Black History
"What is Slavery and what is Freedom?" Debate on the Lecompton Constitution on Kansas Admission to the Union
February 2, 1858-Dated, Imprint titled, "SPEECH OF HON. JAMES HUGHES, OF INDIANA, ON THE ADMISSION OF KANSAS AS A STATE UNDER THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION," Published by the Congessional Globe Office, Very Fine.
Black History related Imprint measuring 9.0" x 5.75", 8 pages, complete, disbound held at its upper binding, bottom half is separated. James Hughes declared, "What is slavery and what is freedom? Now, there is the slavery of the bondsman, and of that black man, but that is nothing to the slavery of the soul... and I say of the blackest Negro under the sun, that, though his body may be enslaved, his mind may be free... You talk about devotion to freedom. I say you may show your devotion much better by maintaining free institutions already established, than by clamoring about those yet unborn." Here, Hughes states that the Lecompton Constitution has failed in it's duties, therefore, Kansas should be a territory, and allowed to create it's own laws with a constitution for itself. An important debate on allowing Slavery within new states to be admitted to the Union.
The Lecompton Constitution (1859) was the second of four proposed constitutions for the State of Kansas. ... The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by Pro-Slavery advocates and included provisions to protect Slaveholding in the state and to exclude free people of color from its bill of rights.