By every principle of law ever held by any court North or South, every negro taken to Kansas is free; yet in utter disregard of this--in the spirit of violence merely--that beautiful Legislature gravely passes a law to hang any man who shall venture to inform a negro of his legal rights.
In a letter to Joshua Speed, Lincoln condemned the Kansas territorial legislature for passing a law that would punish anyone informing enslaved people of their legal rights to freedom.
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Grant that he desires the elective franchise, will he not attain it sooner by saving the already advanced steps towards it, than by running backward over them?
I believe that it is not only possible, but in fact easier, to do this without deciding or even considering whether these States have ever been out of the Union, than with it.
If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business.
Unlike a case of war between independent nations, there is no organized organ for us to treat with,--no one man has authority to give up the rebellion for any other man.
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