It seems to me that the world has misunderstood, till the sitting of the last Congress, what the real and true mission of that government is. Is it not a mission of bonds and death? … Our race has been taught to think that it was to be the example of all coming human governments, [but] it may properly be asked, would not the Devil do well to rent out hell and move to the United States, and rival, if possible, President Fillmore and his political followers? … In seeking to please tyrants, [Fillmore] has lost the favor of all … In view of such facts, it is my candid conviction that the record of the infernal regions can exhibit no blacker deeds than the American archives, and the accursed Fugitive Slave Bill. Upright humanity cannot uphold the hand that signed that bill of abominations, unless it first does violence to its own nature.
When Newman writes “Our race has been taught to think that it was to be the example of all coming human governments,” he is saying that
the United States is supposed to be a great example of fair government.
the United States has been misunderstood.
the United States has the best and fairest government in the world.
