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Show 310 LIBERTi AND SLAVERY. of the free States. It is the Constitution which we have all sworn to support, and which I hope we all mean to support; and I have no mental reservation excluding any of its clauses from the sanction of that oath. It is too late now to complain that such a provision is there. Our fathers, who formed that cntir·c instrument, placed it there, and left it to us as an inheritance; and nothing but an amendment of the Constitution, or a violation of our oaths, can tear it out. And, however much we may abhor slavery, there is no way for honorable, honestnay, conscientious-men, who desire to live under our laws and our Constitution, but to abide by it in its spirit." In like manner, the llon. S. A. Douglas, of Illinois, declares: "All I have to say on that subject is this, that the Constitution provides that a fugitive from service in one State, escaping into another, 'shall be delivered up.' The Constitution also provides that no man shnll be a Senator unless he tnkcs au oath to support the Constitution. Then, I ask, how does a man acquire a right on this floor to speak, except by taking an oath to support and sustain the Constitution of the United States? And when he takes that oath, I do not understand that ho THE ll'UOITIVE SLAVE LAW. 311 has a right to have a mental reservation, or entertain any secret equivocation that he excepts that clause which relates to the surrender of fugitives from service. I know not how n man reconciles it to his conscience to take that oath to support the Constitution, when he believes that Constitution is in violation of the law of God. If a man thus believes, and takes the oath, he commits perfidy to his God in order that he may enjoy the temporary honors of a seat upon this floor. Iu this point of view, it is simply a question of whether Scnatot·s will be true to their oaths aud tl'tle to the Constitution under which 've live.'' § IT. The attack of lJfr. Sumner on the Omstitution of his country. If we have not noticed the arguments of Mt·. Chase, of Ohio, it is because they arc reproduced in the celebrated speech of Mr. Sumner, and because he has so fully endorsed the history and logic of this speech as to make it his own. llcnce, in replying to the one of these Senators, we at the same time virtually reply to the other. lYe select the speech of Mr. Sumner for cxnmination, because it is generally considcreJ. tho |
