Read Ebook: Charles Sumner: his complete works volume 03 (of 20) by Sumner Charles

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BE TRUE TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Letter to a Public Meeting in Ohio, on the Anniversary of the Ordinance of Freedom, July 6, 1849 1

WHERE LIBERTY IS, THERE IS MY PARTY. Speech on calling the Free-Soil State Convention to Order, at Worcester, September 12, 1849 4

THE FREE-SOIL PARTY EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED. Address to the People of Massachusetts, reported to and adopted by the Free-Soil State Convention at Worcester, September 12, 1849 6

WASHINGTON AN ABOLITIONIST. Letter to the Boston Daily Atlas, September 27, 1849 46

CHARACTER AND HISTORY OF THE LAW SCHOOL OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. Report of the Committee of Overseers, February 7, 1850 101

STIPULATED ARBITRATION, OR A CONGRESS OF NATIONS, WITH DISARMAMENT. Address to the People of the United States, February 22, 1850 117

OUR IMMEDIATE ANTISLAVERY DUTIES. Speech at a Free-Soil Meeting at Faneuil Hall, November 6, 1850 122

ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFICE OF SENATOR OF THE UNITED STATES. Letter to the Legislature of Massachusetts, May 14, 1851 149

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OUR TWO TITLE-DEEDS. Letter to the Mayor of Boston, for July 4, 1851 165

POSITION OF THE AMERICAN LAWYER. Letter to the Secretary of the Story Association, July 15, 1851 166

SYMPATHY WITH THE RIGHTS OF MAN EVERYWHERE. Letter to a meeting at Faneuil Hall, October 27, 1851 168

WELCOME TO KOSSUTH. Speech in the Senate, December 10, 1851 171

OUR COUNTRY ON THE SIDE OF FREEDOM, WITHOUT BELLIGERENT INTERVENTION. Letter to a Philadelphia Committee, December 23, 1851 180

CLEMENCY TO POLITICAL OFFENDERS. Letter to an Irish Festival at Washington, January 22, 1852 181

JUSTICE TO THE LAND STATES, AND POLICY OF ROADS. Speeches in the Senate, on the Iowa Railroad Bill, January 27, February 17, and March 16, 1852 182

J. FENIMORE COOPER, THE NOVELIST. Letter to the Rev. Rufus W. Griswold, February 22, 1852 213

CHEAP OCEAN POSTAGE. Speech in the Senate, on a Resolution in Relation to Cheap Ocean Postage, March 8, 1852 215

PARDONING POWER OF THE PRESIDENT. Opinion submitted to the President, May 14, 1852, on the Application for the Pardon of Drayton and Sayres, incarcerated at Washington for helping the Escape of Slaves 219

PRESENTATION OF A MEMORIAL AGAINST THE FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL. Remarks in the Senate, May 26, 1852 234

THE NATIONAL FLAG THE EMBLEM OF UNION FOR FREEDOM. Letter to the Boston Committee for the Celebration of the 4th of July, 1852 238

UNION AGAINST THE SECTIONALISM OF SLAVERY. Letter to a Free-Soil Convention at Worcester, July 6, 1852 240

"STRIKE, BUT HEAR:" ATTEMPT TO DISCUSS THE FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL. Remarks in the Senate, on taking up the Resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to report a Bill for Immediate Repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act, July 27 and 28, 1852 243

TRIBUTE TO ROBERT RANTOUL, JR. Speech in the Senate, on the Death of Hon. Robert Rantoul, Jr., August 9, 1852 246

FREEDOM NATIONAL, SLAVERY SECTIONAL. Speech in the Senate, on a Motion to repeal the Fugitive Slave Act, August 26, 1852 257

BE TRUE TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

LETTER TO A PUBLIC MEETING IN OHIO, ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDINANCE OF FREEDOM, JULY 6, 1849.

Be True to the Declaration of Independence.

LETTER TO A PUBLIC MEETING IN OHIO, ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDINANCE OF FREEDOM, JULY 6, 1849.

BOSTON, July 6, 1849.

Gentlemen,--I wish I could join the freemen of the Reserve in celebrating the anniversary of the great Ordinance of Freedom; but engagements detain me at home.

The occasion, the place of meeting, the assembly, will all speak with animating voices. May God speed the work!

Let us all strive, with united power, to extend the beneficent Ordinance over the territories of our country. So doing, we must take from its original authors something of their devotion to its great conservative truth.

The National Government has been for a long time controlled by Slavery. It must be emancipated immediately. Ours be the duty, worthy of freemen, to place the Government under the auspices of Freedom, that it may be true to the Declaration of Independence and to the spirit of the Fathers!

Faithfully yours, CHARLES SUMNER.

WHERE LIBERTY IS, THERE IS MY PARTY.

SPEECH ON CALLING THE FREE-SOIL STATE CONVENTION TO ORDER, AT WORCESTER, SEPTEMBER 12, 1849.

The Annual State Convention of the Free-Soil Party, called at the time the Free Democracy, met at Worcester, September 12, 1849. It became the duty of Mr. Sumner, as Chairman of the State Central Committee, to call the Convention to order. In doing this he made the following remarks.

FELLOW-CITIZENS OF THE CONVENTION:--

In behalf of the State Central Committee of the Free Democracy of Massachusetts, it is my duty to call this body to order.

I do not know that it is my privilege, at this stage of your proceedings, to add one other word to the words of form I have already pronounced; but I cannot look at this large and generous assembly without uttering from my heart one salutation of welcome and encouragement. From widely scattered homes you have come to bear testimony once more in that great cause containing country with all its truest welfare and honor, and also the highest aspirations of our souls. Others may prefer the old combinations of party, stitched together by devices of expediency only. You have chosen the better part, in coming to this alliance of principle.

In the labors before you there will be, I doubt not, that concord which becomes earnest men, devoted to a good work. We all have but one object in view,--the success of our cause. Turning neither to the right nor to the left, moving ever onward, we adopt into our ranks all who adopt our principles. These we offer freely to all who will come and take them. These we can communicate to others without losing them ourselves. These are gifts which, without parting with, we can yet bestow, as from the burning candle other candles may be lighted without diminishing the original flame.

It was the sentiment of Benjamin Franklin, that apostle of Freedom, uttered during the trials of the Revolution, "Where Liberty is, there is my country." I doubt not that each of you will be ready to respond, in similar strain, "Where Liberty is, there is my party."

It now remains, Gentlemen of the Convention, that I should call upon you to proceed with the business of the day.

THE FREE-SOIL PARTY EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED.

ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS, REPORTED TO AND ADOPTED BY THE FREE-SOIL STATE CONVENTION AT WORCESTER, SEPTEMBER 12, 1849.

On motion of Mr. Sumner, a committee of one from each county was appointed to report an Address and Resolutions, consisting of Charles Sumner, of Boston, John A. Bolles, of Woburn, J.G. Whittier, of Amesbury, John M. Earle, of Worcester, Melvin Copeland, of Chester, Erastus Hopkins, of Northampton, D.W. Alvord, of Greenfield, F.M. Lowrey, of Lee, F.W. Bird, of Walpole, Jesse Perkins, of Bridgewater, Joseph Brownell, of New Bedford, Nathaniel Hinckley, of Barnstable, and E. W. Gardner, of Nantucket.

Among the Resolutions was the following, which seems the prelude to the debates of twenty years later.

TO THE PEOPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

If the occasion is calculated less than a Presidential contest to arouse ardors of opposition, it is also less calculated to stimulate animosities. With less passion, the people are more under the influence of reason. Truth may be heard over the prejudices of party. Candor, kindly feeling, and conscientious thought may take the place of embittered, unreasoning antagonism, or of timid, unprincipled compliance. If the controversy is without heat, there may be no viper to come forth and fasten upon the hand.

Impressed by the magnitude of these interests, devoted to the triumph of the righteous cause, solicitous for the national welfare, animated by the example of the fathers, and desirous of breathing their spirit into our Government, the Free Democracy of Massachusetts, in Convention assembled at Worcester, now address their fellow-citizens throughout the Commonwealth. Imperfectly, according to the necessity of the occasion, earnestly, according to the fulness of their convictions, hopefully, according to the confidence of their aspirations, they proceed to unfold the reasons of their appeal. They now ask your attention. They trust to secure your votes.

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