Mr. Giddings' Letter to Mr. Benton.Columbus, Ohio, State Journal [Republican](25 March 1857)
ThomH. Benton,
in his copy-righted, Union-saving lecture, states "that the Constitution of
the United States sets out with the declaration
that 'slaves are property,'" to which Mr. Giddings
replies in a long letter. The following
are the points which he argues:
That the declaration is repugnant to the
judgment of mankind; that it is opposed to the
teachings of nature and revelation; that it is in
direct contradiction to the understanding and
purposes of those who achieved our National
Independence; that it is opposed to the expressed
intentions of those who formed our Constitution;
that it is contradicted by the spirit and
letter of that instrument; that the Federal
Constitution (according to the decision of Judge
McLean) does not regard slaves as property.
Mr. Giddings
argues these points with great
ability and and heat.
[<<Previous Editorial][Next Editorial>>]
|