, 1859-10-04


tablished by the people.
Now it has bcen recently uscertaiued by some
Of our Democratic friends that the government
was formed for different purpose than TINT
stated in the Constitution 1tselE-that it was
formed for the sole purpose Of first taking away
the rights Of The whole peonle. Wisconsin
democracy, about which we ta1k now L davs, is
something very peculiar particularly thismodern
democracy. II you come out with this broad
latitude Of construction which is sought By the
friends Of modern democracy, Jou Gun create
BY a simple resolution in convention. You
have only to declare in convention tlat this or
that Thing is democracy, ind 1t forthxith be-
comes democracy If Jou gire it the broad
latitude Of construction 10 say that the msiority
Of the people shall rule and The will Of the ma.
10 constitutional limits. then whatever the ma
joriiy determined would be democratic; md IL
I. majority determined TINT they preferred au
absolute despoiis.n to republican government,
t!,cu al absolute despotism would become DEM
ocracr.
They tell us that in regard to this subject of
government and the rights OF the people, that
tue people have right to regulate their dones-
tic institutions in their own why, subject only
10 tue Constitution Of the United States In
one sense that is true, aud in another sense that
is not true In one sense it Is yery correct
idea, mud in another ,nse it is the most palpa-
bic absurdity in the world. Tie msjority hare
no right to do wrong. They hare no right to
oppress the minority. 1t Is because maiorities
arc likely to run into excess and oppress minor
tiles that constitutions are necessary, that re-
strictivc md prohlbitorF lnws nre necessary.
The rights Of the minority arc just rs much to
be protected under the laws Us the rights oi the
minority, and the majority hnvc no right to es.
tubish uny rule Of government which takes
away tile rights Of the lowest aud humb1est cit
izcn of the land, no matter what his color, his
class, his grade or his birthplace.
said little while ago that it had been re-
Gently .ascertainel that this government was
formed for double purpose. You have heard
Of the Drcd Scott dccision-a decision by the
Suprcehe Court Of tho United States involving
questions Of The rights Of the National Legia-
la.ure orcr the Territories and the people of
the United States. and also involving or .stion
cven beyond TINT, Us to whether the black mnn
eau be citizen Of the United States. 1t in
volyed other questions beside. but these are suf-
iicient for my purpose. Chief Justice Taney, in
giriu. his opinion, recited Us part Of tho his
| torY of the times IN which the constitution was
made md the Declaration Of Independence
| drawn, that the b!aek man had no rights which
| white men were bound to respect. The rights
| Of the black ,nan, Ike the rights Of the white
man, were bis right to life, his right to liberty,
| aud his right to tho pursuit Of happiness, II,
then, it was truc that black men had no rights
| which white men were bound to respect, then
| the white mnn was under no obligation to re-
speet the right Of the black man to bis life, bis
right TO his liberty, ana his right to the pursuit
Of happiness, simply because he WAS 4 black
nun.
| Now, take this broad ground that il is no
| mans complexion or color that gires him a
natural right 1t is not question whether lie
is black, n white, or red man but simply ia
lie man. Itis question Of manhood, not of
I II 10 mi yrh1fher 1yn n1$fz rSafn
! with black mcn-breaE bread with them around
our tables-sit by the freside with them in the
social circle, or iutcrmarry with them. That is
question Of taste, and that il not my taste. It
| is the taste of the Southern Democracy. 1t is
not tnc taste Of great majority Of the Northern
Democracy, so fat rs Know, with one eiucle
exception. Laughter.) Every man may do
| wbat he chooses in regard 10 that n1ntier.
want nothing to do with these men socially
Yoa want nothing to do With them. But be-
cause we hare this taste, and don't want to hare
ANYTHING to do with them socially. or intermasry
with them. is it any reason why their righth
should be t}anp1ed upon, so oIons as they remain
| men?
Let me cali your attention to auothcr thing
connected with this idea Of slnvcry--some Of
them tell Us that slavery Ia creature Of local
Iaw. That used to be the Southern doctrine ;;
but it is not nov. 1t is the doctrine of the great
mass Of tue Northern Democracy, and of too
many Of the Republicans. / say It is not the
creature Of iocai Law, and will teII you why I
say so-it is because there is not single consti-
tut1on Of single slave State that ever under.
took to create the relation Of master and siaye--
not one. Yet slavery exists there, and they say
exists constitutionally. The relation Of master
and slave existed before constitutions were
/ made, before there were any Laws mnde upon
this subject Itexssted before we had q Federal
Constitution. Slzvcry was not q creature Of
local municipal enactment under our govern
ment-
It existed before the laws on the subject we're
made in q single slave State-befoYc single
constitution was made in single stsve State
The constitution and 1nws Of the s1ave States
found it an existing institution; but they did
not create it, or undertake to create it they
op1y 60 on to regulate it.
Lei me tell 5ou another thing; il is not in the
power Of Legislative body to make one man
The property Of another. The idea is palpable
absardisy- Suppose to-day, the legislature Of
Wisconsin should pass a law, that on Monday
next should be tie STARE of my friend Hobart !;
Iowa, and be in New York There is that oct,
with MI tue formally Of legislative enactment,
signed by the Speaker Of tue House, and the
President Of the Senate, and approved by the
executive; bnt when Monday came would not
be slaye; but away in Iowa, going whittier
the frea air, trcaaing the free soil, and smiling
in the gtorious sunshina Of God, would not
| be his slsre. although that act il there When
would become his SLAVE: When We came in
contact and he, hy superior strength forced me-
to become his slave, yielding to him entirely. in
spite Of oil my Opposition, uptii he could bug
and sell me, blood, bones and all Then l
| would ba his property; but not BY virtue d
that ast on the statute book, making me his
| property; bat bF the exercise Of his power to
| overcome ms strength and reduce NETT subjec.
tion. That is what makes one mau the slare ol
| nnnther man,