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232 LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS

them to unite with them in a war upon free speech, upon conscience, and to
drive the Almighty presence from the councils of the nation. Resting their
platforms upon the fugitive slave bill they have boldly asked this people for
political power to execute its horrible and hell-black provisions. The history
of that election reveals with great clearness, the extent to which slavery has
'shot its leprous distillment' through the life blood of the nation. The party
most thoroughly opposed to the cause of justice and humanity triumphed,
while the party only suspected of a leaning toward those principles was
overwhelmingly defeated, and some say annihilated. But here is a still more
important fact, and still better discloses the designs of the slave power. It is
a fact full of meaning, that no sooner did the democratic party come into
power than a system of legislation was presented to all the legislatures of the
Northern States designed to put those States in harmony with the fugitive
slave law, and with the malignant spirit evinced by the national government
towards the free colored inhabitants of the country. The whole movement on
the part of the States bears unmistakable evidence of having one origin, of
emanating from one head, and urged forward by one power. It was simultaneous,
uniform, and general, and looked only to one end. It was intended to
put thorns under feet already bleeding; to crush a people already bowed
down; to enslave a people already but half free; in a word, it was intended
and well calculated to discourage, dishearten, and if possible to drive the
whole free colored people out of the country. In looking at the black law then
recently enacted in the State of Illinois one is struck dumb by its enormity.
It would seem that the men who passed that law, had not only successfully
banished from their minds all sense of justice, but all sense of shame as well;
these law codes propose to sell the bodies and souls of the blacks to provide
the means of intelligence and refinement for the whites; to rob every black
stranger who ventures among them to increase their educational fund.

"While this kind of legislation is going on in the States, a pro-slavery
political board of health is being established at Washington, Senators Hale,
Chase, and Sumner are robbed of their senatorial rights and dignity as repre-
sentatives of sovereign States, because they have refused to be inoculated
with the pro-slavery virus of the times. Among the services which a senator
is expected to perform, are many that can only be done efficiently by those
acting as members of important committees, and the slave power in the
Senate, in saying to these honorable senators, you shall not serve on the com-
mittees of this body, took the responsibility of insulting and robbing the
States which have sent them there. It is an attempt at Washington to decide
for the States who the States shall send to the Senate. Sir, it strikes me that