Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-07-29
Supporting the Constitution.

htIhUtO"H pr! - sp'heu US W - f
plss alluded 10. We Often hear them when
drawing from their .terrcotyped vocabulary
talking about the "Cons,ituiion,' the
" compromi... Of the Constitution, "yio
la,inr the Constitution" tc., de. Thcs'
degenerate politicians make the general
charge that the Republicans are no, willing
20 lave up TO the Constitution as it i, or aid
in caryin. out tn provisions. NIne.tenth'
OF all this class probably never read the
Constitution Of the United States in their
lives. Ir they have looked IL over. many OF
them have been too stupid To understand u.
The charge /. Substantially this. II the
Republicans viii no. aid in hunting M and
catchin. run away slavrs.--,f they 30 NJ;
admit the Ord Scot, here.y tha, the con.
Mitution was ordained to establish slavery.
instead Of freedom. why then they are IN
faithful tn tha, instrument.
The Constitution. upon any fair cons,ruc.
ton. i a great chart Of liberty. The words
".lave or - slavery" ar, no, incorporated
into it. II. Preamble distinctly states in 80
many words. tha, it was ordained to ,e.
cur the blessings OF LlRrErr 90 ourselves
and our postsrity." The same Constitution
declarrs-' No person shall he deprived Of
hi,, trHrVTr or property, without due pro-
cess Of law" Now what - meant by the
word ,rsrson. /" (f,r q, /. used several time.
in the Constitution.) and AZ all times m the
same sense In Article I. Section .. relat-
inc 10 the prohibition Of the foreign slave
trade. nesroc. are spoken Of as persons. "
- in set. :. Art. l, and las, in Art. {.
Sect =. Now We should like b. inquire Of
thu>, who hold that the Constitution esiab.
lishe- slsvrry. what there !. in that ins,ru-
ment which gives any authority for one
person." (fr whites an blacks stand in
the same c,,ccory,) ~ brute force to en-.
slave another Where j. the article or sec.
ton from the beginning to the close Of the
Constitution. which authorizes one "psr.
son " to steal another-one "pcrson 70
ssll another. or reduce him to scryitudc
without an cquimlen, Tor his lah,rs?
Upon fair construction Of the Consii,u.
ton. there j. not a Save in tie Union, that
would not BE- set a, liberty upon wri, OF ha
bcas corpus. "Nn person shall h. deprived
Of life. h5sriy or property witbou, d4s pro.
co., oC ll,r." What law We ak j. therr in
any Of the States. which allows one per.an
10 restrain the liberty OF another, not only
withou; law, but against law But there
Is another section Of the Constitution oiten
quoted by bunker. pro-slavcry democrats,
20 remind Republicans Of their duty, which
settles the case hcyond all controversy, that
the Constitution does not create or carry
slavery any where. We refer 20 Art. g.,
Sect 3 mo - p~r'oH " held 10 service or
labor IN one State. UNrTR INA LAWS .ruERE-
o.. escaping into another. shall in conse-
quercc Of any law or regulation therein, be
discharged lrom such service or labor, hut
.hall he delivered up On claim Of the party
g. u hom such service OF labor may h. due. ="
Here the Constitution itself declare. that
slavery ~ seryitude j. the creature ~ =
STAT, Ll,r. and un'es. such "r"rsuns" A. -.
CAP. arr hold ny virtue of a state rrsula.
ton. M one can clam their rendition under
that section.
We 20 for a fair Interpretation Of tho
Constitution. and 80 lar rs any doubt. are
concerned. lih-riya q not slavery - o. have
the benefit ~ them We stand nv the Com
situ,nn as i. We stick fur the inter.
probation Of the fathers. tho.c who made It
and fully understood il in an 70. bearings.
And ve believe fully m a.. old Jack-on doc
irins. that every American citiIan has a
right % con.true the Constitution Tor him.
ELF Every man in office takes an oath to
support the Constitution. a, ., uHS,rVoHi,
a. American citizens are presumed 10 DO
their own ihinkhr. and 90 allow the as
sumption ~ up by the slack democracy,
tha, Eve Old fosy Shareholders. who happen
70 h. upon the bench Of the United S,ates'
Court, can think Tor them. and then hind
their hand. and conscieucss. y the wort
species of dcs3o,ism. We spurn all such
attempts on the part Of a slave Court 10 dis
tort the Constitution and overthrow the
government. Again, all political questions
growing out Of the Constitution arr fnr the
people and no, the Judiciary To set,le and
II ever the time shall arrive when the former
shall surrender up thi- right, it will be an
enc Of the Republic, and ought to be.