slavery is
extinguished in our Union, and the only aggressive element of our system
is extirpated, we should run a grand and peaceful career of honor and
glory and prosperity, we will want no other argument than the results.
The blasphemous doctrine of the divine rights of kings was discarded by
England in the revolution of 1688. The British throne reposes now on the
alleged basis of the welfare and happiness of the people. What form of
government will best promote that end--this is the only question. I
believe it is ours--but only with slavery extinguished, and universal
education--schools--_schools_--SCHOOLS--common schools--_high schools_
for all. Education the criterion of the right of suffrage, not property.
I do not believe in a government of ignorance, whether by the many or
the few. With the constant and terrible opposing element of slavery, we
have certainly achieved stupendous results in three fourths of a
century, and to say that our system has failed, because slavery now
makes war upon it, is amazing folly. Why predict, that, when reunited,
and with slavery extinguished, we would _bully the world_. Who were our
bullies? Who struck down Charles Sumner, the Senator of Massachusetts,
the eminent scholar and orator, on the floor of the Senate, for
denouncing the horrors of slavery? A South Carolinian, whilst all
slavedom approved the deed. Who endeavored to force slavery on Kansas by
murder and rapine, and the forgery of a constitution? Who repealed the
Missouri Compromise, in order to force slavery upon all the Territories
of the United States? Who are endeavoring now to dissolve the Union, and
spread slavery over all this wide domain? There is a plain answer to
all these questions. It is the lords of the whip and the chain and the
branding iron, who are our bullies--who insist upon forced labor, and
repudiate all compensation to the toiling millions of slaves--who
repudiate, among slaves, the marital and parental relation, and class
them by law as chattels--who forbid emancipation--who make it a crime to
teach slaves to read or write--ay, even the Bible--who keep open the
interstate slave-trade (more horrible than the African, making Virginia
a human stock farm), tearing husband from wife, and parents from
children--founding a government boldly announcing the doctrine of
_property_ in man, based avowedly on the divinity, extension, and
perpetuity of slavery--these are our bullies; and when they are
overthrown,