Slavery: What it was, what it has done, what it intends to do Speech of Hon. Cydnor B. Tompkins, of Ohio

Delivered amid the fevered atmosphere of the 1860 congressional session, this stirring address pulls listeners into the heart of a nation torn by the slavery question. The speaker confronts the relentless accusations that the legislature is consumed by the issue, laying bare the vitriolic exchanges that have come to define the public debate. By invoking the raw language of the era, the speech captures the urgency and moral fervor that animated the halls of power.

Drawing on a wealth of colonial resolutions and the writings of the nation’s founders, the orator demonstrates that opposition to the institution was far from a modern invention. He traces how early Virginian and North Carolinian assemblies condemned the slave trade as a barrier to progress, and he argues that the Constitution itself was framed by men uneasy with the practice. The narrative weaves together legal, economic, and ethical threads to illustrate slavery’s deep‑seated impact on American politics.

For listeners, the work offers a vivid snapshot of a pivotal moment when the “advanced guard of freedom” rallied against entrenched interests. It invites reflection on the enduring legacy of those early debates and the ways they continue to shape contemporary conversations about liberty and justice.