The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-05-23

vote for bill, properly drawn, inficting
punishment on persons inveigling slaves
from the District of Columbia.
Mr.. Hale-Certainly not, and why
Because l do not believe that slavery
should exist here.
Mr.. Calhoun-Qn his seat J. He wish
es to arm the robbers, and disarm the Peo-
pie of the District.
Mr.. HaIe-The honorable Senator is
alarmed at my temerity-
Mr.. Calhoun-(In his scat 1 did not
use the word, but did not think it worth
while to correct the Senator.
Mr.. Hale-The Senator Gid not use
the term.
Mr.. CalhGun-No. l said it was bra
zen in the Senator, or something like
that.
Mr.. Hale-The meaning was the same.
1t was strange then that l should intro
duce a bill for the protection ofproperty
in this District-a bill perfectly harmless,
but which he has construed into an at
tack upon the South. l ask The Senator
and the country wherein consists the te-
merity? l suppose in the section of the
country from which it comes. He says
we seem TO think the South has lost all
feeling? Ah!-There is the temerity.
The bill comes from the wrong side ola
certain boundary. Why did the honora-
bic Senator from Carolina imagine that
we of the North with our faces bowed
down to the earth, and our backs to the sun,
had received the lash so long that we dar-
ed not look up7 Did he suppose that we
dared not ask the protection ofthe law TO
be thrown around property in the District
to which we came TO be the legislature!
desire no war upon the institution OF
slavery in the seLse in which the Senator
understands me. i will not be party to
any encroachments upon rights guaran-
teed by the Constitution and the law-not
at all. l wish no war, but war ofrea-
son-of persuasion-of igument war
that should look 10 convincing the under
standing, subduing the affections and mo-
wing the sympathies Of the heart. That
is the only war in which, would engage.
But it is said the time has comc-that the
crisis has come, and that the South must
meet it. In all candor and honesty, then,
let me say, that there could not be better
platform on which to meet the question,
than that presented by the principles of
this bill. There conld not be better
occasion than this to appeal to the coun-
try. Let the tocsin round. Let the word
g o forth. Let the free North be told
that her craven representatives. on the floor
of the Senate are not at liberty even to claim the
protection of the rights of property
The right of speech was sacrificed long ago
But now it is to be proclaimed that we cannot
even introduce bill looking to the execution of
the plainest provisions of the Constitution, and
the clearest principles of justice for the protection
OF personal rights, because gentlemen choose to
construe II into an attack upon that particular in
stitution!
ask again, what is it that has produced this
sep, called up these denunciations, excited all
this lnvective which has been poured out upon
Inc as if had been guilty of all the crimes in the
decalogue! l call upon the Senate and the coun-
try to take notice of il. / ask on what do gentle
men of the South rely for the protection OF any
institutions on which they place any value 1t will
be answered upon the constitution and the law
Well, then, if the safeguards of the constitution
are rendered inadequate to the protection of one
species of property, how can it be supposed that
there will be protection for any. 1t is because
desire to maintain in all their strength and abi-
~, the safeguards Of the protection of property in
this District. And here let me tell my friend
from Alabama, that he will have my full co opc-
ration in any measure to prevent kidnapping.
shall expect him to redeem his pledge. Again {:
| am shocked TO hear the honorable Senator from
South Carolina denounce this bill as n measure
calculated to reprcss those citizens from the ex-
preston of their just indignation.
Mr.. Calhoun-If the Senator will allow me,
will explain. i said no such thing. But l will
take the occasion to say that would just as soon
argue with a maniac from bedlam, as with the
Senator from New Hampshire on this question.
Several Senators-Order, order.
Mr.. Calhoun do not intend to correct his
statements. A man who says that the people of
this District have no right to their saves-and
that it is no robbery to take their property from
theu-is not entitled to be regarded as in posses
sion of his reason.
After some further remarks by Mr. Hale-in
which he said it was extremely novel mode of
terminating controversy, by charitably throwing
the mantle Of msnacal irresponsibilty over ones
an;agonist-Mr. Foote again obtained the floor
and proceeded in a characteristic strain as fol-
lows
have declared that the duty of the people
whose rights were thus put in danger would be,
to intiict summary punishment upon the offender
But, says the Senator, victims have been made
and there arc other victims ready. ] nm sure
that he could not persuade me thai he would ever
be victim have never dcplored tho death of
such victims and never shall deplore it-Such
oihcious intermeddling deserved its fate. be-
lleve no good man who is not a maniac, rs the
Senator from New Hampshire is apprehended to
be, can have any sympathy for those who lawless-
ly interfere with the rights of Others lie how
ever, will never he n victim He is one of those
gusty disclaimcrs-a windy speaker-a-
Mr.. Crttcnden.-Ifthe gentlemen will allow me,
rise TO question of Gentlemen have
evidently become excited, and hear on ALI sides
language that is not becoming. / call the gentle
men to order for his personal reference to the Sen
ator from New Hampshire.
The Chair decided the gentlemen from Missi,
sippi TO he out of order, and he proceeded in
more moderate tone. Mr.. Foote having conclud-
ed, MIR. Mangum ofNorth Carolina addressed the
Senate as follows