A Demagogue. 811 



be a ticklish matter, and makes a good deal of disturb- 

 ance, and a heap of bad feelins' between the different 

 parts of the country ; and I've a notion if there's ever 

 to be trouble between the States, it'll be yevy likely to 

 grow out of slavery. I'm agin it myself. It's ni}^ 

 opinion that the buyin' and sellin' of human men and 

 women, is a thing that ain't accordin to nater. It 

 don't belong to a free country, and ain't becomin' a 

 free people. A man may talk just as much as h(3 

 pleases about the blessin's of liberty, and his good 

 will towards the spread of human rights, but if he 

 justifies tradin' in human flesh and blood, and up- 

 holds it as a right thing, he ain't a republican in his 

 heart. The liberty he talks about, means freedom to 

 himself. His human rights is his own rights, and 

 nobody's else, and I'm agin' him. I won't trust my 

 liberty, nor my rights, nor the rights of my children 

 in his hands, if I can help it, for all his big words and 

 oily talk. But I ain't goin' off on a cruise agin' 

 slavery either. We havn't got any slavery in this 

 State, and I'm glad of it. It's my notion that we came 

 across a great blessin', when it was done away with. 

 It's a great clog on the heels of a country. It keeps it 

 from movin' along and goin' ahead. 



