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at Ashland If you had gone there for that
purpose you should have been received and
treated with perfect respect aud liberal hos
pitafitv.


Now. Mr. Mendenhall let us reverse con-
ditions, and suppose that you had been ;nvi-
ted 10 Kentcky to partake of its hospitality
and that previous 10 your arrival had en-
ployed such means as | understand have
been used 10 get up this petition, TO obtain
the signatures OF citizens of that State 10
petition, to present TO you, TO reiinquish your
farm or other property, what would you
have thought of such proceedings Would
YOU have deemed il courteous a1d accoT-
ding to the rites Of hospitality


know well that you, and those who
think with you, controve-t the Legitimacy of
slavery, and deny the right of property in
slaves But the law OF my State and 9TH
| er States has otherwise ordained The law
may be wrong in your opinion. and ought
10 be repealed; but, then you and your a>so-
{ ciates are not the law makers for US, and IN
less you can show some authority to nullify
cur laws. we must continue to respect them
Until the law is repealed. we must be excu-
sed for asserting the rights-aye. the prop
| city in slaves which it sanctions, auiho
zes, and Yindicates.


And who are the petitioners whose organ
you assume to be- | have no doubt that ma
ny Of them are worthy amiabIe and humane
persons. who. By erroneous representations,
have been induced incousiderably 10 affix
their signatures to this petition, and that they
will deeply regret it. Others. and not
| few, | am Told, are free blacks, men, women
and children, who have been artfully de-
ceived and imposed upon. A very large
portion, have been credbly informed, are
the political opponents OF the party to which
/ | belong, Democrats. as they most unde-
servedy call themselves, who have eager
" seized this opportunity to wound, as they
imagined, my feelings, AID to aid the cause
10 which they arc attached. In other quar-
ters of the Union, democrats claim to be the


exclusive champions Of Southern interests,


the only safe defenders Of the rights in slave


property. and unjusty accuse US Wings


with abolition designs wholly incompatible


with its security. What ought these dis
tant democrats TO think ofthe course Of their
friends here. who have united in this petit
ton


And what is the foundation of this appeal
10 me in indiana 10 liberate the slaves under
my care in Kentucky2 1t is general dec
laraiion, III the act announcing to the world
the independence of The thirteen American
Colonies, that all men are created equal


Now, as an abstract principle. there is no
doubt Of the truth of that declaration; and it
is desirable in the original construction Of So
cioty, aud in organized societies, to keep it
in view as a great fundamental principle
But, then, apprehend that IT, no society
THAI ever did exist, or ever shall be formed
was or can the equality asserted among the
members Of the human race, be practically
enforced and carried out. There are por-
tions it, large portions, women, minors
insane. prIis. transient sojournerS that will
always probably remain subject to the gov
eminent of another portion ofthe communi-
~.


That declaration, whatever may be the
extent Of its import, was made by the delega
tions of the thirteen States In most of
them slavery existed, and had long existed,
and was established by law. 1t was intro
duced and forced upoE the colonies by the
paramount law of England. Do you be-
lieve, that in making that declaration, sbat
the States that concurred in it intended that
it should be tortured into virtual emancipa-
ton of all the slaves within their respective
limits ? Would Virginia and the other
Southern States have ever united IN dec
laratIon which was TO be interpreted into an
abolition of slavery among them2 Did
any one OF the thirteen States entertain such
design or expectation? To impute such
u secret and unavowed purpose, would be to
charge a political fraud upon the noblest
band Of patriots that ever assembled in coun
Gil, fraud upon the confederacy of the rev.
olution. a fraud upon the Union of these
States, whose constitution not only recogni
zed the lawsulness of slavery, but permitted
the importation of slaves from Africa until
the year 1908. And am bold to say that,
if the doctrines of modern ultra political abo-
litionists had been seriously promulgated at
the epoch Of our Revolution. our glorious
independence would never have been achiev-
ed Neverl Never


IGreat applause and many voices echo
ing Never"


know the predominant sentiment in the
free States is adverse TO slavery; but happy
in their own exemption. from whatever evils
may attend 1t, the great mass Of our fellow
citizeEs there do not seek to violate the Con-
stituiion or to disturb the harmony of these
States. desire no concealment Of my op:n-
ions in regard to the institution of slavery