The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-06-29
NATURE ITSELF, violating iis most sacred
rights ofIf and Liberty in tho rsrsons OIL

rlghS OF We ana uo<Tty III sV t
Il appears, then. BY this, that Mr.. Jeacr.
son thought Il was human nature it:clt tnat
po~escd thcse most sacrod rights which no
denominatss inalienable, and not tho small
portion of Il included In tho white popaia'
ton. Ay, and that ID not all. Who, AK,
arc the .pcrsons of distant people 70
whom he refers as deprived Of thesc most ~
cred rights under this cruel tyranny Ihcy
arc the very blacks Of the African race whom
the King had torn from their homes ana
rnado slaycs 10 the colonists OF America
They are the very pcoplcof whom aro now
told BY tho judges Of our highest court, who
would seem by their argument completely 70
Justify that monarch, that they shave no
rights which, a white man " bound 70 10
spect." And, singulsrly enough, ~ II to
mark, beyond che possibility Of tho most ar
rant Gstuity to misconceivo II, Mr.. JeGer.
sons intent, In charging tho sovereign with
the crimo Of his determination to keep open
a market where men should DO bought and
sold, no takes pains, In the original manu-.
script, with his own hand, 10 writo that word
"MEN" In capital letters the only word 20
written, II should be observed, in tho wholc
body Of tho document. I would humbly
submit, then, upon this evidence, that II any
narrower application b 10 Be made Of tho
words call men" than that which they nat.
urally bear, much stronger argument could
be made from the context In favor of limit.
ing II to NIL black men Of the Africsnrace.
than in defence Of the attempt 10 twist u ex-
clu,iycly for the benefit Of the whites. Bot
when Mr.. jefferson appeals to the compro-
hensiye term of "human nature, M posscs-
ing thess rights, II Is plain enough that he,
at least, was for covering oil Of every raco
equally under the shelter Of this bcne6oent
national proclamation.
But tho question no1 Is not what Mr.. JET
fepon or his compcers intended. Tho TACT
Is beyond contradiction, that tho Judiciary
and the Executive head OF tho Federal Gov
ernment have practically adopted the oppo-
site construction, and q very large number
of people are prepared TO confirm II. Tho
reason for this remarkable revolution of opin-
ion leads us at once to the source oi our pres
ent divisions. Passing over oil secondary
disputes about Wilmot provisoes Or squattcr
sovereignty, about fugitive slayo laws or
protection Of the rights Of so-callcd proper.
ty, as the mere incidents, let US look the real
issue calmly in the face The construction
nut upon the Declaration Of Independence
for the first half century of our career Is In
yorable to the liberty Of human nature
throughout the. world. The construction
nop put upon the same language Is designed
TO destroy It, by setting up one portion OF
the former In compelling the latter to pcrpst.
ual subjection to It's will. Hence, though u
may be affirmed that the white race are crc-
ated equal, and possessed Of certain inalien.
able rights, this affirmation must DO under
stood o. made BY themselves, exclusively for
their own benefit, and with the deliberate In
tent to deny to every other class on earth
any privilege which shall avail them against
q successful attempt TO enslave them, whetl.
or by force or fraud. II IL DO once assumed
by the white that the black man Of Africa
has no rights which ho Ii bound 10 respect,
by parity of reasoning II inevitably follows
that q resort TO the same proccsscs ofviolcnco
and crime which brought him TO his mourn.
full condition may bc had by him In his turn,
wherever he can get tho power, towards tho
white. And the same remark will apply 10
any and every other rice Of mankind which
chooses 10 SET itself uI as the arbitcr OF tho
rights of tho creation. There Is, then, by
this theory, no such thing on earth as libcr-
ty guaranteed TO any one. This decision
strips us all alike Of any rights but such n
we may maintain by our own right arms
ereignty of force, through tho old argument
Of prescription. Il is tho tyrants plea VI
vanished over with the thin GID
ing Of modern politico;judcial Democracy.
If am right In my deductions. then the
case stands thus ut this moment: great and
powerful combination In tho United States
has been able 20 far to control political opin-
!, n as to carry the government clean away
from the acknowledgment Of tho soundnes
Of doctrines Of liberty universally recognised
in the first half century Of our career and,
furthermore, to make that government justi.
fy and defend, for certain purposes, law
founded originally on nothing but fraud and
force. Surely, II this DO admitted, II can bo
no further cause OF surprise that those among
the people who still remain attached 10 tho
old and cherished principles Of the better
days of the republic, who yet believe that
tho mission Of the government Is to promote
the law Of liberty, and to resist oppression,
and rho mean 10 make u such, " honesf sf-
forts riN effect IL, should associate In an or
ganization having for It's object the rcstora-
ton Of the ancient and true idea, and tho
overthrow Of the false one. II any thing u
TO be done with effect, Il Is high tlmc to set
about II. Nearly oil the avenues TO power
are guarded by opponents. The strongest
political organization known In our history
has been made subecryient 10 their will
Nothing will avail against tho omnipotcncs
of the power acquired "by virtue Of tho ne
cro," Ms have already described II, but un-
ion, energy, and ccaseless vigilance In resist
ing its further progress. Here stand in an
tagonism once more the old encmios-libcrty
and authority. Hero IL renewed in modi.
fed shape the "irreprcssible conflict" that
Il as ancient, ut least, M the days when Mo-
ses struck the Egyptian. Arc We, then, to
be told that tho organization must 30 dis
so,vcJ. becnuse Il is . standing menace 10
,L. .lsveboIdipg States3 What! tho doc
..;,,a of IBerfv q menace 10 the slave Statcsf
Yorr fathers did not think %, when they
unclaimed them years ago and we arc do
Inc no moro now than your fathers did then
IL must bc admitted that In this, a. In all
,harp contests for the right, the respective
antagonists often rush into extremes OF opin-
ON, mix up their feelings with their reasons
ng, and pcrpstually criminate each other -
,uiity OF sggrcssions, just - u either side
,ould rcrist the force OF tho circumstances
hat surround them. No doubt many erron
,aye been, are, and will be, committed on
18th sides, which calm and judicious patriots
ITO ready to deplore. They, In tho main,
pring from the nature Of popular govern.
nent, which breeds classes OF men whose
disposition Il Is 10 distinguish themselves BY
the prevailing passion Of tho
moment. Nowhere ID this moro likely 10 bs
he case thah In the treatment Of the slave
question, In which the fesss Sor the safcty OF
! pccupiary interest grsstly sessvats the
irritation attending parely politi-
al cOnaich. This Z ono rsascn yhy chang.