Men Of New England, I Hold You

I Declare And Protest In Advance, That I Do Not Intend, At This Time At Least; To Be Drawn Or Driven Into The Question Of Slavery, In Either Of Its Subdivisions Or Forms.

I Maintain That The House Is Bound By The Constitution To Receive The Petitions; After Which, It Will Take Such Method Of Deciding Upon Them As Reason And Principle Shall Dictate.

You Well Know, Sir, That When The Constitution Was Submitted To The People Of The Respective States For Their Adoption Or Rejection, It Awakened The Warmest Debates Of The Several State Conventions.

Entertaining These Opinions Of The Course To Be Pursued, I Beg Of Gentlemen To Look At The Question, As I Have Done, In A Calm Review Of Facts And Of Principles.

Sir, I Am A Republican; And I Desire To See This House Observe The Principles Of That Democracy Which Is Ever On The Lips Of Its Members, And Which, I Hope, Is In Their Hearts, As I Know And Feel It Is In Mine, And Mean It Shall Be In My Conduct.