Mr.

President, Friends and Fellow Citizens: He, who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a spea er be!ore an" assembl" more shrin ingl", nor with greater distrust o! m" abilit", than I do this da". # !eeling has crept over me, quite un!avorable to the e$ercise o! m" limited powers o! speech. %he tas be!ore me is one which requires much previous thought and stud" !or its proper per!ormance. I now that apologies o! this sort are generall" considered !lat and unmeaning. I trust, however, that mine will not be so considered. &hould I seem at ease, m" appearance would much misrepresent me. %he little e$perience I have had in addressing public meetings, in countr" schoolhouses, avails me nothing on the present occasion. %he papers and placards sa", that I am to deliver a 'th (o!) *ul" oration. %his certainl" sounds large, and out o! the common wa", !or it is true that I have o!ten had the privilege to spea in this beauti!ul Hall, and to address man" who now honor me with their presence. +ut neither their !amiliar !aces, nor the per!ect gage I thin I have o! Corinthian Hall, seems to !ree me !rom embarrassment. %he !act is, ladies and gentlemen, the distance between this plat!orm and the slave plantation, !rom which I escaped, is considerable,and the di!!iculties to be overcome in getting !rom the latter to the !ormer, are b" no means slight. %hat I am here to-da" is, to me, a matter o! astonishment as well as o! gratitude. .ou will not, there!ore, be surprised, i! in what I have to sa". I evince no elaborate preparation, nor grace m" speech with an" high sounding e$ordium. /ith little e$perience and with less learning, I have been able to throw m" thoughts hastil" and imper!ectl" together0 and trusting to "our patient and generous indulgence, I will proceed to la" them be!ore "ou. %his, !or the purpose o! this celebration, is the 'th o! *ul". It is the birthda" o! "our 1ational Independence, and o! "our political !reedom. %his, to "ou, is what the Passover was to the emancipated people o! 2od. It carries "our minds bac to the da", and to the act o! "our great deliverance0 and to the signs, and to the wonders, associated with that act, and that da". %his celebration also mar s the beginning o! another "ear o! "our national li!e0 and reminds "ou that the 3epublic o! #merica is now 45 "ears old. I am glad, !ellow-citizens, that "our nation is so "oung. &event"-si$ "ears, though a good old age !or a man, is but a mere spec in the li!e o! a nation. %hree score "ears and ten is the allotted time

!or individual men0 but nations number their "ears b" thousands. #ccording to this !act, "ou are, even now, onl" in the beginning o! "our national career, still lingering in the period o! childhood. I repeat, I am glad this is so. %here is hope in the thought, and hope is much needed, under the dar clouds which lower above the horizon. %he e"e o! the re!ormer is met with angr" !lashes, portending disastrous times0 but his heart ma" well beat lighter at the thought that #merica is "oung, and that she is still in the impressible stage o! her e$istence. Ma" he not hope that high lessons o! wisdom, o! 6ustice and o! truth, will "et give direction to her destin"7 /ere the nation older, the patriot8s heart might be sadder, and the re!ormer8s brow heavier. Its !uture might be shrouded in gloom, and the hope o! its prophets go out in sorrow. %here is consolation in the thought that #merica is "oung. 2reat streams are not easil" turned !rom channels, worn deep in the course o! ages. %he" ma" sometimes rise in quiet and statel" ma6est", and inundate the land, re!reshing and !ertilizing the earth with their m"sterious properties. %he" ma" also rise in wrath and !ur", and bear awa", on their angr" waves, the accumulated wealth o! "ears o! toil and hardship. %he", however, graduall" !low bac to the same old channel, and !low on as serenel" as ever. +ut, while the river ma" not be turned aside, it ma" dr" up, and leave nothing behind but the withered branch, and the unsightl" roc , to howl in the ab"ss-sweeping wind, the sad tale o! departed glor". #s with rivers so with nations. Fellow-citizens, I shall not presume to dwell at length on the associations that cluster about this da". %he simple stor" o! it is that, 45 "ears ago, the people o! this countr" were +ritish sub6ects. %he st"le and title o! "our 9sovereign people9 :in which "ou now glor"; was not then born. .ou were under the +ritish Crown. .our !athers esteemed the <nglish 2overnment as the home government0 and <ngland as the !atherland. %his home government, "ou now, although a considerable distance !rom "our home, did, in the e$ercise o! its parental prerogatives, impose upon its colonial children, such restraints, burdens and limitations, as, in its mature 6udgment, it deemed wise, right and proper. +ut, "our !athers, who had not adopted the !ashionable idea o! this da", o! the in!allibilit" o! government, and the absolute character o! its acts, presumed to di!!er !rom the home government in respect to the wisdom and the 6ustice o! some o! those burdens and restraints. %he" went so !ar in their e$citement as to pronounce the measures o! government un6ust, unreasonable, and oppressive,

and altogether such as ought not to be quietl" submitted to. I scarcel" need sa", !ellow-citizens, that m" opinion o! those measures !ull" accords with that o! "our !athers. &uch a declaration o! agreement on m" part would not be worth much to an"bod". It would, certainl", prove nothing0 as to what part I might have ta en, had I lived during the great controvers" o! =445. %o sa" now that #merica was right, and <ngland wrong, is e$ceedingl" eas". <ver"bod" can sa" it0 the dastard, not less than the noble brave, can !lippantl" discant on the t"rann" o! <ngland towards the #merican Colonies. It is !ashionable to do so0 but there was a time when to pronounce against <ngland, and in !avor o! the cause o! the colonies, tried men8s souls. %he" who did so were accounted in their da", plotters o! mischie!, agitators and rebels, dangerous men. %o side with the right, against the wrong, with the wea against the strong, and with the oppressed against the oppressor> Here lies the merit, and the one, which, o! all others, seems un!ashionable in our da". %he cause o! libert" ma" be stabbed b" the men who glor" in the deeds o! "our !athers. +ut, to proceed. Feeling themselves harshl" and un6ustl" treated b" the home government, "our !athers, li e men o! honest", and men o! spirit, earnestl" sought redress. %he" petitioned and remonstrated0 the" did so in a decorous, respect!ul, and lo"al manner. %heir conduct was wholl" une$ceptionable. %his, however, did not answer the purpose. %he" saw themselves treated with sovereign indi!!erence, coldness and scorn. .et the" persevered. %he" were not the men to loo bac . #s the sheet anchor ta es a !irmer hold, when the ship is tossed b" the storm, so did the cause o! "our !athers grow stronger, as it breasted the chilling blasts o! ingl" displeasure7 %he greatest and best o! +ritish statesmen admitted its 6ustice, and the lo!tiest eloquence o! the +ritish &enate came to its support. +ut, with that blindness which seems to be the unvar"ing characteristic o! t"rants, since Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in the 3ed &ea, the +ritish 2overnment persisted in the e$actions complained o!. %he madness o! this course, we believe, is admitted now, even b" <ngland0 but we !ear the lesson is wholl" lost on our present ruler. ?ppression ma es a wise man mad. .our !athers were wise men, and i! the" did not go mad, the" became restive under this treatment. %he" !elt themselves the victims o! grievous wrongs, wholl" incurable in their colonial capacit". /ith

brave men there is alwa"s a remed" !or oppression. *ust here, the idea o! a total separation o! the colonies !rom the crown was born> It was a startling idea, much more so, than we, at this distance o! time, regard it. %he timid and the prudent :as has been intimated; o! that da", were, o! course, shoc ed and alarmed b" it. &uch people lived then, had lived be!ore, and will, probabl", ever have a place on this planet0 and their course, in respect to an" great change, :no matter how great the good to be attained, or the wrong to be redressed b" it;, ma" be calculated with as much precision as can be the course o! the stars. %he" hate all changes, but silver, gold and copper change> ?! this sort o! change the" are alwa"s strongl" in !avor. %hese people were called %ories in the da"s o! "our !athers0 and the appellation, probabl", conve"ed the same idea that is meant b" a more modern, though a somewhat less euphonious term, which we o!ten !ind in our papers, applied to some o! our old politicians. %heir opposition to the then dangerous thought was earnest and power!ul0 but, amid all their terror and a!!righted voci!erations against it, the alarming and revolutionar" idea moved on, and the countr" with it. ?n the @d o! *ul", =445, the old Continental Congress, to the disma" o! the lovers o! ease, and the worshipers o! propert", clothed that dread!ul idea with all the authorit" o! national sanction. %he" did so in the !orm o! a resolution0 and as we seldom hit upon resolutions, drawn up in our da" whose transparenc" is at all equal to this, it ma" re!resh "our minds and help m" stor" i! I read it. 93esolved, %hat these united colonies are, and o! right, ought to be !ree and Independent &tates0 that the" are absolved !rom all allegiance to the +ritish Crown0 and that all political connection between them and the &tate o! 2reat +ritain is, and ought to be, dissolved.9 Citizens, "our !athers made good that resolution. %he" succeeded0 and to-da" "ou reap the !ruits o! their success. %he !reedom gained is "ours0 and "ou, there!ore, ma" properl" celebrate this anniversar". %he 'th o! *ul" is the !irst great !act in "our nation8s histor",the ver" ring-bolt in the chain o! "our "et undeveloped destin". Pride and patriotism, not less than gratitude, prompt "ou to celebrate and to hold

it in perpetual remembrance. I have said that the Aeclaration o! Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain o! "our nation8s destin"0 so, indeed, I regard it. %he principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. &tand b" those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all !oes, and at whatever cost. From the round top o! "our ship o! state, dar and threatening clouds ma" be seen. Heav" billows, li e mountains in the distance, disclose to the leeward huge !orms o! !lint" roc s> %hat bolt drawn, that chain bro en, and all is lost. Cling to this da",cling to it, and to its principles, with the grasp o! a storm-tossed mariner to a spar at midnight. %he coming into being o! a nation, in an" circumstances, is an interesting event. +ut, besides general considerations, there were peculiar circumstances which ma e the advent o! this republic an event o! special attractiveness. %he whole scene, as I loo bac to it, was simple, digni!ied and sublime. %he population o! the countr", at the time, stood at the insigni!icant number o! three millions. %he countr" was poor in the munitions o! war. %he population was wea and scattered, and the countr" a wilderness unsubdued. %here were then no means o! concert and combination, such as e$ist now. 1either steam nor lightning had then been reduced to order and discipline. From the Potomac to the Aelaware was a 6ourne" o! man" da"s. Bnder these, and innumerable other disadvantages, "our !athers declared !or libert" and independence and triumphed. Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect !or the !athers o! this republic. %he signers o! the Aeclaration o! Independence were brave men. %he" were great men too,great enough to give !ame to a great age. It does not o!ten happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number o! trul" great men. %he point !rom which I am compelled to view them is not, certainl", the most !avorable0 and "et I cannot contemplate their great deeds with less than admiration. %he" were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and !or the good the" did, and the principles the" contended !or, I will unite with "ou to honor their memor". %he" loved their countr" better than their own private interests0 and, though this is not the highest !orm o! human e$cellence, all will concede that it is a rare

virtue, and that when it is e$hibited, it ought to command respect. He who will, intelligentl", la" down his li!e !or his countr", is a man whom it is not in human nature to despise. .our !athers sta ed their lives, their !ortunes, and their sacred honor, on the cause o! their countr". In their admiration o! libert", the" lost sight o! all other interests. %he" were peace men0 but the" pre!erred revolution to peace!ul submission to bondage. %he" were quiet men0 but the" did not shrin !rom agitating against oppression. %he" showed !orbearance0 but that the" new its limits. %he" believed in order0 but not in the order o! t"rann". /ith them, nothing was 9settled9 that was not right. /ith them, 6ustice, libert" and humanit" were 9!inal09 not slaver" and oppression. .ou ma" well cherish the memor" o! such men. %he" were great in their da" and generation. %heir solid manhood stands out the more as we contrast it with these degenerate times. How circumspect, e$act and proportionate were all their movements> How unli e the politicians o! an hour> %heir statesmanship loo ed be"ond the passing moment, and stretched awa" in strength into the distant !uture. %he" seized upon eternal principles, and set a glorious e$ample in their de!ense. Mar them> Full" appreciating the hardship to be encountered, !irml" believing in the right o! their cause, honorabl" inviting the scrutin" o! an on-loo ing world, reverentl" appealing to heaven to attest their sincerit", soundl" comprehending the solemn responsibilit" the" were about to assume, wisel" measuring the terrible odds against them, "our !athers, the !athers o! this republic, did, most deliberatel", under the inspiration o! a glorious patriotism, and with a sublime !aith in the great principles o! 6ustice and !reedom, la" deep the corner-stone o! the national superstructure, which has risen and still rises in grandeur around "ou. ?! this !undamental wor , this da" is the anniversar". ?ur e"es are met with demonstrations o! 6o"ous enthusiasm. +anners and pennants wave e$ultingl" on the breeze. %he din o! business, too, is hushed. <ven Mammon seems to have quitted his grasp on this da". %he ear-piercing !i!e and the stirring drum unite their accents with the ascending peal o! a thousand church bells. Pra"ers are made, h"mns are sung, and sermons are preached in honor o! this da"0 while the quic martial tramp o! a great and multitudinous nation, echoed bac b" all the hills, valle"s and mountains o! a vast continent, bespea the occasion one o!

thrilling and universal interests nation8s 6ubilee. Friends and citizens, I need not enter !urther into the causes which led to this anniversar". Man" o! "ou understand them better than I do. .ou could instruct me in regard to them. %hat is a branch o! nowledge in which "ou !eel, perhaps, a much deeper interest than "our spea er. %he causes which led to the separation o! the colonies !rom the +ritish crown have never lac ed !or a tongue. %he" have all been taught in "our common schools, narrated at "our !iresides, un!olded !rom "our pulpits, and thundered !rom "our legislative halls, and are as !amiliar to "ou as household words. %he" !orm the staple o! "our national poetr" and eloquence. I remember, also, that, as a people, #mericans are remar abl" !amiliar with all !acts which ma e in their own !avor. %his is esteemed b" some as a national trait perhaps a national wea ness. It is a !act, that whatever ma es !or the wealth or !or the reputation o! #mericans, and can be had cheap> will be !ound b" #mericans. I shall not be charged with slandering #mericans, i! I sa" I thin the #merican side o! an" question ma" be sa!el" le!t in #merican hands. I leave, there!ore, the great deeds o! "our !athers to other gentlemen whose claim to have been regularl" descended will be less li el" to be disputed than mine> %H< P3<&<1%. M" business, i! I have an" here to-da", is with the present. %he accepted time with 2od and his cause is the ever-living now.

"Trust no future, however pleasant, Let the dead past bury its dead; Act, act in the living present, Heart within, and God overhead."
/e have to do with the past onl" as we can ma e it use!ul to the present and to the !uture. %o all inspiring motives, to noble deeds which can be gained !rom the past, we are welcome. +ut now is the time, the important time. .our !athers have lived, died, and have done their wor , and have done much o! it well. .ou live and must die, and "ou must do "our wor . .ou have no right to en6o" a child8s share

in the labor o! "our !athers, unless "our children are to be blest b" "our labors. .ou have no right to wear out and waste the hard-earned !ame o! "our !athers to cover "our indolence. &"dne" &mith tells us that men seldom eulogize the wisdom and virtues o! their !athers, but to e$cuse some !oll" or wic edness o! their own. %his truth is not a doubt!ul one. %here are illustrations o! it near and remote, ancient and modern. It was !ashionable, hundreds o! "ears ago, !or the children o! *acob to boast, we have 9#braham to our !ather,9 when the" had long lost #braham8s !aith and spirit. %hat people contented themselves under the shadow o! #braham8s great name, while the" repudiated the deeds which made his name great. 1eed I remind "ou that a similar thing is being done all over this countr" to-da"7 1eed I tell "ou that the *ews are not the onl" people who built the tombs o! the prophets, and garnished the sepulchres o! the righteous7 /ashington could not die till he had bro en the chains o! his slaves. .et his monument is built up b" the price o! human blood, and the traders in the bodies and souls o! men, shout - 9/e have /ashington to our !ather.9 #las> that it should be so0 "et so it is.

"The evil that men do, lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones."
9/hat have I, or those I represent, to do with "our national independence79 Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to as , wh" am I called upon to spea here to-da"7 /hat have I, or those I represent, to do with "our national independence7 #re the great principles o! political !reedom and o! natural 6ustice, embodied in that Aeclaration o! Independence, e$tended to us7 and am I, there!ore, called upon to bring our humble o!!ering to the national altar, and to con!ess the bene!its and e$press devout gratitude !or the blessings resulting !rom "our independence to us7 /ould to 2od, both !or "our sa es and ours, that an a!!irmative answer could be truth!ull" returned to these questions> %hen would m" tas be light, and m" burden eas" and delight!ul. For who is there so cold, that a nation8s s"mpath" could not warm him7 /ho so obdurate and dead to the claims o! gratitude, that would not than !ull" ac nowledge such priceless bene!its7 /ho so stolid and sel!ish, that would not give his voice to swell the hallelu6ahs o! a nation8s 6ubilee, when the chains o! servitude had been torn !rom his limbs7 I am not that man. In a case li e that, the dumb might eloquentl" spea , and the 9lame man leap as an hart.9 +ut, such is not the state o! the case. I sa" it with a sad sense o! the disparit" between us. I am not included within the pale o! this glorious anniversar"> .our

high independence onl" reveals the immeasurable distance between us. %he blessings in which "ou, this da", re6oice, are not en6o"ed in common. %he rich inheritance o! 6ustice, libert", prosperit" and independence, bequeathed b" "our !athers, is shared b" "ou, not b" me. %he sunlight that brought li!e and healing to "ou, has brought stripes and death to me. %his Fourth (o!) *ul" is "ours, not mine. .ou ma" re6oice, I must mourn. %o drag a man in !etters into the grand illuminated temple o! libert", and call upon him to 6oin "ou in 6o"ous anthems, were inhuman moc er" and sacrilegious iron". Ao "ou mean, citizens, to moc me, b" as ing me to spea to-da"7 I! so, there is a parallel to "our conduct. #nd let me warn "ou that it is dangerous to cop" the e$ample o! a nation whose crimes, lowering up to heaven, were thrown down b" the breath o! the #lmight", bur"ing that nation in irrecoverable ruin> I can to-da" ta e up the plaintive lament o! a peeled and woe-smitten people> 9+" the rivers o! +ab"lon, there we sat down. .ea> we wept when we remembered Cion. /e hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereo!. For there, the" that carried us awa" captive, required o! us a song0 and the" who wasted us required o! us mirth, sa"ing, &ing us one o! the songs o! Cion. How can we sing the Dord8s song in a strange land7 I! I !orget thee, ? *erusalem, let m" right hand !orget her cunning. I! I do not remember thee, let m" tongue cleave to the roo! o! m" mouth.9 Fellow-citizens0 above "our national, tumultuous 6o", I hear the mourn!ul wail o! millions> whose chains, heav" and grievous "esterda", are, to-da", rendered more intolerable b" the 6ubilee shouts that reach them. I! I do !orget, i! I do not !aith!ull" remember those bleeding children o! sorrow this da", 9ma" m" right hand !orget her cunning, and ma" m" tongue cleave to the roo! o! m" mouth>9 %o !orget them, to pass lightl" over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shoc ing, and would ma e me a reproach be!ore 2od and the world. M" sub6ect, then !ellow-citizens, is #M<3IC#1 &D#E<3.. I shall see, this da", and its popular characteristics, !rom the slave8s point o! view. &tanding, there, identi!ied with the #merican bondman, ma ing his wrongs mine, I do not hesitate to declare, with all m" soul, that the character and conduct o! this nation never loo ed blac er to me than on this 'th o! *ul"> /hether we turn to the declarations o! the past, or to the pro!essions o! the present, the conduct o! the nation seems equall" hideous and revolting. #merica is !alse to the past, !alse to the present, and solemnl" binds hersel! to be !alse to the !uture. &tanding with 2od and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name o! humanit" which is outraged, in the name o! libert" which is !ettered, in the name o! the constitution and the +ible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, ever"thing that serves to perpetuate slaver"-the

great sin and shame o! #merica> 9I will not equivocate0 I will not e$cuse09 I will use the severest language I can command0 and "et not one word shall escape me that an" man, whose 6udgment is not blinded b" pre6udice, or who is not at heart a slaveholder, shall not con!ess to be right and 6ust. +ut I !anc" I hear some one o! m" audience sa", it is 6ust in this circumstance that "ou and "our brother abolitionists !ail to ma e a !avorable impression on the public mind. /ould "ou argue more, and denounce less, would "ou persuade more, and rebu e less, "our cause would be much more li el" to succeed. +ut, I submit, where all is plain there is nothing to be argued. /hat point in the antislaver" creed would "ou have me argue7 ?n what branch o! the sub6ect do the people o! this countr" need light7 Must I underta e to prove that the slave is a man7 %hat point is conceded alread". 1obod" doubts it. %he slaveholders themselves ac nowledge it in the enactment o! laws !or their government. %he" ac nowledge it when the" punish disobedience on the part o! the slave. %here are sevent"-two crimes in the &tate o! Eirginia, which, i! committed b" a blac man, :no matter how ignorant he be;, sub6ect him to the punishment o! death0 while onl" two o! the same crimes will sub6ect a white man to the li e punishment. /hat is this but the ac nowledgement that the slave is a moral, intellectual and responsible being7 %he manhood o! the slave is conceded. It is admitted in the !act that &outhern statute boo s are covered with enactments !orbidding, under severe !ines and penalties, the teaching o! the slave to read or to write. /hen "ou can point to an" such laws, in re!erence to the beasts o! the !ield, then I ma" consent to argue the manhood o! the slave. /hen the dogs in "our streets, when the !owls o! the air, when the cattle on "our hills, when the !ish o! the sea, and the reptiles that crawl, shall be unable to distinguish the slave !rom a brute, their will I argue with "ou that the slave is a man> For the present, it is enough to a!!irm the equal manhood o! the 1egro race. Is it not astonishing that, while we are ploughing, planting and reaping, using all inds o! mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships, wor ing in metals o! brass, iron, copper, silver and gold0 that, while we are reading, writing and c"phering, acting as cler s, merchants and secretaries, having among us law"ers, doctors, ministers, poets, authors, editors, orators and teachers0 that, while we are engaged in all manner o! enterprises common to other men, digging gold in Cali!ornia, capturing the whale in the Paci!ic, !eeding sheep and cattle on the hill-side, living, moving, acting, thin ing, planning, living in !amilies as husbands, wives and children, and, above all, con!essing and worshipping the Christian8s 2od, and loo ing hope!ull" !or li!e and immortalit" be"ond the grave, we are called upon to prove that we are men> /ould "ou have me argue that man is entitled to libert"7 that he is the right!ul owner o! his own bod"7 .ou have alread" declared it. Must I argue the

wrong!ulness o! slaver"7 Is that a question !or 3epublicans7 Is it to be settled b" the rules o! logic and argumentation, as a matter beset with great di!!icult", involving a doubt!ul application o! the principle o! 6ustice, hard to be understood7 How should I loo to-da", in the presence o! #mericans, dividing, and subdividing a discourse, to show that men have a natural right to !reedom7 spea ing o! it relativel", and positivel", negativel", and a!!irmativel". %o do so, would be to ma e m"sel! ridiculous, and to o!!er an insult to "our understanding. %here is not a man beneath the canop" o! heaven, that does not now that slaver" is wrong !or him. /hat, am I to argue that it is wrong to ma e men brutes, to rob them o! their libert", to wor them without wages, to eep them ignorant o! their relations to their !ellow men, to beat them with stic s, to !la" their !lesh with the lash, to load their limbs with irons, to hunt them with dogs, to sell them at auction, to sunder their !amilies, to noc out their teeth, to bum their !lesh, to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters7 Must I argue that a s"stem thus mar ed with blood, and stained with pollution, is wrong7 1o> I will not. I have better emplo"ments !or m" time and strength than such arguments would impl". /hat, then, remains to be argued7 Is it that slaver" is not divine0 that 2od did not establish it0 that our doctors o! divinit" are mista en7 %here is blasphem" in the thought. %hat which is inhuman, cannot be divine> /ho can reason on such a proposition7 %he" that can, ma"0 I cannot. %he time !or such argument is past. #t a time li e this, scorching iron", not convincing argument, is needed. ?> had I the abilit", and could I reach the nation8s ear, I would, to-da", pour out a !ier" stream o! biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebu e. For it is not light that is needed, but !ire0 it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. /e need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthqua e. %he !eeling o! the nation must be quic ened0 the conscience o! the nation must be roused0 the propriet" o! the nation must be startled0 the h"pocris" o! the nation must be e$posed0 and its crimes against 2od and man must be proclaimed and denounced. /hat, to the #merican slave, is "our 'th o! *ul"7 I answer: a da" that reveals to him, more than all other da"s in the "ear, the gross in6ustice and cruell" to which he is the constant victim. %o him, "our celebration is a sham0 "our boasted libert", an unhol" license0 "our national greatness, swelling vanit"0 "our sounds o! re6oicing are empt" and heartless0 "our denunciations o! t"rants, brass !ronted impudence0 "our shouts o! libert" and equalit", hollow moc er"0 "our pra"ers and h"mns, "our sermons and than sgivings, with all "our religious parade, and solemnit", are, to him, mere bombast, !raud, deception, impiet", and h"pocris", a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation o! savages. %here is not a nation on the earth guilt" o! practices, more shoc ing and blood", than are the people o! these Bnited &tates, at this ver" hour.

2o where "ou ma", search where "ou will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms o! the old world, travel through &outh #merica, search out ever" abuse, and when "ou have !ound the last, la" "our !acts b" the side o! the ever"da" practices o! this nation, and "ou will sa" with me, that, !or revolting barbarit" and shameless h"pocris", #merica reigns without a rival. I1%<31#D &D#E< %3#A<. %a e the #merican slave-trade, which, we are told b" the papers, is especiall" prosperous 6ust now. <$-&enator +enton tells us that the price o! men was never higher than now. He mentions the !act to show that slaver" is in no danger. %his trade is one o! the peculiarities o! #merican institutions. It is carried on in all the large towns and cities in one-hal! o! this con!ederac"0 and millions are poc eted ever" "ear, b" dealers in this horrid tra!!ic. In several states, this trade is a chie! source o! wealth. It is called :in contradistinction to the !oreign slave-trade; 9the internal slave trade.9 It is, probabl", called so, too, in order to divert !rom it the horror with which the !oreign slave-trade is contemplated. %hat trade has long since been denounced b" this government, as pirac". It has been denounced with burning words, !rom the high places o! the nation, as an e$ecrable tra!!ic. %o arrest it, to put an end to it, this nation eeps a squadron, at immense cost, on the coast o! #!rica. <ver"where, in this countr", it is sa!e to spea o! this !oreign slave-trade, as a most inhuman tra!!ic, opposed ali e to the laws o! 2od and o! man. %he dut" to e$tirpate and destro" it, is admitted even b" our A?C%?3& ?F AIEI1I%.. In order to put an end to it, some o! these last have consented that their colored brethren :nominall" !ree; should leave this countr", and establish themselves on the western coast o! #!rica> It is, however, a notable !act that, while so much e$ecration is poured out b" #mericans upon those engaged in the !oreign slave-trade, the men engaged in the slave-trade between the states pass without condemnation, and their business is deemed honorable. +ehold the practical operation o! this internal slave-trade, the #merican slavetrade, sustained b" #merican politics and #merica religion. Here "ou will see men and women reared li e swine !or the mar et. .ou now what is a swinedrover7 I will show "ou a man-drover. %he" inhabit all our &outhern &tates. %he" perambulate the countr", and crowd the highwa"s o! the nation, with droves o! human stoc . .ou will see one o! these human !lesh-6obbers, armed with pistol, whip and bowie- ni!e, driving a compan" o! a hundred men, women, and children, !rom the Potomac to the slave mar et at 1ew ?rleans. %hese wretched people are to be sold singl", or in lots, to suit purchasers. %he" are !ood !or the cotton-!ield, and the deadl" sugar-mill. Mar the sad procession, as it moves wearil" along, and the inhuman wretch who drives them. Hear his savage "ells and his blood-chilling oaths, as he hurries on his a!!righted captives> %here, see the old man, with loc s thinned and gra". Cast one glance, i! "ou please, upon

that "oung mother, whose shoulders are bare to the scorching sun, her brin" tears !alling on the brow o! the babe in her arms. &ee, too, that girl o! thirteen, weeping, "es> weeping, as she thin s o! the mother !rom whom she has been torn> %he drove moves tardil". Heat and sorrow have nearl" consumed their strength0 suddenl" "ou hear a quic snap, li e the discharge o! a ri!le0 the !etters clan , and the chain rattles simultaneousl"0 "our ears are saluted with a scream, that seems to have torn its wa" to the center o! "our soul> %he crac "ou heard, was the sound o! the slave-whip0 the scream "ou heard, was !rom the woman "ou saw with the babe. Her speed had !altered under the weight o! her child and her chains> that gash on her shoulder tells her to move on. Follow the drove to 1ew ?rleans. #ttend the auction0 see men e$amined li e horses0 see the !orms o! women rudel" and brutall" e$posed to the shoc ing gaze o! #merican slavebu"ers. &ee this drove sold and separated !orever0 and never !orget the deep, sad sobs that arose !rom that scattered multitude. %ell me citizens, /H<3<, under the sun, "ou can witness a spectacle more !iendish and shoc ing. .et this is but a glance at the #merican slave-trade, as it e$ists, at this moment, in the ruling part o! the Bnited &tates. I was born amid such sights and scenes. %o me the #merican slave-trade is a terrible realit". /hen a child, m" soul was o!ten pierced with a sense o! its horrors. I lived on Philpot &treet, Fell8s Point, +altimore, and have watched !rom the wharves, the slave ships in the +asin, anchored !rom the shore, with their cargoes o! human !lesh, waiting !or !avorable winds to wa!t them down the Chesapea e. %here was, at that time, a grand slave mart ept at the head o! Pratt &treet, b" #ustin /old!ol . His agents were sent into ever" town and count" in Mar"land, announcing their arrival, through the papers, and on !laming 9handbills,9 headed C#&H F?3 1<23?<&. %hese men were generall" well dressed men, and ver" captivating in their manners. <ver read" to drin , to treat, and to gamble. %he !ate o! man" a slave has depended upon the turn o! a single card0 and man" a child has been snatched !rom the arms o! its mother b" bargains arranged in a state o! brutal drun enness. %he !lesh-mongers gather up their victims b" dozens, and drive them, chained, to the general depot at +altimore. /hen a su!!icient number have been collected here, a ship is chartered, !or the purpose o! conve"ing the !orlorn crew to Mobile, or to 1ew ?rleans. From the slave prison to the ship, the" are usuall" driven in the dar ness o! night0 !or since the antislaver" agitation, a certain caution is observed. In the deep still dar ness o! midnight, I have been o!ten aroused b" the dead heav" !ootsteps, and the piteous cries o! the chained gangs that passed our door. %he anguish o! m" bo"ish heart was intense0 and I was o!ten consoled, when spea ing to m" mistress in the morning, to hear her sa" that the custom was ver"

wic ed0 that she hated to hear the rattle o! the chains, and the heart-rending cries. I was glad to !ind one who s"mpathized with me in m" horror. Fellow-citizens, this murderous tra!!ic is, to-da", in active operation in this boasted republic. In the solitude o! m" spirit, I see clouds o! dust raised on the highwa"s o! the &outh0 I see the bleeding !ootsteps0 I hear the dole!ul wail o! !ettered humanit", on the wa" to the slave-mar ets, where the victims are to be sold li e horses, sheep, and swine, noc ed o!! to the highest bidder. %here I see the tenderest ties ruthlessl" bro en, to grati!" the lust, caprice and rapacit" o! the bu"ers and sellers o! men. M" soul sic ens at the sight.

"!s this the land your "athers loved, The freedom which they toiled to win# !s this the earth whereon they moved# Are these the graves they slumber in#"
+ut a still more inhuman, disgrace!ul, and scandalous state o! things remains to be presented. +" an act o! the #merican Congress, not "et two "ears old, slaver" has been nationalized in its most horrible and revolting !orm. +" that act, Mason F Ai$on8s line has been obliterated0 1ew .or has become as Eirginia0 and the power to hold, hunt, and sell men, women, and children as slaves remains no longer a mere state institution, but is now an institution o! the whole Bnited &tates. %he power is co-e$tensive with the &tar-&pangled +anner and #merican Christianit". /here these go, ma" also go the merciless slave-hunter. /here these are, man is not sacred. He is a bird !or the sportsman8s gun. +" that most !oul and !iendish o! all human decrees, the libert" and person o! ever" man are put in peril. .our broad republican domain is hunting ground !or men. 1ot !or thieves and robbers, enemies o! societ", merel", but !or men guilt" o! no crime. .our lawma ers have commanded all good citizens to engage in this hellish sport. .our President, "our &ecretar" o! &tate, "our lords, nobles, and ecclesiastics, en!orce, as a dut" "ou owe to "our !ree and glorious countr", and to "our 2od, that "ou do this accursed thing. 1ot !ewer than !ort" #mericans have, within the past two "ears, been hunted down and, without a moment8s warning, hurried awa" in chains, and consigned to slaver" and e$cruciating torture. &ome o! these have had wives and children, dependent on them !or bread0 but o! this, no account was made. %he right o! the hunter to his pre" stands superior to the right o! marriage, and to all rights in this republic, the rights o! 2od included> For blac men there are neither

law, 6ustice, humanit", not religion. %he Fugitive &lave Daw ma es M<3C. %? %H<M, # C3IM<0 and bribes the 6udge who tries them. #n #merican *BA2< 2<%& %<1 A?DD#3& F?3 <E<3. EIC%IM H< C?1&I21& to slaver", and !ive, when he !ails to do so. %he oath o! an" two villains is su!!icient, under this hellblac enactment, to send the most pious and e$emplar" blac man into the remorseless 6aws o! slaver"> His own testimon" is nothing. He can bring no witnesses !or himsel!. %he minister o! #merican 6ustice is bound b" the law to hear but one side0 and that side, is the side o! the oppressor. Det this damning !act be perpetuall" told. Det it be thundered around the world, that, in t"rantilling, ing-hating, people-loving, democratic, Christian #merica, the seats o! 6ustice are !illed with 6udges, who hold their o!!ices under an open and palpable bribe, and are bound, in deciding in the case o! a man8s libert", hear onl" his accusers> In glaring violation o! 6ustice, in shameless disregard o! the !orms o! administering law, in cunning arrangement to entrap the de!enseless, and in diabolical intent, this Fugitive &lave Daw stands alone in the annals o! t"rannical legislation. I doubt i! there be another nation on the globe, having the brass and the baseness to put such a law on the statute-boo . I! an" man in this assembl" thin s di!!erentl" !rom me in this matter, and !eels able to disprove m" statements, I will gladl" con!ront him at an" suitable time and place he ma" select. 3<DI2I?B& DI+<3%.. I ta e this law to be one o! the grossest in!ringements o! Christian Dibert", and, i! the churches and ministers o! our countr" were not stupidl" blind, or most wic edl" indi!!erent, the", too, would so regard it. #t the ver" moment that the" are than ing 2od !or the en6o"ment o! civil and religious libert", and !or the right to worship 2od according to the dictates o! their own consciences, the" are utterl" silent in respect to a law which robs religion o! its chie! signi!icance, and ma es it utterl" worthless to a world l"ing in wic edness. Aid this law concern the 9mint, anise and cummin9,abridge the !ight to sing psalms, to parta e o! the sacrament, or to engage in an" o! the ceremonies o! religion, it would be smitten b" the thunder o! a thousand pulpits. # general shout would go up !rom the church, demanding repeal, repeal, instant

repeal> #nd it would go hard with that politician who presumed to solicit the votes o! the people without inscribing this motto on his banner. Further, i! this demand were not complied with, another &cotland would be added to the histor" o! religious libert", and the stern old Covenanters would be thrown into the shade. # *ohn Gno$ would be seen at ever" church door, and heard !rom ever" pulpit, and Fillmore would have no more quarter than was shown b" Gno$, to the beauti!ul, but treacherous queen Mar" o! &cotland. %he !act that the church o! our countr", :with !ractional e$ceptions;, does not esteem 9the Fugitive &lave Daw9 as a declaration o! war against religious libert", implies that that church regards religion simpl" as a !orm o! worship, an empt" ceremon", and not a vital principle, requiring active benevolence, 6ustice, love and good will towards man. It esteems sacri!ice above merc"0 psalm-singing above right doing0 solemn meetings above practical righteousness. # worship that can be conducted b" persons who re!use to give shelter to the houseless, to give bread to the hungr", clothing to the na ed, and who en6oin obedience to a law !orbidding these acts o! merc", is a curse, not a blessing to man ind. %he +ible addresses all such persons as 9scribes, Pharisees, h"pocrites, who pa" tithe o! mint, anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters o! the law, 6udgment, merc" and !aith.9 %H< CHB3CH 3<&P?1&I+D<. +ut the church o! this countr" is not onl" indi!!erent to the wrongs o! the slave, it actuall" ta es sides with the oppressors. It has made itsel! the bulwar o! #merican slaver", and the shield o! #merican slave-hunters. Man" o! its most eloquent Aivines. who stand as the ver" lights o! the church, have shamelessl" given the sanction o! religion and the +ible to the whole slave s"stem. %he" have taught that man ma", properl", be a slave0 that the relation o! master and slave is ordained o! 2od0 that to send bac an escaped bondman to his master is clearl" the dut" o! all the !ollowers o! the Dord *esus Christ0 and this horrible blasphem" is palmed o!! upon the world !or Christianit". For m" part, I would sa", welcome in!idelit"> welcome atheism> welcome an"thing> in pre!erence to the gospel, as preached b" those Aivines> %he" convert the ver" name o! religion into an engine o! t"rann", and barbarous cruelt", and serve to con!irm more in!idels, in this age, than all the in!idel writings o! %homas Paine, Eoltaire, and +olingbro e, put together, have done> %hese ministers ma e religion a cold and !lint"-hearted thing, having neither principles o! right action,

nor bowels o! compassion. %he" strip the love o! 2od o! its beaut", and leave the throng o! religion a huge, horrible, repulsive !orm. It is a religion !or oppressors, t"rants, man-stealers, and thugs. It is not that 9pure and unde!iled religion9 which is !rom above, and which is 9!irst pure, then peaceable, eas" to be entreated, !ull o! merc" and good !ruits, without partialit", and without h"pocris".9 +ut a religion which !avors the rich against the poor0 which e$alts the proud above the humble0 which divides man ind into two classes, t"rants and slaves0 which sa"s to the man in chains, sta" there0 and to the oppressor, oppress on0 it is a religion which ma" be pro!essed and en6o"ed b" all the robbers and enslavers o! man ind0 it ma es 2od a respecter o! persons, denies his !atherhood o! the race, and tramples in the dust the great truth o! the brotherhood o! man. #ll this we a!!irm to be true o! the popular church, and the popular worship o! our land and nation - a religion, a church, and a worship which, on the authorit" o! inspired wisdom, we pronounce to be an abomination in the sight o! 2od. In the language o! Isaiah, the #merican church might be well addressed, 9+ring no more vain ablations0 incense is an abomination unto me: the new moons and &abbaths, the calling o! assemblies, I cannot awa" with0 it is iniquit" even the solemn meeting. .our new moons and "our appointed !easts m" soul hateth. %he" are a trouble to me0 I am wear" to bear them0 and when "e spread !orth "our hands I will hide mine e"es !rom "ou. .ea> when "e ma e man" pra"ers, I will not hear. .?B3 H#1A& #3< FBDD ?F +D??A0 cease to do evil, learn to do well0 see 6udgment0 relieve the oppressed0 6udge !or the !atherless0 plead !or the widow.9 %he #merican church is guilt", when viewed in connection with what it is doing to uphold slaver"0 but it is superlativel" guilt" when viewed in connection with its abilit" to abolish slaver". %he sin o! which it is guilt" is one o! omission as well as o! commission. #lbert +arnes but uttered what the common sense o! ever" man at all observant o! the actual state o! the case will receive as truth, when he declared that 9%here is no power out o! the church that could sustain slaver" an hour, i! it were not sustained in it.9 Det the religious press, the pulpit, the &unda" school, the con!erence meeting, the great ecclesiastical, missionar", +ible and tract associations o! the land arra" their immense powers against slaver" and slave-holding0 and the whole s"stem o! crime and blood would be scattered to the winds0 and that the" do not do this involves them in the most aw!ul responsibilit" o! which the mind can conceive.

In prosecuting the anti-slaver" enterprise, we have been as ed to spare the church, to spare the ministr"0 but how, we as , could such a thing be done7 /e are met on the threshold o! our e!!orts !or the redemption o! the slave, b" the church and ministr" o! the countr", in battle arra"ed against us0 and we are compelled to !ight or !lee. From what quarter, I beg to now, has proceeded a !ire so deadl" upon our ran s, during the last two "ears, as !rom the 1orthern pulpit7 #s the champions o! oppressors, the chosen men o! #merican theolog" have appeared-men, honored !or their so-called piet", and their real learning. %he D?3A& o! +u!!alo, the &P3I12& o! 1ew .or , the D#%H3?P& o! #uburn, the C?H<& and &P<1C<3& o! +roo l"n, the 2#11<%& and &H#3P& o! +oston, the A</<.& o! /ashington, and other great religious lights o! the land, have, in utter denial o! the authorit" o! Him, b" whom the pro!essed to he called to the ministr", deliberatel" taught us, against the e$ample or the Hebrews and against the remonstrance o! the #postles, the" teach 9that we ought to obe" man8s law be!ore the law o! 2od.9 M" spirit wearies o! such blasphem"0 and how such men can be supported, as the 9standing t"pes and representatives o! *esus Christ,9 is a m"ster" which I leave others to penetrate. In spea ing o! the #merican church, however, let it be distinctl" understood that I mean the great mass o! the religious organizations o! our land. %here are e$ceptions, and I than 2od that there are. 1oble men ma" be !ound, scattered all over these 1orthern &tates, o! whom Henr" /ard +eecher o! +roo l"n, &amuel *. Ma" o! &"racuse, and m" esteemed !riend on the plat!orm, are shining e$amples0 and let me sa" !urther, that upon these men lies the dut" to inspire our ran s with high religious !aith and zeal, and to cheer us on in the great mission o! the slave8s redemption !rom his chains. 3<DI2I?1 I1 <12D#1A #1A 3<DI2I?1 I1 #M<3IC#. ?ne is struc with the di!!erence between the attitude o! the #merican church towards the anti-slaver" movement, and that occupied b" the churches in <ngland towards a similar movement in that countr". %here, the church, true to its mission o! ameliorating, elevating, and improving the condition o! man ind, came !orward promptl", bound up the wounds o! the /est Indian slave, and restored him to his libert". %here, the question o! emancipation was a high(l") religious question. It was demanded, in the name o! humanit", and according to the law o! the living 2od. %he &harps, the Clar sons, the /ilber!orces, the

+u$tons, and +urchells and the Gnibbs, were ali e !amous !or their piet", and !or their philanthrop". %he anti-slaver" movement there was not an anti-church movement, !or the reason that the church too its !ull share in prosecuting that movement: and the anti-slaver" movement in this countr" will cease to be an anti-church movement, when the church o! this countr" shall assume a !avorable, instead or a hostile position towards that movement. #mericans> "our republican politics, not less than "our republican religion, are !lagrantl" inconsistent. .ou boast o! "our love o! libert", "our superior civilization, and "our pure Christianit", while the whole political power o! the nation :as embodied in the two great political parties;, is solemnl" pledged to support and perpetuate the enslavement o! three millions o! "our countr"men. .ou hurl "our anathemas at the crowned headed t"rants o! 3ussia and #ustria, and pride "ourselves on "our Aemocratic institutions, while "ou "ourselves consent to be the mere tools and bod"guards o! the t"rants o! Eirginia and Carolina. .ou invite to "our shores !ugitives o! oppression !rom abroad, honor them with banquets, greet them with ovations, cheer them, toast them, salute them, protect them, and pour out "our mone" to them li e water0 but the !ugitives !rom "our own land "ou advertise, hunt, arrest, shoot and ill. .ou glor" in "our re!inement and "our universal education "et "ou maintain a s"stem as barbarous and dread!ul as ever stained the character o! a nation,a s"stem begun in avarice, supported in pride, and perpetuated in cruelt". .ou shed tears over !allen Hungar", and ma e the sad stor" o! her wrongs the theme o! "our poets, statesmen and orators, till "our gallant sons are read" to !l" to arms to vindicate her cause against her oppressors0 but, in regard to the ten thousand wrongs o! the #merican slave, "ou would en!orce the strictest silence, and would hail him as an enem" o! the nation who dares to ma e those wrongs the sub6ect o! public discourse> .ou are all on !ire at the mention o! libert" !or France or !or Ireland0 but are as cold as an iceberg at the thought o! libert" !or the enslaved o! #merica. .ou discourse eloquentl" on the dignit" o! labor0 "et, "ou sustain a s"stem which, in its ver" essence, casts a stigma upon labor. .ou can bare "our bosom to the storm o! +ritish artiller" to throw o!! a threepenn" ta$ on tea0 and "et wring the last hard-earned !arthing !rom the grasp o! the blac laborers o! "our countr". .ou pro!ess to believe 9that, o! one blood, 2od made all nations o! men to dwell on the !ace o! all the earth,9 and hath commanded all men, ever"where to love one another0 "et "ou notoriousl" hate, :and glor" in "our hatred;, all men whose s ins are not colored li e "our own. .ou declare, be!ore the world, and are understood b" the world to

declare, that "ou 9hotel these truths to be sel! evident, that all men are created equal0 and are endowed b" their Creator with certain inalienable rights0 and that, among these are, li!e, libert", and the pursuit o! happiness09 and "et, "ou hold securel", in a bondage which, according to "our own %homas *e!!erson, 9is worse than ages o! that which "our !athers rose in rebellion to oppose,9 a seventh part o! the inhabitants o! "our countr". Fellow-citizens> I will not enlarge !urther on "our national inconsistencies. %he e$istence o! slaver" in this countr" brands "our republicanism as a sham, "our humanit" as a base pretence, and "our Christianit" as a lie. It destro"s "our moral power abroad0 it corrupts "our politicians at home. It saps the !oundation o! religion0 it ma es "our name a hissing, and a b" word to a moc ing earth. It is the antagonistic !orce in "our government, the onl" thing that seriousl" disturbs and endangers "our Bnion. It !etters "our progress0 it is the enem" o! improvement, the deadl" !oe o! education0 it !osters pride0 it breeds insolence0 it promotes vice0 it shelters crime0 it is a curse to the earth that supports it0 and "et, "ou cling to it, as i! it were the sheet anchor o! all "our hopes. ?h> be warned> be warned> a horrible reptile is coiled up in "our nation8s bosom0 the venomous creature is nursing at the tender breast o! "our "outh!ul republic0 !or the love o! 2od, tear awa", and !ling !rom "ou the hideous monster, and let the weight o! twent" millions crush and destro" it !orever> %H< C?1&%I%B%I?1. +ut it is answered in repl" to all this, that precisel" what I have now denounced is, in !act, guaranteed and sanctioned b" the Constitution o! the Bnited &tates0 that the right to hold and to hunt slaves is a part o! that Constitution !ramed b" the illustrious Fathers o! this 3epublic. %hen, I dare to a!!irm, notwithstanding all I have said be!ore, "our !athers stooped, basel" stooped 9%o palter with us in a double sense: #nd eep the word o! promise to the ear, +ut brea it to the heart.9 #nd instead o! being the honest men I have be!ore declared them to be, the" were the veriest imposters that ever practiced on man ind. %his is the inevitable conclusion, and !rom it there is no escape. +ut I di!!er !rom those who charge this baseness on the !ramers o! the Constitution o! the Bnited &tates. It is a slander

upon their memor", at least, so I believe. %here is not time now to argue the constitutional question at length - nor have I the abilit" to discuss it as it ought to be discussed. %he sub6ect has been handled with masterl" power b" D"sander &pooner, <sq., b" /illiam 2oodell, b" &amuel <. &ewall, <sq., and last, though not least, b" 2erritt &mith, <sq. %hese gentlemen have, as I thin , !ull" and clearl" vindicated the Constitution !rom an" design to support slaver" !or an hour. 9(D)et me as , i! it be not somewhat singular that, i! the Constitution were intended to be, b" its !ramers and adopters, a slave-holding instrument, wh" neither slaver", slaveholding, nor slave can an"where be !ound in it.9 Fellow-citizens> there is no matter in respect to which, the people o! the 1orth have allowed themselves to be so ruinousl" imposed upon, as that o! the proslaver" character o! the Constitution. In that instrument I hold there is neither warrant, license, nor sanction o! the hate!ul thing0 but, interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a 2D?3I?B& DI+<3%. A?CBM<1%. 3ead its preamble, consider its purposes. Is slaver" among them7 Is it at the gatewa"7 or is it in the temple7 It is neither. /hile I do not intend to argue this question on the present occasion, let me as , i! it be not somewhat singular that, i! the Constitution were intended to be, b" its !ramers and adopters, a slave-holding instrument, wh" neither slaver", slaveholding, nor slave can an"where be !ound in it. /hat would be thought o! an instrument, drawn up, legall" drawn up, !or the purpose o! entitling the cit" o! 3ochester to a trac o! land, in which no mention o! land was made7 1ow, there are certain rules o! interpretation, !or the proper understanding o! all legal instruments. %hese rules are well established. %he" are plain, common-sense rules, such as "ou and I, and all o! us, can understand and appl", without having passed "ears in the stud" o! law. I scout the idea that the question o! the constitutionalit" or unconstitutionalit" o! slaver" is not a question !or the people. I hold that ever" #merican citizen has a !ight to !orm an opinion o! the constitution, and to propagate that opinion, and to use all honorable means to ma e his opinion the prevailing one. /ithout this !ight, the libert" o! an #merican citizen would be as insecure as that o! a Frenchman. <$Eice-President Aallas tells us that the constitution is an ob6ect to which no #merican mind can be too attentive, and no #merican heart too devoted. He !urther sa"s, the constitution, in its words, is plain and intelligible, and is meant

!or the home-bred, unsophisticated understandings o! our !ellow-citizens. &enator +errien tell us that the Constitution is the !undamental law, that which controls all others. %he charter o! our liberties, which ever" citizen has a personal interest in understanding thoroughl". %he testimon" o! &enator +reese, Dewis Cass, and man" others that might be named, who are ever"where esteemed as sound law"ers, so regard the constitution. I ta e it, there!ore, that it is not presumption in a private citizen to !orm an opinion o! that instrument. 1ow, ta e the constitution according to its plain reading, and I de!" the presentation o! a single pro-slaver" clause in it. ?n the other hand it will be !ound to contain principles and purposes, entirel" hostile to the e$istence o! slaver". I have detained m" audience entirel" too long alread". #t some !uture period I will gladl" avail m"sel! o! an opportunit" to give this sub6ect a !ull and !air discussion. 9#llow me to sa", in conclusion, notwithstanding the dar picture I have this da" presented o! the state o! the nation, I do not despair o! this countr".9 #llow me to sa", in conclusion, notwithstanding the dar picture I have this da" presented o! the state o! the nation, I do not despair o! this countr". %here are !orces in operation, which must inevitabl" wor %he down!all o! slaver". 9%he arm o! the Dord is not shortened,9 and the doom o! slaver" is certain. I, there!ore, leave o!! where I began, with hope. /hile drawing encouragement !rom the Aeclaration o! Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius o! #merican Institutions, m" spirit is also cheered b" the obvious tendencies o! the age. 1ations do not now stand in the same relation to each other that the" did ages ago. 1o nation can now shut itsel! up !rom the surrounding world, and trot round in the same old path o! its !athers without inter!erence. %he time was when such could be done. Dong established customs o! hurt!ul character could !ormerl" !ence themselves in, and do their evil wor with social impunit". Gnowledge was then con!ined and en6o"ed b" the privileged !ew, and the multitude wal ed on in mental dar ness. +ut a change has now come over the a!!airs o! man ind. /alled cities and empires have become un!ashionable. %he arm o! commerce has borne awa" the gates o! the strong cit". Intelligence is penetrating the dar est corners o! the globe. It ma es its pathwa" over and under the sea, as well as on the earth. /ind, steam, and lightning are its chartered agents. ?ceans no longer divide, but

lin nations together. From +oston to Dondon is now a holida" e$cursion. &pace is comparativel" annihilated. %houghts e$pressed on one side o! the #tlantic are, distinctl" heard on the other. %he !ar o!! and almost !abulous Paci!ic rolls in grandeur at our !eet. %he Celestial <mpire, the m"ster" o! ages, is being solved. %he !iat o! the #lmight", 9Det there be Dight,9 has not "et spent its !orce. 1o abuse, no outrage whether in taste, sport or avarice, can now hide itsel! !rom the all-pervading light. %he iron shoe, and crippled !oot o! China must be seen, in contrast with nature. #!rica must rise and put on her "et unwoven garment. 9<thiopia shall stretch out her hand unto 2od.9 In the !ervent aspirations o! /illiam Dlo"d 2arrison, I sa", and let ever" heart 6oin in sa"ing it:

God speed the year of $ubilee The wide world o%er &hen from their galling chains set free, Th% oppress%d shall vilely bend the 'nee, And wear the yo'e of tyranny Li'e brutes no more. That year will come, and freedom%s reign, To man his plundered fights again (estore.
2od speed the da" when human blood &hall cease to !low> In ever" clime be understood, %he claims o! human brotherhood, #nd each return !or evil, good, 1ot blow !or blow0 %hat da" will come all !euds to end. #nd change into a !aith!ul !riend <ach !oe. 2od speed the hour, the glorious hour, /hen none on earth &hall e$ercise a lordl" power, 1or in a t"rant8s presence cower0 +ut all to manhood8s stature tower, +" equal birth> %H#% H?B3 /IDD, C?M<, to each, to all, #nd !rom his prison-house, the thrall 2o !orth. Bntil that "ear, da", hour, arrive, /ith head, and heart, and hand I8ll strive, %o brea the rod, and rend the g"ve, %he spoiler o! his pre" deprive- &o witness Heaven> #nd never !rom m" chosen post, /hate8er the peril or the cost, +e driven.