The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-18
CONGRESS AL.
SPEECH OF MIR. THURMAN,
or oHIo

Ia The House Q Representatives., May IL, 1876
On the Mexican war, and in reply TO Messrs
GiDpIsGs, TLDEs, and DELASo.
The bill making appropriations for the support Of
the army being under consideration In COMMITTEES
ofthe Whole House on the State Of the Union
Mr. THURMAN said; There have been sent.
nenls, Mr.. Chairman, expressed on this floor dur.
ing the present session, by representatives from the
State ofOhio which furnish TO any member from
that State who rises To repel them, an ample excuse
for occupying the time Of the committee. There
have been sentiments attributed 10 the people of that
State by certain OF her own representatives In this
hail. which her other representatives, who do not
believe that such sentiments are thus entertained
Cannot consistently with drty suffer To pass unno.
aesd. And il Is Therefore, Mr.. Chairman, that
While | do not assume 70 soak for the State, do,
az one Of her Representatives who has the right to
speak for his immediate constituency at least, ard
A one of her citizens who, such, may properly
express his belief in reference To the views Of her
entire people, beg leave 20 say that, in my judg-
ment, she has been greatly misunderstood and most
strangely misrePresented by the gentlemen to whom
| refer. ...
the committee is to be found in a speech delivered
by the member from the Gesuga district [Mr. GID-
DIsGsl on the 9Th Of January last when the Oregon
question was under discussion In that speech, the
member alluded TO, after expressing his opinion
that taking possession OF the whole of Oregon by
Inc Unlteu othlcS Woulu DC followed by war win
Engand-sfer saying that "Under these circum
stances he Mr.. GIDDIsGsl must choose between a
war with England On the one head, and a supine,
ingloriOus submission to the slayeholding power on
the other" that he had seen enough Of war TO form
an idea Of the suffering it brings upon a nation;"
that be had witnessed its devastating effects upon
public morals, and the consequent misery which il
inAes upon those who doomed 10 feelits CURSE
that "yet with all its horrors, revolving as they are
10 the feelings Of humanity, he preferred meeting it
for a few years rather than see the people of the
free States sit down in quiet Indifference uuder the
control Of the slaye-holding power" that ain case
Of war, they (the slaves of the southern Atlantic
States) will be dangerous than four times their
number of foreign enemies;" that Eve are all aware
that in 1859 South Carolina sent special delega-
lon TO the Continental Congress, informing that
body that il required all her troops to protect the
people against their slaves, and that that chvalrous
State must depend upon her northern sisters to de-
fend her against the common enemy" that "hest
ietnts iou again Be acted Uus should tngoge in anoth-
par;" that he (Mr. Co. was 'fully aware that the
southern portion Of the Union must suffer most in
case Of war'-after promising all this, that mem
Der, speaking Of the southern delegation in Con
gress, uttered the following language, which vii
thank the clerk to read.
Mr. T. here sent to the clerks table pamphle
copy of Mr., GIDpMes's speech, from which the
clerk read the following extract:
They now see difficulties before them dangers prcsen
themselves to the further pursuit of their plan OF territorial
aggrandizement They have suddenly called to mind tn
stats ,eM De- oar Of emanepaiion They sec in prospec
the black regiments of the British West India islands land
ing them and their slaves focking to the enemy
standard servle Instructions their negotiations
apne blood and murder dance before their arghed Wis
on wings and democrats them from the dreadful
consequences of their own policy Well, sir, reply e
into against our viii and our utmost opposition You haV
prepared the poisoned chace and we Will press to you
lips until you swallow the very dregs.
'lwould not be understood desiring servile insur
rcion but say to southern gentlemen that there ar
hundreds Of thousands Of honest and patriotic men VIII
will laugh at your calamity. and will mock when you
fear comeh.' II blood and massacre should mark tn
struggle for liberty Of those who for ages have beef
Heaven shall be- that justice uny sldng Justice
may be awarded to both master and slave. desir
the God Of nature has endowed him. If those right
be regainedby the downroddrn of Africa in
southern States BY quiet and peaceful hope the!
will pursue such peaceful measures But If they canno
regain their Godgiven rights by peaceful measures
she'd should certainly hope that it might be the blood
those who stand between them and freedom and not tn
and snd all in @
when those shall occur northern eemen our son
and neghbors must march to Texas and bare their breast
In such who would not be coward Our father
fought for the naenabe rights Of man. sons must face
the lannon's mouth in defence OF slavery Should the black
regiments of the West indies land upon southern coast
our freemen ofthe North will be placed in position thu
humanity For the people Of the free North march t
our southern States and stand between the emancipate
slaves Of the West Indies and southern Shareholders and de
lend them while they fog their bondmen into submission
VIII be degradation without parallel except It be oun
Ohose who buy and seli their fellow and make mer
chandise OF human flesh. r..
Should the scenes to which have alluded take place
negeat advantage would result Perhaps no Statesman
doubts that with England must prove the death o
sIey The British now have no SLAVES
from raising the flag Of emancipation The paray zng 81
ecs which that institution exsrs upon The enc,
people Of the North would be constrained to look upon h
evil as II really is. IL.
The slave power would charm; citizens OF tn
North would be aroused from the lethagy which, for hal
century has held their sensblities in torpid inactivity
toward the oppressed Of land. We should then fin
means to the cords which have SO long unconstu
onay bound to the putrescent carcass OF slavery
Great Britain wouid likely again to pay southern
shareholders twelve hundred thousand dollars for human
cattle who shall have strayed from their owners as
done at the close Of the last war"
Now, (said Mr., THuRMAs,) with the individual
opinions of the author of these sentiments hay
nothing to do. He may entertain them, atroeiou
as they are. He may desire to see all the horror
he depicts in preference TO what he calls the nder
ence Of the free States ito the control Of the "slave
holding power;" in other words, in preference to tn
existing state Of things He may pray that in
servie war the blood Of the white man, and not 0
the negro, may be shed that the relatives descent
ants Of Washington, and Sumpter, and Marion, o
Jackson may fall in the contest; fall by the hand o
the slave who came to them by Inheritance, withou
their choice and without their fault. In such con
summation he may find cause for rejoicing In thu
defence Of his fellow-citzens Of the South he may
choose to "be a coward" At their calamity h
may 'Nsugh," and ''mock when their fear cometh ,
lie may think il degradation" to repe British troops
II they be black, and land on southern shore. Ii,
may refuse to defend the soil Of his country or th
lives Of her citizens in war. All this he may do
These may be his sentiments | will not deny tina
they are. Let him revel in them if he can. sinai
not undertake to disturb his enjoyment. am con
tent to leave him 10 his fate. But, sir if he mea
10 assert that these the sentiments Of the peopl
Of Ohio or Of any considerable portion Of that peo
pie; If he mean to affirm that thousands much les
hundreds Of thousands Of her citizens entertain
such views, here declare that the assertion is q
unfounded SANDER as ever fell from the lips o
man. Nothing could be further from the truth; moth
ing whatever. There is not State in the republi
more sincerely attached to the Union than is Ohio
not one in which the obligations il imposes are he'll
in greater respect not one in which they are, an
ever will be, more sscredly fulfilled OF her peopl
1t will never be said, with truth, that they are ind
ferent IN tho If anv nortinn If their 70