The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-02-28
Liberty and Equality.

7 tEel IN the Stullc OF luc ulttu STATE, Cd
the 5th and 9Th Of the present month:
Sir. Il Il ter You now 10 determine If al
this shall he fulfilled. The whole case Is
before you in lis grandeur and in Its hu-
mainly infinite as human aspirations,
/ beautiful as the vision OF a Republic. Do
not turn away from IT, Niudicate tho
great cause ] entreat you. by the suppress
sion or AL olgarchical preteusions and the
establishment 0f those Equal Rights with
out which Republican Government - a
name only. and nothing more. strike al
the Black Code Is YOU have already struck
IL The Slave Code There Is nothing 70
choose between them. Strike Al once;
strike hard. y on have already proclaimed
Emancipation, proclaim EniranchlSement
also. And do not Stultiy yourselves by
setting AZ naught the practical principle OF
F the fathers, that all just govornnsnt stands
only on the consent of the governed, and
its inseparable cOr0llary, that farlflOR
ctftOW representation Is tyranny. Nha.
vas once true J. true forever, although We
may for "a time lose sight OF il. and ihis is
the case w.ih those imperShahle truths 10
which you have been. alas 50 indifferent.
! Thus Tar the work Is only hair done. See
that 4 Is finished. save The freedman from
the outrage which Is his daily life As 4
slave lie WAS "a tool without a soul " IL
you have ceased 10 treat him according 10
this ancient definition. lt Is Only because
YOU treat hun even - something less. IN
Your cruel philosophy he l. only Cd q cipher
without the protection which the slave
sometimes found in the selfinierest of the
master, or. rather let NE say he Is only
cipher where rights are concerned, but
a uumcral counted Oy millions where taxes
are % Dee pall. The freedman is compelled
not only 10 pay taxes he must nght also
and be must obey the laws: three things
which he cannot escape. But. according
10 The primal principle OF Republican gov
eminent be has All iudeieasi0.e right 10 a
voice Ia determining how 10 be taxed. when
10 fight. aud what laws TO obey all OF
which can be- secured only through the bal
lot. Thus again, do 1 return 10 the same
conclusion, which meets H. al every point
and every stage. a. a. commandment which
cannot be dlsobeyed.
/ Would YOU secure all the Just fruits og
F this terrible war and trample oat the Re-
behOm in It's perniciOus assumptions. as iuIts
/ arms Then dO not hesitate. and ths is The
/ last stage 0i The argument The Rebellion
/ BEGAN in two assumptions both proceeding
F from south Carolina: first, the sovereignty
/ OF the STATES. with the pretended rights oi
I Caste. Ohgarchy and Monopoly. on account
%. color. The first WIS often announced
In every way. The second showed itself -
/ the beginning when South Carolina alone.
among the thirteen States allowed her
4 Constitution 10 be degraded by an eXclu-
sion on account OF color, but il did not re-
ceiVe the authoritative statement until
later day, when that wicked evangelist. Mr..
I Calhoun, taking issue with the Declaration
of Independence, auddciously announced
in the Senate that To declare all We're born
free and equal, was 90 the most dangerous
Of all political errors; and that IL had done
more 10 retard the cause OF civilization. and
is doing more al present than AL other
causes combined; that We nOw begin 10 eX-
perience the danger OF admitting 50 greal
ali eIIOi 10 have place n the Declaration
Of independence. lCdttOals'S Speeches
vol iy.. p. 81 These two assumptions
are kindred In eilrOntery. All agree that
The dogma OF state sovereignty must be
l repelled: that this Is less offensive than that
other dogma. having the same origin, that
the Declaration OF Independence Is the
most dangerous 0f all political errors To
repel such an eilrOntery IS not enough; il
must be scorned.
The gospel according TO Calhoun. is only
another statement OF the lmpOsture thai
this august Republic, founded 10 sustain
The rights OF Human Nature, IS nothing
but a white mans government The
/ whole assumption j. iruOble. utterly unsup-
ported by history, and insulting 10 The
fathers, while 1t l. Extensively illogical and
irreligiOus. IL 10 illogical, inasmuch as our
fathers, when they declared That All men
are created equal gave expression 10 q
truth of political science, which, from The
nature OF the case admits no exception.
AZ an axiom il Is without exception; for Il
Is The essence of an axiom. whether IN ge-
Ometrv or morals. To be- universal As all
abstract truth il Is also without exception.
according 10 the requirement OF such truth.
And finally. rs - sell-evident trnih so
announced IA the great Declaration. II Is
without exception; Tor only such truth can
be seli-eyideut. Thus. whether axiom
abstract truth. OF seii-evdent truth, il l.
aiways universal. But the assumption is
not only illogical, II is irreligiOus, inasmuch
a. il flies in the face of that living truth
which appears twice Al the Creation; fir=t
when God said ' Let us make him in our
own image" and. secondly ia the Unity OF
the race, then diyinely appointed and
which appears again ln the gospel, when il
was said, 90 Cod that made the world, and
all things therein, hath made Of one blood
al nations % men According 10 the
best testimony now, the population OF the
earth-embracing Caucasians, MOng0lians,
Maldys. Africans aud AmerIcans-ls about
thirteen hundred millions. OF whom only
three hundred and seventy five millions are
white men, OF little less than one-fOurh,
50 that in claiming exclusive rights for
white men, YOU degrade nearly three
quarters OF the Human Family, made IN
the Image 0f Cod and declared 10 be OF
- ono blood. While YOU sanction "A Caste
, offensive 10 religion, a. O.igarchy IncOnsIs
/ tent with Republican government, and @
Monopoly, which has, the whole world a. lie
tOot-slOOl
Against this assumption protest witt
mind. soul and heart IL is false in reAg
iOn, false 10 craftsmanship, aud false Ir
economy. K j. an extravaganza, which
II enforced. il foolish tyranny. Show me q
creature, with erect cOuntenance looking
70 Heaven. made IN the image ci God, AM
show you q Man, VINO, OF whatever cOun
- try. or race. whether darkeued Dy equator
ial sun or blanched by Northern cold, l.
: with YOU a child Of the Heavenly Fathe
: and equal with you ID title 20 al the right
OF Human Nature. You cannot deny tne-'
: rights without mpieiy Ard 50 has Co
: linked tie national welfare Win naliOna
duty; yOl c@nnO- deny these rights withou
. peri. ID tue Republic. Il - not enoug.
that you nave gwen Liberty. b tie same
tile that We claim Liberty 10 We CLAIM
Equality also. one cannot be denied with
out the other What j. Liberty wl.lOa
Equality What j. Equality without LiOer
ty. one IS the complement OF the other
The two are necessary 10 round e-d CON
plete The circle Of American citizenship
They are the two iODes Of the mighty lung
through which the people breathe III
breath Of LIE. They are the two vital prin
ciples Of q Republican government. witnOu
which q government, although .Tepnblcal
Ia name, cannot be republican III iacl
These Two vital principles belong 10 tnos
divine -tstutes which are craven on u
heart of Universal Man. even upon N
heart OF tie slave who iOrgets them, an
d UPON the heart OF the master WHO Genle
them. and whether forgotten or denied, the
are more enduring than marble or brass
= for they share the perpetuity Of the Huma