberty. 1t only desired
, submerge so much of the rock as fu
r nished standing place for the colort
) man. 1t seemed to forget that that roC
/ was q living principle, which knew !
a distinction of races; and that when Il
q tide of oppression, yet sleeping harmless
at its base, should once begin to rise, !
a impotent Canute might arrest the progre
4 of Its surging pillows with his " hither
shall We come, but no further"
Bold as was this extra-judicial deer
in its assault upon "the rights of man
f yet it sought to conceal its treason by Il
q wicked pretext, that he was only neg