the writings-2- 第42部分

as　Virginia；　and　it　is　a　well…known　fact　that　Washington；

Jefferson；　Madison；　Lee；　Henry；　Mason；　and　Pendleton　were

qualified　abolitionists；　and　much　more　radical　on　that　subject

than　we　of　the　Whig　and　Democratic　parties　claim　to　be　to…day。

On　March　1；　1784；　Virginia　ceded　to　the　confederation　all　its

lands　lying　northwest　of　the　Ohio　River。　　Jefferson；　Chase　of

Maryland；　and　Howell　of　Rhode　Island；　as　a　committee　on　that　and

territory　thereafter　to　be　ceded；　reported　that　no　slavery　should

exist　after　the　year　1800。　　Had　this　report　been　adopted；　not

only　the　Northwest；　but　Kentucky；　Tennessee；　Alabama；　and

Mississippi　also　would　have　been　free；　but　it　required　the　assent

of　nine　States　to　ratify　it。　　North　Carolina　was　divided；　and

thus　its　vote　was　lost；　and　Delaware；　Georgia；　and　New　Jersey

refused　to　vote。　　In　point　of　fact；　as　it　was；　it　was　assented　to

by　six　States。　　Three　years　later　on　a　square　vote　to　exclude

slavery　from　the　Northwest；　only　one　vote；　and　that　from　New

York；　was　against　it。　　And　yet；　thirty…seven　years　later；　five

thousand　citizens　of　Illinois；　out　of　a　voting　mass　of　less　than

twelve　thousand；　deliberately；　after　a　long　and　heated　contest；

voted　to　introduce　slavery　in　Illinois；　and；　to…day；　a　large

party　in　the　free　State　of　Illinois　are　willing　to　vote　to　fasten

the　shackles　of　slavery　on　the　fair　domain　of　Kansas；

notwithstanding　it　received　the　dowry　of　freedom　long　before　its

birth　as　a　political　community。　　I　repeat；　therefore；　the

question：　Is　it　not　plain　in　what　direction　we　are　tending？

＇Sensation。＇　In　the　colonial　time；　Mason；　Pendleton；　and

Jefferson　were　as　hostile　to　slavery　in　Virginia　as　Otis；　Ames；

and　the　Adamses　were　in　Massachusetts；　and　Virginia　made　as

earnest　an　effort　to　get　rid　of　it　as　old　Massachusetts　did。　　But

circumstances　were　against　them　and　they　failed；　but　not　that　the

good　will　of　its　leading　men　was　lacking。　　Yet　within　less　than

fifty　years　Virginia　changed　its　tune；　and　made　negro…breeding

for　the　cotton　and　sugar　States　one　of　its　leading　industries。

＇Laughter　and　applause。＇



In　the　Constitutional　Convention；　George　Mason　of　Virginia　made　a

more　violent　abolition　speech　than　my　friends　Lovejoy　or　Codding

would　desire　to　make　here　to…daya　speech　which　could　not　be

safely　repeated　anywhere　on　Southern　soil　in　this　enlightened

year。　　But；　while　there　were　some　differences　of　opinion　on　this

subject　even　then；　discussion　was　allowed；　but　as　you　see　by　the

Kansas　slave　code；　which；　as　you　know；　is　the　Missouri　slave

code；　merely　ferried　across　the　river；　it　is　a　felony　to　even

express　an　opinion　hostile　to　that　foul　blot　in　the　land　of

Washington　and　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　　＇Sensation。＇



In　Kentuckymy　Statein　1849；　on　a　test　vote；　the　mighty

influence　of　Henry　Clay　and　many　other　good　then　there　could　not

get　a　symptom　of　expression　in　favor　of　gradual　emancipation　on　a

plain　issue　of　marching　toward　the　light　of　civilization　with

Ohio　and　Illinois；　but　the　State　of　Boone　and　Hardin　and　Henry

Clay；　with　a　nigger　under　each　arm；　took　the　black　trail　toward

the　deadly　swamps　of　barbarism。　　Is　therecan　there　beany

doubt　about　this　thing？　　And　is　there　any　doubt　that　we　must　all

lay　aside　our　prejudices　and　march；　shoulder　to　shoulder；　in　the

great　army　of　Freedom？　　＇Applause。＇



Every　Fourth　of　July　our　young　orators　all　proclaim　this　to　be

〃the　land　of　the　free　and　the　home　of　the　brave！〃　Well；　now；　when

you　orators　get　that　off　next　year；　and；　may　be；　this　very　year；

how　would　you　like　some　old　grizzled　farmer　to　get　up　in　the

grove　and　deny　it？　　＇Laughter。＇　How　would　you　like　that？　　But

suppose　Kansas　comes　in　as　a　slave　State；　and　all　the　〃border

ruffians〃　have　barbecues　about　it；　and　free…State　men　come

trailing　back　to　the　dishonored　North；　like　whipped　dogs　with

their　tails　between　their　legs；　it　isain't　it　？evident　that

this　is　no　more　the　〃land　of　the　free〃；　and　if　we　let　it　go　so；

we　won't　dare　to　say　〃home　of　the　brave〃　out　loud。　　＇Sensation

and　confusion。＇



Can　any　man　doubt　that；　even　in　spite　of　the　people's　will；

slavery　will　triumph　through　violence；　unless　that　will　be　made

manifest　and　enforced？　　Even　Governor　Reeder　claimed　at　the

outset　that　the　contest　in　Kansas　was　to　be　fair；　but　he　got　his

eyes　open　at　last；　and　I　believe　that；　as　a　result　of　this　moral

and　physical　violence；　Kansas　will　soon　apply　for　admission　as　a

slave　State。　　And　yet　we　can't　mistake　that　the　people　don't　want

it　so；　and　that　it　is　a　land　which　is　free　both　by　natural　and

political　law。　　No　law；　is　free　law！　Such　is　the　understanding　of

all　Christendom。　　In　the　Somerset　case；　decided　nearly　a　century

ago；　the　great　Lord　Mansfield　held　that　slavery　was　of　such　a

nature　that　it　must　take　its　rise　in　positive　（as　distinguished

from　natural）　law；　and　that　in　no　country　or　age　could　it　be

traced　back　to　any　other　source。　　Will　some　one　please　tell　me

where　is　the　positive　law　that　establishes　slavery　in　Kansas？　　＇A

voice：　〃The　bogus　laws。〃＇　Aye；　the　bogus　laws！　And；　on　the　same

principle；　a　gang　of　Missouri　horse…thieves　could　come　into

Illinois　and　declare　horse…stealing　to　be　legal　＇Laughter＇；　and

it　would　be　just　as　legal　as　slavery　is　in　Kansas。　　But　by

express　statute；　in　the　land　of　Washington　and　Jefferson；　we　may

soon　be　brought　face　to　face　with　the　discreditable　fact　of

showing　to　the　world　by　our　acts　that　we　prefer　slavery　to

freedomdarkness　to　light！　＇Sensation。＇



It　is；　I　believe；　a　principle　in　law　that　when　one　party　to　a

contract　violates　it　so　grossly　as　to　chiefly　destroy　the　object

for　which　it　is　made；　the　other　party　may　rescind　it。　　I　will　ask

Browning　if　that　ain't　good　law。　　＇Voices：　Yes！〃＇　Well；　now　if

that　be　right；　I　go　for　rescinding　the　whole；　entire　Missouri

Compromise　and　thus　turning　Missouri　into　a　free　State；　and　I

should　like　to　know　the　differenceshould　like　for　any　one　to

point　out　the　differencebetween　our　making　a　free　State　of

Missouri　and　their　making　a　slave　State　of　Kansas。　　＇Great

applause。＇　There　ain't　one　bit　of　difference；　except　that　our　way

would　be　a　great　mercy　to　humanity。　　But　I　have　never　said；　and

the　Whig　party　has　never　said；　and　those　who　oppose　the　Nebraska

Bill　do　not　as　a　body　say；　that　they　have　any　intention　of

interfering　with　slavery　in　the　slave　States。　　Our　platform　says

just　the　contrary。　　We　allow　slavery　to　exist　in　the　slave

States；　not　because　slavery　is　right　or　good；　but　from　the

necessities　of　our　Union。　　We　grant　a　fugitive　slave　law　because

it　is　so　〃nominated　in　the　bond〃；　because　our　fathers　so

stipu1atedhad　toand　we　are　bound　to　carry　out　this　agreement。

But　they　did　not　agree　to　introduce　slavery　in　regions　where　it

did　not　previously　exist。　　On　the　contrary；　they　said　by　their

example　and　teachings　that　they　did　not　deem　it　expedientdid

n't　consider　it　rightto　do　so；　and　it　is　wise　and

right　to　do　just　as　they　did　about　it。　　＇Voices：　〃Good！〃＇　And

that　it　what　we　proposenot　to　interfere　with　slavery　where　it

exists　（we　have　never　tried　to　do　it）；　and　to　give　them　a

reasonable　and　efficient　fugitive　slave　law。　　＇A　voice：　〃No！〃＇　I

say　YES！　＇Applause。＇　It　was　part　of　the　bargain；　and　I　'm　for

living　up　to　it；　but　I　go　no　further；　I'm　not　bound　to　do　more；

and　I　won't　agree　any　further。　　＇Great　applause。＇



We；　here　in　Illinois；　should　feel　especially　proud　of　the

provision　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　excluding　slavery　from　what

is　now　Kansas；　for　an　Illinois　man；　Jesse　B。　　Thomas；　was　its

father。　　Henry　Clay；　who　is　credited　with　the　authorship　of　the

Compromise　in　general　terms；　did　not　even　vote　for　that

provision；　but　only　advocated　the　ultimate　admission　by　a　second

compromise；　and　Thomas　was；　beyond　all　controversy；　the　real

author　of　the　〃slavery　restriction〃　branch　of　the　Compromise。　　To

show　the　generosity　of　the　Northern　members　toward　the　Southern

side：　on　a　test　vote　to　exclude　slavery　from　Missouri；　ninety

voted　not　to　exclude；　and　eighty…seven　to　exclude；　every　vote

from　the　slave　States　being　ranged　with　the　former　and　fourteen

votes　from　the　free　States；　of　whom　seven　were　from　New　England

alone；　while　on　a　vote　to　exclude　slavery　from　what　is　now

Kansas；　the　vote　was　one　hundred　and　thirty…four　for；　to　forty…

two　against。　　The　scheme；　as　a　whole；　was；　of　course；　a　Southern

triumph。　　It　is　idle　to　contend　otherwise；　as　is　now　being　done

by　the　Nebraskites；　it　was　so　shown　by　the　votes　and　quite　as

emphatically　by　the　expressions　of　representative　men。　　Mr。

Lowndes　of　South　Carolina　was　never　known　to　commit　a　political

mistake；　his　was　the　great　judgment　of　that　section；　and　he

declared　that　this　measure　〃would　restore　tranquillity　to　the

countrya　result　demanded　by　every　consideration　of　discretion；

of　moderation；　of　wisdom；　and　of　virtue。〃　When　the　measure　came

before　President　Monroe　for　his　approval；　he　put　to　each　member

of　his　cabinet　this　question：　〃Has　Congress　the　constitutional

power　to　prohibit　slavery　in　a　Territory？〃　And　John　C。　　Calhoun

and　William　H。　　Crawford　from　the　South；　equally　with　John　Quincy

Adams；　Benjamin　Rush；　and　Smith　Thompson　from　the　North；　alike

answered；　〃Yes！〃　without　qualification　or　equivocation；　and　this

measure；　of　so　great　consequence　to　the　South；　was　passed；　and

Missouri　was；　by　means　of　it；　finally　enabled　to　knock　at　the

door　of　the　Republic　for　an　open　passage　to　its　brood　of　slaves。

And；　in　spite　of　this；　Freedom's　share　is　about　to　be　taken　by

violenceby　the　force　of　misrepresentative　votes；　not　called　for

by　the　popular　will。　　What　name　can　I；　in　common　decency；　give　to

this　wicked　transaction？　　＇Sensation。＇



But　even　then　the　contest　was　not　over；　for　when　the　Missouri

constitution　came　before　Congress　for　its　approval；　it　forbade

any　free　negro　or　mulatto　from　entering　the　State。　　In　short；　our

Illinois　〃black　1aws〃　were　hidden　away　in　their　constitution