Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-05-26
Speech of Mr.. GiddingS,


In the House Of Representatives, in Congress,
Tuesday, .9priI 25h, 1913.
This speech, which was made upon Mr..
Palfrey's resolution, closed the exciting de-
bate. which during several days agitated the
House.
Mr.. Giddings having obtained the floor,
he said that whatever remarks he might make
on this occasion, it was no part of his inten-
ton to reply 10 what had been said BY the
gentleman who had just taken his seat. Be-
fore he commenced any regular series of re-
marks, he wished to take occasion TO say
further, that he had supposed that, after a
ten years service in this hall after SO many
times expressing the sentiments which he
had so long held, and which he thought were
so well understood by the members of ihi.
House, he could not have been made to be-
lieve that gentlemen either from the NORTH
or South, could have so Inexperienced his
sentiments until he had heard such impress.
sions avowed by them. He wished the at.
tention of the House and the country, while
he declared that no man in this hall or else.
where could lay his hand upon a remark
resolution, or speech of his, in which he had
ever claimed the privilege of interfering with
slavery In the States of this Union. Fol
two days, something like a dozen gentlemen
from the South had imputed TO him inten-
tons to interfere with their Institutions
Now, if any gentleman in this hall could Law
his hand upon a resolution, speech, decla-
ration, or effort of his TO interfere with the
institutions of slavery in the States, let him
stand up in this House in the presence of the
nation and avow it. He would yield to the
gentleman. Here he paused for a moment,
and, no gentleman rising, he proceeded. l.
Was there any one here (he asked) who
would take upon himself the responsibility of
declaring that such an intimation had ever
fallen from his (Mr. G.'s) lips? If none,
where were the gentlemen who for DAYS had
been imputing TO him such motives! Where
did they stand before the people of this coun-
try? 1t was a duty which he owed to him
self, to the people whom he represented,
again to dissvow all such feelings, intentions,
purposes motives, or designs. He was once
expelled from this hall, or, rather, censured
here for declaring this very identical doctrine,
that Congress had not the power to interfere
with that institution. He now took occasion
to say that the people of the slave States OF
this Union held that institution supreme, I'M
controlled under the constitution ofthe United
States, beyond the power of this Government
to interfere with it for any purpose, or to any
extent, with one exception, and that was
their power of Legislation in regard 10 fugi-
tive slaves. The people of the free States
had the indisputable right to remain free from
its contamination, unstained with its guilt,
exempt entirely from its support, and discon-
nected with all its turpitude. He said thai
they had no claim on the people of the free
States to extend that institution OF to asso.
ciate with new slayeholding States; that
they had no right to ask the free people of the
North to associate themselves with slave
holders in Mexico, who, owning one hundred
slaves, would WELD an influence on this
floor equal to sixty freemen. Therefore il
was one of his cardinal principles, and one
Of those whom he represented, not to asso'
ciate with any new slaveholding States oil
slaveholding territory. Those were theiI
sentiments Keep your slavery where it is,
and manage it according to your own judg'
ment and discretion. With it we never had
constitutionally, and never will have any
thing to do.
Mr.. Meade (the floor being yielded) de,
sired to ask the gentleman what was his OBJ.
iect in SO frequently introducing the subject
into this hall, if it were not to operate OF
Southern institutions?
Mr.. Giddings said he had invited gentle
men, if they had ever heard a word from hin
affirming the power of Congress to interfere
with the institutions of slavery in the States
to say so. Did the gentleman from Virgi
MIA pretend ever to have heard from his lips
such a propositions No; no gentleman haC
ever heard it; no gentleman could be founC
to rise and declare that he had.