“No man can vindicate the character, motives, and conduct of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, except upon the hypothesis that they referred to the white race alone, and not to the African, when they declared all men to have been created equal; that they were speaking of British subjects on this continent being equal to British subjects born and residing in Great Britain; that they were entitled to the same inalienable rights, and among them were enumerated life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The Declaration was adopted for the purpose of justifying the colonists in the eyes of the civilized world in withdrawing their allegiance from the British crown, and dissolving their connection with the mother country.”

My good friends, read that carefully over some leisure hour, and ponder well upon it; see what a mere wreck—­mangled ruin—­it makes of our once glorious Declaration.

“They were speaking of British subjects on this continent being equal to British subjects born and residing in Great Britain”!  Why, according to this, not only negroes but white people outside of Great Britain and America were not spoken of in that instrument.  The English, Irish, and Scotch, along with white Americans, were included, to be sure, but the French, Germans, and other white people of the world are all gone to pot along with the Judge’s inferior races!

I had thought the Declaration promised something better than the condition of British subjects; but no, it only meant that we should be equal to them in their own oppressed and unequal condition.  According to that, it gave no promise that, having kicked off the king and lords of Great Britain, we should not at once be saddled with a king and lords of our own.

I had thought the Declaration contemplated the progressive improvement in the condition of all men everywhere; but no, it merely “was adopted for the purpose of justifying the colonists in the eyes of the civilized world in withdrawing their allegiance from the British crown, and dissolving their connection with the mother country.”  Why, that object having been effected some eighty years ago, the Declaration is of no practical use now—­mere rubbish—­old wadding left to rot on the battlefield after the victory is won.

I understand you are preparing to celebrate the “Fourth,” to-morrow week.  What for?  The doings of that day had no reference to the present; and quite half of you are not even descendants of those who were referred to at that day.  But I suppose you will celebrate, and will even go so far as to read the Declaration.  Suppose, after you read it once in the old-fashioned way, you read it once more with Judge Douglas’s version.  It will then run thus: 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all British subjects who were on this continent eighty-one years ago were created equal to all British subjects born and then residing in Great Britain.”