The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-03-28
Constitution of the United States was in

ator will not contradict the statement. |
have on extract from one of his speeches
now before me, in which that proposition
is distinctly pu. FORTH In speech made
in the State of Ohio, in 1913, he said
Slavery is the sin of not some of the
States only, but of them all; of not one
nationality, but Of all nations. 1t per-
verted corrupted the moral sense of man
kind deeply and universally, and this per-
version became q universal habit. Hab>
its of thought become fixed principles
No American State has yet etdelivered itself
entirely from these habits. We, in New
York, are guilty Of slavery still by with
holding the right of suffrage from the
race we have emancipated. You in Ohio
are guilty in the same way By system of
black laws still more aristocratic and obi
Gus. 1t is written in the Constitution Of
the United States that five slaves shall
count equal to three freeman as a basis OF
representation; and it is written, also, in
violation of Divine law, that we shall sur
render the fugitive slave who takes refuge
at our fireside from his relentless pur>
suer.n
There you find his doctrine clearly laid
down, that the Constitution of the Uni
ted States is in violation of the Divine
law, and, therefore, is not to be obeyed.
You find the declaration that the class
relating to fugitive slaves, being in viola
tion of the Divine law, is not binding on
mankind. This has been the doctrine of
the Senator of New York for years. |
have not heard it in the Senate to-day for
the frst time. / have met in my own
State, for the last ten years, this same
doctrine, that the Declaration of Inde-
pendence recognized the negro and white
man as equal; that the negro and white
man are equals by divine law, and that
every provision of our Constitution and
laws which establishes inequality between
the negro and the white man is void, con
trary to the law Of God.
The Senator from New York says il
the very speech from which l have quoted
that New York is yet slave State
!. Why? Not that she has slave within be-
limits, but because the constitution of New
York does not allow negro 10 vote o!
an equality with white man. For tha
reason he says that New York is still ;
slave State; for that reason every othe
: State that discriminates between the ne
gro and the white man is slave State
leaving but q very few States in the Unio
: that are free from his objection. Ye
: Notwithstanding the Senator is committe,
J to these doctrines, Notwithstanding tn
: leading men of his party are committed t
= them he argues that they have been accus
= ed of being in favor Of negro equalit!
and says the tendency of their doctrine
- the equality of the white man. He in
;, PRODUCES the objection, and fails to ar
- swer it. He states the proposition an
lodges it, to leave the Inference that b
- does not endorse it. Sir, l desire to sc
! these gentlemen carry out their prime
~ Piles to their logical conclusion. Ii the
- - will persist in the declaration that the nj
= gro is made the equal of the white ma
7 and that any inequality is in violation
:, the Divine law, then let them carry it o'
- in their legislation by comforting on II
- negroes alk the rights Of citizenship Il
;, same as on white men. 1 ho.d that Il
:; - Declaration of Independence was only r
- ferring to the white man--to the gover
. ing race of this country, who were in co
o fict with Great Britain, aud had no rcfe
- ence to the negro race at~all, when it d.
- clared that all men were created eqnf
~ ~ Sir if the signers Of that Declaratit
~ had understood the instrument then as Il
Senator from New York now construes
W. were they not bound on that day, tn
" " very hour, to emancipate all their slave
If Mr.. Jefferson had meant that his n
Ie gro slaves were created by the Almigh
49, his equals, was he not bound to eman,
an pate the slaves an the very day he sign
"a. his name to the Declaration of 1ndepe
49, dence? Yet no one of the signers of th
Declaration emancipated his slaves. \
one of the States in whose behalf the DE-
= laration was sigaed, emancipated its Sla1
-. until after the Revolution was oy
80, @ Every one of the original colonies, eve
.. 80, one of the original thirteen States, sar
:, toned and legalized slavery until af
:. the Revolution was closed. These fa'
~, show conclusively that the Declaration
,a 80 Independence was never intended to bt
10 10 DEMONSTRATION placed upon it by
=" -" Senator from New Y ork, and by. that en-
~ NOUS tribe of lectures5ahat go throu
90 ,a' the country delivering lectures in coun
a'' school houses and Easements of churcl
ooo to Abolitionists, in order to teach
~ ~ children shat the Almighty had put
W. ~. seal of condemnation upon any Unequal
h between the white man and the negro.
..no Mr.. President, am free to say here
III. what have said over and over again
~. boms, that in my opinion, this Cove
ns ns ment was made by white men, on the wi
~. basis, for the benefit of white men {
l"n their posterity forever, and should be
nv nv minstered by white men, and by n
M w. other, whatsoever.
inc Mr.. DooL1TTLE. I will ask the h
ent orable Senator, then, why not give
tad Territories to white men?