the judgment of Congress. If Congress should fail firmly and wisely to
discharge that high duty it is not the fault of the President.

This Congress owes it to its own character to set the seal of
reprobation upon a doctrine which is becoming too fashionable, and
unless rebuked will be the recognized principle of our Government.
Governor Perry and other provisional governors and orators proclaim
that "this is the white man's Government." The whole copperhead party,
pandering to the lowest prejudices of the ignorant, repeat the cuckoo
cry, "This is the white man's Government." Demagogues of all parties,
even some high in authority, gravely shout, "This is the white man's
Government." What is implied by this? That one race of men are to have
the exclusive right forever to rule this nation, and to exercise all
acts of sovereignty, while all other races and nations and colors are to
be their subjects, and have no voice in making the laws and choosing the
rulers by whom they are to be governed. Wherein does this differ from
slavery except in degree? Does not this contradict all the distinctive
principles of the Declaration of Independence? When the great and good
men promulgated that instrument, and pledged their lives and sacred
honors to defend it, it was supposed to form an epoch in civil
government. Before that time it was held that the right to rule was
vested in families, dynasties, or races, not because of superior
intelligence of virtue, but because of a divine right to enjoy exclusive
privileges.

Our fathers repudiated the whole doctrine of the legal superiority of
families or races, and proclaimed the equality of men before the law.
Upon that they created a revolution and built the Republic. They were
prevented by slavery from perfecting the superstructure whose foundation
they had thus broadly laid. For the sake of the Union they consented to