efuse to cover a slave. Beneath
its beneficent folds, wherever it is carried, on land or sea, slavery
will disappear, like darkness under the arrows of the ascending
sun,--like the Spirit of Evil before the Angel of the Lord.

In all national territories Slavery will be impossible.

On the high seas, under the national flag, Slavery will be impossible.

In the District of Columbia Slavery will instantly cease.

Inspired by these principles, Congress can give no sanction to Slavery
by the admission of new slave States.

Nowhere under the Constitution can the Nation, by legislation or
otherwise, support Slavery, hunt slaves, or hold property in man.

Such, sir, are my sincere convictions. According to the Constitution,
as I understand it, in the light of the past and of its true principles,
there is no other conclusion which is rational or tenable, which
does not defy authoritative rules of interpretation, does not falsify
indisputable facts of history, does not affront the public opinion in
which it had its birth, and does not dishonor the memory of the fathers.
And yet politicians of the hour undertake to place these convictions
under formal ban. The generous sentiments which filled the early
patriots, and impressed upon the government they founded, as upon the
coin they circulated, the image and superscription of LIBERTY, have lost
their power. The slave-masters, few in number, amounting to not more
than three hundred and fifty thousand, according to the recent census,
have succeeded in dictating the policy of the National Government, and
have written SLAVERY on its front. The change, which began in the desire
for wealth, was aggravated by the desire for political predominance.
Through Slavery the cotton crop increased with its enriching gains;
through Slavery States became part of the slave power. And now an
arrogant and unrelenting ostracism is applied, not only to all who
express themselves against Slavery, but to every man unwilling to be its
menial. A novel test for office is introduced, which would have excluded
all the fathers of the Republic,--even Washington, Jefferson, and
Franklin!

Yes, Sir! Startling it may be, but indisputable. Could these revered
demigods of history once again descend upon earth and mingle in our
affairs, not one of them could receive a nomination from the National
Convention of either of the two old political parties! Out of the
convictions of their hearts and the utterances of t