The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-20

| shall guaranty to every State in this Union re-
publican form of government" but CLEARLY founded
upon oligarchical principles, therevolutiOn in the
Government, for which the slave power has been
| for years laboring, would be accomplished, and
an oligarchy, nation of classes, Government
founded in the theory that men are not equal, but
alsrdys and necessarily belong TO different eLdsscs IN
respect to political and Grill rights and priUisges
would be acknowledged to be the proper Gov
eminent for a State of this Union.
Now, sir, if it be indeed true that the right OF
An owner of slave is before and higher than
| any constitutional sanction it follows that
slaveholding is founded in natural law; it Is a
God given and indesructible right it is above
| all merely human laws it cannot be destroyed
or impaired by any earthly power. This dogma,
if true at ALL is all true if good in and for Kan
| sas it is equally good in and for Maine, and FOR
| every State in the Union. II is truth of u IL
versal application, and can be legitimately e.
sisted nowhere. And pray, sir what does an C.
acknowledgement of it involve Why, undoubtedly
this that, as the right to hold slaves is from the
Almighty, it is wrong, and even impious, to deny
| it that whatsoever relation God has established
among his creatures is not only right but one
which human laws must assail in vain and that
| Governments and institutions based upon differ
| ent relations are false and immoral they are in
| opposition to the laws of God in violation of
| His holy will they mock His wisdom and power.
| Hence, you per Give, Mr.. Chairman, that every
free State is established upon false aud atheistc
| principles while those States which recognise
the Divine right of men to hold property in men
are in harmony with the highest laws are true
and religious States and may well look for the
favors and benedictions of Heaven. Thus we
arrive at the logical conclusion that a Govern.
ment which does not rest upon the Olgarchcai
theory of castles classes is righful and legt-
innate Government. This is the lesson of the Lee
/ ~ I
recognition of it by the Congress of the United
States, is what the shareholders designed to ac-
complish by the admission of Kansas under that
Constitution.
Heretofore, in the admission of States into the
Union with Constitutions establishing or protect
ing Slavery, there has been no such acceptance
of the oligarchical idea as would have resulted
from the admission of Kansas under the Lecomp-
ton Constitution for in no previous instance has
the Constitution presented by a State applying
for admission contained provision like the one
which have read from the Lecompton Constitu-
ton. These Constitutions, so far as am informed
have all been framed on the hypothesis that Sla
very might be established or regulated by posi-
tive law, and not that il existed by natural ane
universal law. They have never assumed THAI
Slavery was of inherent right, and that laws in-
hibiting il were violations of the higher law ana
therefore void. From their provisions no infer
ence cou be drawn that Freedom was not as
good as Slavery and we know, historically that
their trainers, with few exceptions, regarded Sia-
very as an evil; and that until within a few
years the great majority of the citizens of the
slave States have looked upon all legal and con-
siitutional guarantees of the slave system within
the States as the adjuncts of a state of society
which would soon pass away. The Constitu.
tons to which | have referred contained proyis-
ions for the regulation of an existing evil; but
the Lecompton Constitution denied that Slavery
was an evil, and affirmed its intrinsic rightful-
ness and its universal necessity. The former
treated Slavery as thing TO be endured for a
time, Notwithstanding its oligarchcal character
the latter as an institution TO be cherished and
defended on account of that character. A State
which tolerates a system oligarchical in its ma
ture, and which it knows not how 10 be well rid
of, may, nevertheless, be a republican State.
within the meaning of the Federal Constitution
for Its government and temper may, on the whole
be republican; whereas, State in which such a
system should be in accordance with its central
ideas, the outgrOwth of its cherished polfty and
the substratum of its society could not, with any
propriety, be called republican
This extraordinary article of the Lecornpton
Constitution was not necessary for the protection
of Slavery in Kansas for this end might have
been effected by such. provisions as have been
emoudied in the Constitutions of other States but
Tor the designs OF the Shareholders il was of the
first Importance If they could succeed in bring
ing Kansas into the Union with Constitution not
merely protecting or establishing Slavery, but
also declaring it to he just and Indispensable
relation In every well-Ordered society and in every
true Government, it was believed that all serions
opposition TO Slavery and its extension in this
country would cease, and that the transforma-
uon ofthe Government from a Union offree States
TO confederation of oligarchies would be easy
and certain Failing Ia carry this point, the
Democratic party next insisted to the end that
the oligarchical idea should in some way be de-
clared preferable to the republican, that a State
with a slave Constitution should come into tho
Union with forty-fve thousand inhabitants. and
protested that no free State should be admitted
with less than ninety-three thousand.
Mr. Chairman, ! have dwell longer, perhaps
than was necessary, upon these facts and refer
ences but desired to show, BIZ the most incop-
testable proofs, what the ulterior DESIGNS Of the
Slavery propagandsts are and that the Demo-
cratic party is their organ and representative.
ana iully committed TO the work of executing
their commands
Now, sir, the other idea-the Democratic &c
opposed to the aristocraiic the Republican as
contrsdistinguished from the oligarchic-tbe idea
upon which this Government. was founded will
never se lett without representative among the
political parties OF the country. When. after
years of uneasiness and apprehension, it became
apparent to the people Of the free tates that the
Democratic party, as 1t calls itself had been sub
sldIzed by the Shareholders and il was seen that
among the organizations of the day there yyss no
one which, from its combined earnestpess and
liberality, was competent to maintain the cause
OF liberty and republeanism against the plottings
OF the slaveholdIng oligarchy, they DELAYED not
10 cali INTO existence q party which thew hoped
might be able to execute this high commission
ana they gave 1t the name of the REPUBLICANS
rAHif. or, what better or more appropriate name
could have been give 10 it? II is suggestive of
tne oe'ter days OF the Republic; it has an odor
Oh genuine nationality its associations are Of
liberty, order, and law it is the name by which
the author of the Declaration of Iudependence
and the father of the Constitution. chose IN he
known 1t speaks for itself, and needs no ouali.
Tying terms and men who are afraid or ashamed
To own It, are not, fear, those to whose Guidance
'"e arm VI Tue constitution may be safely com
n'i'eu. ne party which is worthy to wear il
should hold every lover of liberty every Aatar ne
oppression, every opponent of Slavery fanaticism
whsther In the North or in the South for II draws
the breath OF its life from the Declaration of In
dependence, audit stands in defence of the Con-
stitution"
This party was formally organized at Philadel
phla, In the month of June, 1856 and in the suc-
ceedlng carried the elections in eleven
OF the free States by unparalleled maiorities: and
II 1t is not to-day in the ascendency in every free
state TINS side of the Rocky Mountains, the ex
cepuons are those States only in which its friends
nave been unwilling to stand upon the strength
OF their own principles, and within the organizs-
ton OF their own party, but have sought alliances
and coalitions with men, and bodies of men, whose
purposes were not coincident. with their own.
thinking to gain something by swapping off prin-
cples for voters, and ideas for allies Sir, this
policy cannot win. God forbid that it should.
Its fruits, where it bears any are Dead Sea ap-
pies. The party which seeks to obtain power
by adopting it will expose itself to the fate of the