The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-02

everything calculated to preserve thu :.
publican character Of our Constitution. -"
no man in the immediate presence Of M
rapidly accommodating ruin dared to mi.
. voice Of warning. Submission ~;
silence were inexorably exacted. Such y.
is the free discussion which slavery tolsss
tes. Such is it's observance of the him ~
stitutional rights Of the citizen. IA ~.
will be repeated in its future II the -.
permit it to curse the world with 4 ~,
ued existence. 'a'
1.-The right of the people peaceablv n i.
semble and to petition the Government :.
q redress of grievances" has been as ny
pletely disregarded as the other r;shs.
have mentioned by the terrorism eh;ui
guards the citadel of slavery. Ha,ssaa
prosecuted religionists, denied the nr;,|
eye Of free discussion, prevented ffee ~
tons, trampled upon all the constif,t;"sS0'
guarantees belonging to the citizen. nss..
able assemblages of the people to cossiS..
these grievances with view to nst;,;"a
the Government for redress coul& ncs =.
held. If n0n-slaveholding whites hec.s.
alarmed at the bold announcement n.y.,
slavery is the natural and norm.
condition Of the laboring man, VhetA
or white or black" seeing therein tn
commencement of an effort intarSS
~
stead of the mere African race. thew ~
privileged to peaceably assemble and nss
ton the Government in regard thereto =
discuss the barbarism and to arouse ~
people in opposition to il. Slavery hal
political and social power sufficient -
crush all such attempts on the part of ~
injured people. Slavery could hold its =.
blages, discuss, resolve, petition thre.s
en-, disregard its constitutional Obliaaton.
trample upon the rights Of labor. a M
thing its despotic disposition might direx
but freedom and freemen must be deof ~
dumb, and blind. Throughout all u n
minions OF slavery republican governuea
constitutional liberty, the blessings Of d,
free institutions were fables. An aristor.
racy enjoyed unlimited power, while IL
people were pressed to the earth and dsai.
ed the inestlmable privileges which by rsi
they should have enjoyed in all the iuIrs.
designed by the Constitution.
Sir, might enumerate many other co,.
stitutional rights Of the citizens whid
destroyed, but have enough to illustr,t
my propositions; that slavery disreeard
the supremacy OF the Constitution al
denies TO the citizens Of each State the priv.
ileges and immunities Of citizens in IL
several States.
The proposition needs no argument v.
all know that for many years before i.
commencement Of the gigantic rebellim
now in progress the supporters Of slsven
enforced this disregard Of the supremsey
OF the Constitution and Of the priyilees
and immunities of the citizens by even
power and influence known to the commt
mites cursed by the presence of slave
Legislatures, courts, executives, alma
every person holding political or socl
power and position in the Southern Stan
were all arrayed on the side Of slavery, q
what they could not accomplish wasturnl
over to the mob, which, without law, Vi
abuse, indignities, cruelties, and hempa
halters, did its work with fearful acCutag
and terrible exactness. Twenty m;llianl
cally reduced to the condition Of semi<i|
zens Of the United States; for the eojs
ment of their rights, privileges and imne|
mites - citizens depended upon . peFpe|
nal residence north of Mason and Uixooh|
line. South of that line the rights whichl|
have mentioned, and many more which
might mention, could be enjoyed Cd
when debased to the uses OF slavery
Shareholders and their supporters alm|
were free to think and print, TO do and u|
what seemed to them best on both sides 4
that line. They could think, read, tdRs
discuss with perfect freedom in each I'll
every State, and iearfnlly they used CT
advantage TO destroy the liberties Of I'll
country. 1t is quite time, sir, for the re1
pie Of the free states to look these tsh]
squarely in the face and provide remsb
which shall! make the future safe for q
rights Of each and every citizen. HI
slavery not possessed this ADVANTAGE, III
war, freighted with sorrow, desoiatiDn, nlI
death, would not have visited this uasia
But since it has come, the people Of 6a|
free States should insist on ample prcAe
ton to their rights, privileges, and iuus
mites, which are none other than TIN.
which the Constitution was designed tos
sure to all citizens alike, and sec TO II I'll
the power which caused the war sbail eonn|
to exist, to the end that the curse of dslI
war ulay never be visited upon % aeaa|
and that the citizen whose home b ID thI
North shall be ~ free to assert his a.
ions and enjoy all Of his constitute
d rights In che sunny South - bI
whose roof-tree is the maenolia I'll
to the same ends be free amid the noe
tains Of New England and the spafklig|
lakes Of the North and the WNG-|
An equal and exact Observance u
the constitutional rights Of each aud evQl
citizen, in each and every State, tslthe I'll
to which we should cause the isssoSs oftb|
war to carry 10. Whatever,standobe tW0I
tls aud the accomplishment o. this I'll
end should be removed. Can We rQaCk I'll
end and save slavery? Can W feccGoI
the antagonisms which have produced N
war? Can We mix the oil and watlfd|
despotism and republicanism. al Cas- d
harmonizs the contending elemeats d ~
solutism and free government No III
it Is not given to human power to aoop
plish these results. What, then. Nhall y
do? Abolish slavery. Howl Byames
ing our national Constitution. 'Wbyf \.
cause slavery 10 Incompatible with fEeeGRJ
eminent. Peace, prosperity, national ~
mony, progress, civilization, Chr5Stian1V
al! admonish Us that our only ssNty In
universal freedom. or ss9F
Sir, have underworld to show that =
very stands arrayed against every 81
for the attainment Of which the pGopleeU
sdained and established the CunStituti9
that It Is seeking the destruction ~ thee
ion, - opposed to the establishment or
tice, has disturbed our domestic TRAM
ity, makes war upon Us instead " pue
Ing for the common defense, promotes -
spread desolation and ruin insteah c.
vancing the general welfare, and sssd1s
withhold from US and our posteritys
blessings of liberty. have ende9vel1el
show that 1t has disregarded tHSfosk.
ton and trampled upon the ft,6a -
rights Of the citizen. But the S3se ; =
nearly self.evident that it Is Siifficdlt ~.
que It. The antagonism is 80 marked, -