no right, as well as no power, to alter your State
laws. But remember, that slavery is the mere creature of local
or statute law, and cannot exist out of the region where such
law has force. 'It is so odious,' says Lord Mansfield, 'that
nothing can be suffered to support it but _positive_ law.'

"We would, therefore, say to you again, in the strength of that
Constitution under which we live, and which no where
countenances slavery, you shall not bring that foul thing here.
You shall not force the corrupted and corrupting blood of that
system into every vein and artery of our body politic. You shall
not have the controlling power in all the departments of our
government at home and abroad. You shall not so negotiate with
foreign powers, as to open markets for the products of slave
labor alone. You shall not so manage things at home, as every
few years to bring bankruptcy upon our country. You shall not,
in the apportionment of public moneys, have what you call your
'property' represented, and thus get that which, by no right,
belongs to you. You shall not have the power to bring your
slaves upon our free soil, and take them away at pleasure; nor
to reclaim them, when they, panting for liberty, have been able
to escape your grasp; for we would have it said of us, as the
eloquent Curran said of Britain, the moment the slave touches
our soil, 'The ground on which he stands is holy, and
consecrated to the Genius of UNIVERSAL EMANCIPATION.'

"Thus, fellow-citizens, we come to _the great object of the
Liberty Party_: ABSOLUTE AND UNQUALIFIED DIVORCE OF THE GENERAL
GOVERNMENT FROM ALL CONNECTION WITH SLAVERY. We would employ
every _constitutional_ means to eradicate it from our entire
country, because it would be for the highest welfare of our
entire country. We would have liberty established in the
District, and in all the Territories. * * We would have
liberty of speech and of the press, which the Constitution
guarantees to us. We would have the right of petition most
sacredly regarded. We would secure to every man what the
Constitution secures, 'The right of trial by jury.' We would do
what we can for the encouragement and improvement of the colored
race, and restore to them that inestimable right of which they
have been so meanly, as well as unjustly, deprived, the RIGHT O