ADDRESS.

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t he less upon injustice, b e c a u s e i t is s y s t e m a t i c a l l y p r a c tised, a nd is s a n c t i o n e d b y the l a w s o f the l a n d ? I f t h e c h i c a n e r y o f l a w s h o u l d e n a b l e us to e scape t he p a y m e n t o f o u r debts, or i f a h u m a n l e g i s l a t u r e s h o u l d d i s c h a r g e u s f r o m o u r o b l i g a t i o n s to o u r c r e d i t o r s , c o u l d w e , w i t h o u t d eep g u i l t , w i t h h o l d f r o m o u r n e i g h b o r s that w h i c h is t h e i r d ue ? N o : w e a l l r e c o g n i s e the p r i n c i p l e , that the l a w s o f the G o d o f n a t u r e c a n n e v e r be r e p l a c e d b y a n y l e g i s lature under heaven. T h e s e l a w s w i l l e n d u r e , w h e n the s tatutes o f e a r t h s h a l l h a v e c r u m b l e d w i t h t he p a r c h m e n t s o n w h i c h t h e y a r e e n r o l l e d     a n d b3>- these l a w s we k n o w t hat w e must be j u d g e d , i n the d a y i n w h i c h the destinies o f o u r souls s h a l l b e d e t e r m i n e d . 2 d . The deprivation of personal liberty forms another part of our system of slavery. N o t o n l y h a s the s l a v e n o r i g h t t o h i s w i f e a n d c h i l d r e n , he h a s n o r i g h t e v e n to himself. H i s v e r y b o d y , h is m u s c l e s , his b ones, h is flesh, a r e a l l the p r o p e r t y o f a n o t h e r . T h e movements of his l i m b s a re r e g u l a t e d b y the w i l l o f a m a s t e r . H e m a y be s o l d , l i k e a b east o f the field   he m a y be t r a n s p o r t e d , i n chains, like a felon. W a s the blood o f o u r R e v o l u t i o n s hed to establish a false p r i n c i p l e , w h e n it w a s p o u r e d out i n d efence o f the a s s e r t i o n , that " a l l m e n a r e c r e a t e d e q u a l ; " t hat " t h e y a r e e n d o w e d b y t h e i r C r e a t o r w i t h c e r t a i n i n a l i e n a b l e r i g h t s ; t h a t a m o n g these a r e l ife, l i b e r t y , a n d the p u r s u i t o f happiness ?" I f it be a v i o l a t i o n o f the r i g h t s o f n a t u r e to d e p r i v e m e n o f t h e i r political freedom, t he injustice is s u r e l y m u c h m o r e flagrant w h e n w e r o b t h e m o f personal liberty. T h e condition o f a s u b j e c t i s e n v i a b l e c o m p a r e d w i t h t he c o n d i t i o n o f a s l a v e . W e a r e s h o c k e d at the despotism e x e r c i s e d o v e r the P o l e s . B u t t h e i r s is a p o l i t i c a l y o k e , a n d is l i g h t c o m p a r e d w i t h t he h e a v y p e r s o n a l y o k e that b ows d o w n the t w o m i l l i o n s of our colored countrymen. D o e s E u r o p e a n injustice l ose i ts foul c h a r a c t e r , w h e n p r a c t i s e d w i t h a g g r a v a t i o n s in A m e r i c a 1 S t i l l f u r t h e r , the d e p r i v a t i o n o f p e r s o n a l l i b e r t y is se c o m p l e t e that it d e s t r o y s the r i g h t s o f conscience. Our s y s t e m , as established b y l a w , a r m s the master w i t h p o w e r t o prevent his s l a v e f r o m w o r s h i p p i n g G o d a c c o r d i n g to t he dictates o f his o w n c o n s c i e n c e . T h e owner of human
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