Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-05-25
MR.. LISCOLN's APOsTROPHE ON
rHE DECLARATION OF INDE-
PENpENCE.


We -epublisd from one Of Mr.. Lincoln's
camrai-7 spesobes in 1858. an eloquent pas-
.t.- n--,.-..:-- Il I-,,-,-lo-., 7.
''''- 800
was as follows.
The Declaration Of Independence was
formed Ky the representatives Of American
liberty from thirteen States Of the confeder-
acy-twelye of which were slaveholding
communities. We need not discuss the way
or the reason of their becoming slaye-holding
communities. 1t Is sufficient for our purpose
that al of them greatly deplorei the evil and
that they placed provision in the Consti-
tuition which they supposed would gradually
remove the disease by cutting of Its source.
This was the abolition Of the slave trade
50 general was the clnyictIon-the public
Observation-Disclosures abolish the African slave
TRADE, that the provision which | have re-
lered 70 as being placed IN the Constitution,
declared that IL should not be abolished prior
% the year lN0S. 4 constitutional provision
WIS nee. ssary to prevent the people, through
Congress. from putting d stop to the traffic
immediately at tho close Of tho Now,
II slavery had been good thing: would the
fathers \ the hepuOhc nave taken step
calculated % diminish It's benehcent lnlu-
eucss am ohS themselves ana snatch the boon
"h'Hy rom tleir p2sieTlty Ihese com
mtI itl'r' ny tneH representatives II ola In
dependence Hail. SAID to the whole world OF
men
W hoI1 these truths TO De sell-eViaent:
mat all men are created equal that iney are
endowed by their creator with certain ln-
aI''HAO'e r'Shts' that among THESE are ne,
IIl-T'g ana Tue pursuit OF happiness. Inns
was l"ef majestic Interpretation OF the
economy OIL tHe CHI'eS Sc Inns was their
4 i, a1U WIS., u"' Hoolc UNDERSTANDING I, Oh
we JrS'loc ~ inc NIca'or % ms creatures
JAPV-"use'J res Sshuehen' 70 M Ills crea-
80 70 ~ Woo eIgas iallly d man IN
''eI Gn4I@n .eieo Dellei' nU'uIig stamped
win Tue Dl'ine image anu likeness was sent
mo nc "GIlu 70 10 .[oIugh on aau uegrad-
"a anu IN uled ny It's IellowS. 1Aey grasp
81 ''o1 oH'y 'Ho ""oi0 nc u llIu '1eh nv
l"E' DII Vuey reached forward ana seized
u pom luI lArtneSV PISteri'y' lhey erected
o ~ ~ SUilo 'HeiI CnHu[eh anu tnelr
C"I't' ~ o"i-uIT,' anu inc countess
III -I'1' N-3 slloulu IlilDIV inc elFth III oth-
81 81 a. iSe Statesmen as l1ey were,
10y AHc" Tue Schuency ol prosperity 10
"i00U } d" anu 50 tHcy eet1oil'ncu these
5.-"I II c'iIcHI 'FuthS' tnaU Whsn IN IN /
distant Z. future some man some faction, some |
interest s'oulu sci up 'Ie doc'rine that none
ou' nc" men, o. none DuV "hite men or
~ none ~. guI anglo oa2ons' We're entitled to
me, hoerIy ana tn9 pursuit OF happiness,
IHelr posterity mliht look up again to the
Declaration OF independence, and take cour-
age to renew the battle which their flthers
'eGan-so mat TRUTH ana justice, and mercy
ana all the humane and Christian virtues
might not be e1tlnguished from tie land; so
mat no man hereafter would dare to limit
i"a cHcumscrIoe the great principles on
winch the temple OF liberty was being built.
Now, my countrymen if you have been
taught doctrines conflicting with the great
,uiii "a A' u 1 L DIGIallolIh Oh lnucPena
which would take away from its Grandeur.
md mutilate the symmetry of its proportions
you have been inclined to believe that all
Die rirhtS enumerated bV our chart Of liberty
ct me entreat Won n como hack Potprn
no Llood oc tbo Porol,t;on 1b;r7 49,
IF me-take no thought for the political fate
u any man whomsoeyer-bu come back to
,io.,o '""' Sro III 'lie DecialaIlon OF IN