you were elected members of the
legislature, what would be the first thing you would have to do before
entering upon your duties? Swear to support the Constitution of the
United States. Suppose you believe as Judge Douglas does, that the
Constitution of the United States guarantees to your neighbour the right
to hold slaves in that Territory,--that they are his property,--how can
you clear your oaths unless you give him such legislation as is
necessary to enable him to enjoy that property? What do you understand
by supporting the Constitution of a State or of the United States? Is it
not to give such constitutional helps to the rights established by that
Constitution as may be practically needed? Can you, if you swear to
support the Constitution and believe that the Constitution establishes a
right, clear your oath without giving it support? Do you support the
Constitution if, knowing or believing there is a right established under
it which needs specific legislation, you withhold that legislation? Do
you not violate and disregard your oath? I can conceive of nothing
plainer in the world. There can be nothing in the words "support the
Constitution," if you may run counter to it by refusing support to any
right established under the Constitution. And what I say here will hold
with still more force against the Judge's doctrine of "unfriendly
legislation." How could you, having sworn to support the Constitution,
and believing that it guaranteed the right to hold slaves in the
Territories, assist in legislation intended to defeat that right? That
would be violating your own view of the Constitution. Not only so, but
if you were to do so, how long would it take the courts to hold your
votes unconstitutional and void? Not a moment.

Lastly, I would ask, is not Congress itself under obligation to give
legislative support to any right that is established under the United
States Constitution? I repeat the question, is not Congress itself bound
to give legislative support to any right that is established in the
United States Constitution? A member of Congress swears to support the
Constitution of the United States, and if he sees a right established by
that Constitution which needs specific legislative protection, can he
clear his oath without giving that protection? Let me ask you why many
of us, who are opposed to slavery upon principle, give our acquiescence
to a fugitive-slave law? Why do we hold ourselves under obligations to