When a good man lends himself to the advocacy of slavery, he must, at least for a time, feel himself to be any where but at home, amongst his new thoughts, doctrines, and modes of reasoning.
Gerrit SmithOur political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance.
Gerrit SmithBut as well may you, when urging a man up-hill with a heavy load upon his back, and with your lash also upon his back, tell him, that be has nothing to do either with the load or the lash.
Gerrit SmithGod cannot approve of a system of servitude, in which the master is guilty of assuming absolute power - of assuming God's place and relation towards his fellow-men.
Gerrit SmithI believe that government is for the use of the people, and not the people for the use of the government.
Gerrit SmithI prefer, in a word, the republican system, because it comes up more nearly to God's system.
Gerrit SmithThere is room in our ranks for the old and decrepit, as well as the young and vigorous.
Gerrit SmithThere is one class of men, whom it especially behoves to be tenacious of the right of free discussion. I mean the poor.
Gerrit SmithThe only ground on which a neutral State can claim respect at the hands of belligerents is, that, so far as she is concerned, their rights are protected.
Gerrit SmithI trust, that your readers will not construe my words to mean, that I would not have gone to a 3 o'clock in the morning session, for the sake of defeating the Nebraska bill.
Gerrit SmithI need say no more, to prove that slavery is entirely unlike the servitude in the patriarchal families.
Gerrit SmithTrue, permanent peace can never be restored, until slavery, the occasion of the war, has ceased.
Gerrit SmithIt, sometimes, suits the slaveholders to claim, that their slavery is an exclusively State concern; and that the North has, therefore, nothing to do with it.
Gerrit SmithBut, although America cannot be justly charged with violating the rights of Turkey, Turkey nevertheless can be justly charged with violating the rights of America.
Gerrit SmithWe must continue to judge of slavery by what it is, and not by what you tell us it will, or may be.
Gerrit SmithIt is not to be disguised, that a war has broken out between the North and the South. - Political and commercial men are industriously striving to restore peace: but the peace, which they would effect, is superficial, false, and temporary.
Gerrit SmithIt is manifestly vital to the success of the anti-slavery cause, that the authority and influence of proslavery, especially of slaveholding, ministers should be destroyed.
Gerrit SmithThe Southern slave would obey God in respect to marriage, and also to the reading and studying of His word. But this, as we have seen, is forbidden him.
Gerrit Smith