The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-06-13

The following eloquent tribute to the
Declaration of Independence is taken from
one of the speeches Of the Hon. Abra-
ham Lincoln, made during his exciting
and gallant contest for the Senatorship in
1855.
These communities the thirteen colo
MES, by their representatives in old In
dependence Hall, said to the world OF
men /: 1--WE hold these truths to be self
evident, that all men are born equal that
they are endowed by their Creator with
inaienable rights that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness" This was their majestic nterpre-
tation of the economy of the universe.
This was their lofty and wise and noble
understanding Of the justice of the Gre
ator to His creatures. Yes, gentlemen,
to all His creatures, to the whole great
family of man. In their enlightened be-
lief, nothing stamped with the Divine i'm
age and likeness was sent into the world
to be trodden on, and degraded, and i'm :
bruted by its fellows. They grasped not
only the race of men then living, bu.
they reached forward and seized upon the
farthest posterity. They created a bea-
con to guide their children and their
children's children, ard the countless
myriads who should inhabit the earth in
other ages. Wise statesmen as they were,
they knew the tendency of prosperity to
breed tyrants, and so they established
these great selfevident truths that when
in the distant future, some man, some
faction, some interest, should set up the
doctrine that none but rich men, or none
but white men, or none but Anglo Saxon
white men, were entitled to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness, their pos
terity might look up again to the Declar-
alton of Independence, and take courage
to renew the battle which their fathers
began, so that truth. and justice, and
mercy. and all the humane and Christian
virtues, might not be extinguished from
the land SO that no man would hereaf-
ter dare to limit and circumscribe the
great principles on which the temple OF
liberty was being built
Now, my countrymen, il you have
been taught doctrines conflicting with
the great landmarks of the Declaration
Of Independence if you have listened
TO suggestions which would take away
from its grandeur, and mutilate the fair
symmetry of its proportions if you
have been inclined to believe that all
men are not created equal in those ina
lienable rights enumerated by our chart
Of liberty, let me entreat you to come
back--return to the fountain, whose wa
ters spring close by the blood of the Rev
olution. Think nothing of me-take no
thought for the political fate Of any man
whomsoever-but come back TO the truths
that are in the Declaration of lndepen-
dence.
You may do anything with me You
choose, if you will but heed these sacred
principles. You may not only defeat
me for the Senate, but you may take me
and put me 10 death. While pretending
no indifference TO earthly honors, | do
claim to be actuated in this contest by
something higher than an anxiety for
Office. L charge you to drop every pal.
try and Insignificant thought for any
mans success. Ii is nothing | am no
thing Judge Douglas is nothing. Bui
do not destroy that immortal emJiem o,
humquity-Me Declaration of 1mericaa
Independence.
WHAT WE MAY LOOK FOR AFTER THE
NEXT DRgD SCOTT DECISION.
Mr.. LINCOLN also held the following
language relative 10 the Dfed Scott deci-
sion:
"My friends. have endeavored to
show the logical consequences Of the
Dred Scott decision, which holds that
the people of territory cannot prevent
the establishment of slavery in their
midst. | have stated what cannot be
gainsayed. that the ground upon which
tins decision is made is equally as appli-
cable 10 the Free States rs 10 the Free
Territories. and that the peculiar reasons
put forth by Judge Douglas for endors-
ing this dec ision. commit him in advance
10 luG iltAN u1tiStoi, anu " al olHtI Qc-
cisions emanating from the same source.
And when BY all these means YOU have
succeeded in dehumanizIng the negro
when you have put him down and made
II impossible for him 10 be but as the
beast of the field when YOU have ex-
tinsuished his soul, and placed him
where the ray Of hope is blown out in
the darkness tha; broods over the spirits
of the damned, are You quite sure that
the demon You have reused will not torn
and rcnd you What constitutes the
bulwark of our liberty and independence?
IL is not our trowning battlements. our
bristllng sea coasts. The guns OF our war
steamers, or The strength OF our gallant
army. These are not our reliance against
the resumption of tyranny in our land.
All of them may be turned against our
liberties without making Us stronger or
weaker for the struggle. Our reliance
is in the love of liberty which God has
implanted IN our hosoms. Our defence
is in the preservation Of the spirit which
prizes liberty rs the heritage of all men,
"a all lands. ereryehcrc Destroy this
spirit. and You have planted the seeds Of
despotsm around your own doors, Ia
milarize yourselves with the chains OF
bondage. and you are preparing your own