The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-03-14

| Slavery is the sin of not some of thu
States only, but of them all of not one ma
tionality, but of all nations. 1t perverted
and corrupted the moral sense of mankind
deeply and universally, and this perversion
became a universal habit. Habits of tho,
become fixed principles. No American
State has yet d ,livercd itself entirely from
these habits. We, in N " York, are guilty
OF slavery still by Withholding the light OF
Suffiage from the race we have emancipated
You, in Ohio, are guilty in the same way
by system of black laws still more aristo-
cratic and odious 1t is written in the Con-
stitution Of the United States that five slaves
shall "annt equal to three freemen as 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 firesde fronphis relentless pursuer"
There you find his doctrine clearly laid
down, that the Constitution of the United
States Is in violation of the Divin. law, and
therefore is not to be obeyed. Youfind the
declaration that the claus. relating to flgi
tive slaves, ing in violation of the Divine
law, is not binding on mankind. This has
been the doctrine Of the Senator from New
York for years. have net heard it in the
Senate to-day for the first time. have met
in my own State, for the last ten years, this
same doctrine, that the Declaration of Indy-
pendence recognized the negro and the white
man as equal; that the negro and white
man are equals by Divine law, and that cv-
cry provision Of our Constitution and laws
which establishes inequality between the
n gro and tn. white man, is void, because
contrary to the law of God.
The Senator from New York SAYS, in the
very speech from which have quot d, that
New York is yet a slave State Why? Not
that she has slave within her linus, but
because the Constitution of New York does
not allow a negro to vote on on eaualt,
with white man. For that res n he says
New York is still slave State; for that rea-
son every other State that dscriminates be-
tween the negro and the white man is
slave State, leaving but very few States in
the Union that are free from his objection
Yet, notwithstanding the Senator is CON-
mltted to these doctrines, notwithstanding
the leading men of his party are committed
to them, he argues that they have been ac-
cuscd Of being in favor Of negro equality,
and says the tendency of their doctrine is
the equality of the white man. He intro
duces the objection, and fails to answer it.
He states the proposition and lodges it, to
leave the inference that he does not indorse
it. Sir, desire to see these gentlemen car
ry out their principles to their logical con-
clusion. If they will persist in the decla-
ration that the negro is made the equal of
| the white man, and that any inequality is
in violation of the lDivin. law, then let them
carry it out in their legislation by confer-
ring on the n groes all the rights of citizen
ship the same as on white men For one,
| never Id to any such doctrine. hold
that the Declaration of Independence was
only referring to the white man-to the gov
erning race Of this country, who were in
conflict with Great Britain, and had no ref.
tiencc to the negro race at all, when it de-
clarcd that all men were created equal.
Sir. ii the designers of that declaration had
under stood the instrument then as tn. Sen
ator from New York now construes it, were
they not bound on that day, at that very
hour, to emancipatc sll their slaves? IL
Mr.. JEFF, r>on had meant that his negro
slaves were CT, ated by the Almighty his
equals, WAS he not bound to emancipate the
slaves on the very day that he signed his
name to the DE .laration of Indepcnd encc :?
Yet no one of the signers of that declaration
mancipated his slaves No one of the
States on whose behalf the declaration was
signed, en.ancipated its slaves until the Rev.
olution was over. Every one of the original
colonieS, every one Of the thirteen original
States, sanctioned and l,galizcd slavery un-
Ill a t,r the Revolution was closed. These
facts show conclusivyly that the d claration
of independence was never intended to
bear the construction placed upon it by the
Senator from New York, and BY that cnor-
nous tribe of lecturers that 60 through the
country delivering Lectures in country
school houses and Easements of churches
TO AbolitoniSts, in order t. teach the chill
dren that the Almighty had put his seal of
condemnation upon any inequality between
the white nan aid the negro.
Mr.. Pres ent, | am free to say here
what have said over and over again ut
home that, in my opinion, this Govern
mcnt was made 10y white men, on the white
basis, for the benefit of white men and their
posterity forever, and should b. admnist T.
ed by white men, and by none Other what
soever +..... 9# ...
Mr.. DOOLITTLE. will ask the hon
orable Senator, then, why not give the Ter
Mr.. DOUGLAS. Mr.. President, am in
favor OF throwing territories open to all the
white men, and all the negroes. too, that
choose to go, and th;n allow the white men
to Institute the government and govern the
Territory l would not let one OF the ne
sroes, fl, or slave, vote or hold Office any
where, where | had the right, under the
Constitution, to prevent it. am in favor
Of each State and each Territory Of this
Union taking care of its own negroes, fr,e
or slave. If they want slavery, let them
have it; If they desire to prohibit slavery,
let them do it; it is their business, not
mine. We in Illinois tri d slavery while
we were T,rlitory, and found it was not
profitable; and henccwe turned phianthro-
pists and abolished it, just as our British
friends across the ocean did. They estab-
liShed slavery in all their colonies, and when
they found they could not make any more
money out Of it, abolished it. l hold that
the question of slavery is one Of political
economy, governed by the laws Of climate,
soil, productions and sclf-interest, and not
by mere statutory provision. | repudiatc
the doctrine, that because free institutions
may be best in one climate, they are, neces-
SiIHv, tiS pcSt eSeIyWneIe, vi 1iiat tUNausc
slavery may be indispensable in one local.
ty, therefore it is desirable everywhere. !
hold that a wise statesman will always adapt
his legislation to the wants, interests, con-
dition and necessities of the people to be
governed by it. One people will bear diff
lerent institutions from another. One eli
mate demands different institutions frcm
another. ! repeat, then, what | have often
had occasion to say, that do not think uni
formity i, either possible or desirable. !
can see no two States precisely alike in their
domestic institutions in this Union. Nur
system rests on the supposition that each
State has something in her condition or eli
mate, or her circumstances, requiring laws
and institutions different from every other