I don't suppose we have ever again gathered under one roof such an assembly of wise and noble people as created our Constitution and declared that all people are created and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. But they abridged their consciousness to the presence of half a million black people who claim the same rights.

Huck Finn saw an accident down at the riverside, and a white lady asked him if anybody had gotten hurt down there. He says, "No, Ma'am; nobody got hurt. Just a couple niggers got killed." She said, "Oh, that's good. A person could get hurt in an accident like that." Abridged her consciousness.