But there is this vital difference between all these States
and the Judge's Kansas experiment: that they sought to disestablish
slavery which had been already established, while the Judge seeks, so far
as he can, to disestablish freedom, which had been established there by
the Missouri Compromise. [Voices: "Good!"]
The Union is under-going a fearful strain; but it is a stout old ship,
and has weathered many a hard blow, and "the stars in their courses,"
aye, an invisible Power, greater than the puny efforts of men, will fight
for us. But we ourselves must not decline the burden of responsibility,
nor take counsel of unworthy passions. Whatever duty urges us to do or to
omit must be done or omitted; and the recklessness with which our
adversaries break the laws, or counsel their violation, should afford no
example for us. Therefore, let us revere the Declaration of Independence;
let us continue to obey the Constitution and the laws; let us keep step
to the music of the Union. Let us draw a cordon, so to speak, around the
slave States, and the hateful institution, like a reptile poisoning
itself, will perish by its own infamy. [Applause.]
But we cannot be free men if this is, by our national choice, to be a
land of slavery.
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