Historical voices

And so history repeats itself; and even as slavery has kept its course by craft, intimidation, and violence in the past, so it will persist, in my judgment, until met and dominated by the will of a people bent on its restriction.

By the same right as, and no higher or greater than, slavery is seeking dominion in Kansas: by political force--peaceful, if that will suffice; by the torch (as in Kansas) and the bludgeon (as in the Senate chamber), if required.

It yields nothing itself; it keeps all it has, and gets all it can besides.

Monstrous crimes are committed in its name by persons collectively which they would not dare to commit as individuals.

It gathers strength, like a rolling snow-ball, by its own infamy.

This thing of slavery is more powerful than its supporters--even than the high priests that minister at its altar.

And, in spite of this, Freedom's share is about to be taken by violence--by the force of misrepresentative votes, not called for by the popular will.

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

We grant a fugitive slave law because it is so "nominated in the bond;" because our fathers so stipulated--had to--and we are bound to carry out this agreement.

We allow slavery to exist in the slave States--not because slavery is right or good, but from the necessities of our Union.

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…

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?

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-day--a speech which could not be safely repeated anywhere on Southern soil in…

Indeed, abolition societies existed as far south 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…

In the early days of the Constitution slavery was recognized, by South and North alike, as an evil, and the division of sentiment about it was not controlled by geographical lines or considerations of climate, but by moral and…

We live in the midst of alarms; anxiety beclouds the future; we expect some new disaster with each newspaper we read.

The necessary result was to establish the rule of violence--force, instead of the rule of law and reason; to perpetuate and spread slavery, and, in time, to make it general.

It was a violation of both law and the sacred obligations of honour, to overthrow and trample underfoot a solemn compromise, obtained by the fearful loss to freedom of one of the fairest of our Western domains.

But however much you may argue upon it, or smother it in soft phrases, slavery can only be maintained by force--by violence.

His successor in the leadership has written the word "white" before men, making it read "all white men are created equal." Pray, will or may not the Know-nothings, if they should get in power, add the word "protestant," making it read "all…

Here is where the greatest danger lies--that, while we profess to be a government of law and reason, law will give way to violence on demand of this awful and crushing power.

The masses were against it, but party necessity carried it; and it was passed through the lower house of Congress against the will of the people, for the same reason.

By every principle of law, a negro in Kansas is free; yet the bogus legislature makes it an infamous crime to tell him that he is free!

If we lose Kansas to freedom, an example will be set which will prove fatal to freedom in the end.