In your assumption that there may be a fair decision of the slavery
question in Kansas, I plainly see you and I would differ about the
Nebraska law. I look upon that enactment not as a law, but as a violence
from the beginning. It was conceived in violence, is maintained in
violence, and is being executed in violence. I say it was conceived in
violence, because the destruction of the Missouri Compromise, under the
circumstances, was nothing less than violence. It was passed in violence
because it could not have passed at all but for the votes of many members
in violence of the known will of their constituents. It is maintained in
violence, because the elections since clearly demand its repeal; and the
demand is openly disregarded.
You say men ought to be hung for the way they are executing the law; I
say the way it is being executed is quite as good as any of its
antecedents. It is being executed in the precise way which was intended
from the first, else why does no Nebraska man express astonishment or
condemnation? Poor Reeder is the only public man who has been silly
enough to believe that anything like fairness was ever intended, and he
has been bravely undeceived.
Pages:
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300