The constitution is ashamed to utter such a name.

The country, coming fresh from that baptism of fire,--the American Revolution,--would not profane its lips with this unhallowed word.

Like a culprit, in whom some love of character still survives, it speaks of its offence without calling it by name.

But let us look to the prohibitions of the constitution; for I maintain that there is not only no power, express or implied, in the constitution authorizing Congress to create or continue slavery in this District, but that it is debarred…

I suppose no one will deny that the positive prohibitions, against the exercise of certain enumerated powers, apply to Congress, when legislating for this District, just as much as when legislating for the union at large.

Will any man say that Congress can pass an ex post facto law for this District, and defend itself by referring to its power of “exclusive legislation” over it?

Can Congress pass a bill of attainder corrupting the blood of an inhabitant of this District, or repeal or suspend at any time his right to a writ of habeas corpus, or establish a religion here, or interdict the free exercise thereof?

But there is another prohibition in the constitution every whit as full and explicit as any of these.

The fifth article of amendment declares that “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Let us take our definition of the word “person” from the constitution itself.

Now, it will be seen from all this, that the word “person” is used in the constitution in the most comprehensive sense.

It embraces Indians, if taxed; it embraces natives of Africa; it embraces apprentices and slaves, or those held to service or labor; and it embraces every citizen, from the humblest to the highest, from the most true to the most…

It embraces all, from the slave to the President of the United States.

Now, a slave is a person deprived of his liberty and property, without any process of law.

A slave, therefore, in this District, is deprived of his liberty and property, in pursuance of the laws of Congress, without any legal process whatever, and therefore in flagrant contradiction of the fifth article of the Amendments to the…

France, in one fervid moment of liberty, struck the chains from off all her slaves, as the bonds of Paul and Silas were loosed in the inner prison by the mighty power of God.

Liberia, a republic of emancipated slaves, the very brothers and sisters of those whom you now hold in bondage, has been acknowledged as an independent sovereignty, and welcomed into the family of nations, by two of the most powerful…

A monarchy hails the advent of a free nation in Africa, where slavery existed before; a republic is seeking to create ten thousand absolute despotisms in America, where freedom existed before.

I would agree to submit the question now at issue between the north and the south to the arbitrament of any people on the face of the earth, not absolutely savage, and to abide its decision.

So far is this from truth, that if you would promptly and cheerfully consecrate the new territories to freedom, every nation in the world would send their plaudits of your conduct to the skies.

But gentlemen of the south not only argue the question of right and of honor; they go further, and they tell us what they will proceed to do if we do not yield to their demands.

And do those gentlemen who make these threats soberly consider how deeply they are pledging themselves and their constituents by them?

Threats of dissolution, if executed, become rebellion and treason.

If the two sections of this country ever marshal themselves against each other, and their squadrons rush to the conflict, it will be a war carried on by such powers of intellect, animated by such vehemence of passion, and sustained by such…

So far from facilitating the increase of individual or national wealth, slavery retards both.