The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-05-17
Eloquent Passage from the Speech of
Mr.. Lovejoy.

One of the earliest settlemets Of Vir-
ginia was made by fugitive slave. john
Smith was captured in var and sold to a
high toned, cbivalrous Turk, and put to
the task of threshing. The master rode
up to the barn door, one day, and said !,
Jack, you rascal, why don't you thresh
fasterl" Jsck-horresco referrens!-
few at his master, killed him with his
fail, Job. for Harper's Ferry Commit.
teeD sprang into the vacant saddle, and
escaped, and came and settled James.
town. Oh, for South side preacher to
admonish John to stay and serve his
master, whose property be was, like q
good "Christisn dog!" A moment, Sir.
Let US look at this question aside from
its moral aspects. And want to know
what right slavery, or stakeholder, has
to 60 with slaves into the common Terri
tories of the United States. You talk A.
bout the equality of the States, and I
grant it. The citizens of slave State
have all the rights in the Territories that
citizen of free State has. You have
the right, l concsde, to 60 into the COM
mon Territories and live there with any
kind of property We can take, tut you
have not the right to take slaves. This
10 the distinction [ make. At liberal
estimate there are not more than two mil
lions of people in the United States inter-
ested in slave labor. There are only
four hundred thousand slaveholders.-
There are thirty millions of people in this
country. There are twenty eight millions
interested in the system of free labor, and
two millions in that of slave labor. The
free system accommodates some eight
millions in the slave States better than
the slave system. Here is the point II
slavery goes into the Territories, free Ia
Dor cannot 60 there. The presence Of
slavery without any local law for the
purpose, is the exclusion of free labor
If you take slavery there, | cannot 60
there with the N. Y. Tribune, the Even
ing Post, the Independent, or any similar
paper, religious or secular. l cannot 60
with the minister desire to hear preach
the gospel. Free schools cannot 90 there.
You say, indeed, We can go. Yes; so all
may 60 to public house. 1t is common
to all who choose to make it their tempo
rary abode. All are invited to the table
d'bole. The landlord opens the door of
the dining ball, and says, "Walk in. gen.
tlemen;" but if man sitting there is lep-
rous, dripping with contagious disease,
DO one will go in. It is really as much
an exclusion as il the doors we're closed
and barred against bis entrance. So, il
slavery goes, freedom cannot go. l fa-
vor the equality of the States. favor
the right of every citizen Of slave State
to 60 into the Territories; but deny that
be has the right to practise slaveholdiDg
there, for il is not an institution-it was
never nstituted-never established by
law-but practice like polygamy. |
say that they have not right to go there
and practice this high crime, so injurious
to man, and SO offensive to God. And
this is the question: whether these twen-
ty-eight million people shall be accomno-
dated, or two millions people shall be ac'
commodated? For, | repeat, the pres
ence of slavery is the utter exclusion OF
free labor and the institutions of freedom
[ deny no one their rights. The slave
States are equal to the free States. II
is a poor, pitiful and paltry patriotisu
that cannot take 10 the entire extent ol
its country; but | do deny that slavery
has the same right as freedom in this
country. Freedom is the Isaac; freedom
is the heir of promise. Slavery is the
Hagar and Ishuasl, and they must 60 in
to the wilderness, and freedom shall have
the entire inheritance. God and the
fathers gave it to freedom and free insti
tutions. 1t belongs to freedom-uot to
me; not to the citizens Of the free States
but to freedom, to the utter exclusion oi
slaveholding. Nov, gentlemen, know
you are in mood to take little advice
(Laughter) tell you love you all
(Renewed laughter.)
Mr.. McQUEEN.--I utterly repudiate
your lose.
Mr.. LovEJoY Sinners did that o.
Christ but he loved them still. Laugh
ter
Mr.. McQUEEN.-I do not think he
loves you much.
Mr.. LovEJoY--I am afraid that l an
not u uch like him. He went, however
and preached to the spirits in the prison
and | think never approximated &C
nearly to him as in this regard, while
making proclamation of the holy evangeI
of God to sinners in this House. l tel
YOU of the slave States that you must e
maucipate your slaves. 1t belongs te
YOU aud not to US. You must transform
them from slaves into serfs, and give them
homes, aud protect and guard the sancti
ty Of the family We shall not push you
II you say that you want aquarter of I
century, you can have it; il you wan
half century, you can have it. But
insist that this system must ultimately bs
extinguished. There is no question q
bout it. You who advoyste the perpetu
ity of slavery are like set of mad-saps
who should place themselves on the tor
of an iceberg which had disengaged itsel
I 0f tho North and