Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-03-09

DIS OpDOSllOu lDCIbhSBu. we saw hii -
raigned at your bar, like base felon, for no
other charge than that of sustaining the right
Of the people; and as the dark storm Of hui
man passions gathered thick, aud the tempest
ragged, and the waves of vituperatlon and cal
jimmy rolled and dashed in wild confusion
around him, he stood calm and unmoved IN
his purpose as the adamantine rock. VINO
has forgotten the boundless resources OF his
intellect, or his unrivaled eloquence, or his
terrible invective They were all called
forth and exerted in favor of the right OF petit
ton. | rejoice that he lived TO witness the
c~onsummation of his labors. He has now
gone to his rest, but the affections of a nation
cluster around his memory.
At my first entrance to this Hall, no men,
Der was allowed to speak irreverently oil the
slave trade, or of slavery. A more unrelent-
ing tyranny never existed in a Turkish dlvan,
than reigned here. The gentleman who now
fills the Presidential chair then presided over
our deliberations, and most effectually did he
exercise his authority for the suppression OF
truth and liberty. For years my lips were
Theoretically sealed on the subject OF human
ity. Often have | listened for hours to Ian
guage insulting TO myself, to my constituents,
and TO the people of the free States, without
the liberty of saying a word in vindication OF
those whom | represented, or of expressing
in any degree the indignant emotions which
prompted the utlerance of salutary truth. VI
ten have | seen the venerable and world hon
ored member from Massachusetts Mr.. J. y.
Adams peremptorily ordered to his seat
when he dared even to allude to the slave
trade, or to the slavery which was sustained
in this District by laws of our own enact
ment. But how changed the scene! l can
scarcely realize that this is the Hall in which
] have witnessed the display of deadly weap-
ons, exhibited for the purpose Of lntimida-
ting northern members 10 keep silence in re-
gard to the crime and disgrace of slavery
Here, sir, in this body has been displayed,
in the most striking manner, the power OF
truth. The freedom of speech has been re-
gained.
We now give free utterance 10 the emo
ions of the soul in behalf of suffering human
Ity. We have regained and now enjoy an
equality of privileges with southern members.
This important reformation has been brought
about by toll, and labor, and suffering which
never will and never can be appreciated by
I any person who has not shared in them. Ii
is, however, due TO truth that | should say,
: northern s%ervility, manifested through a We
: nal press, and exhibited to this body in
. speeches., and illustrated in a variety of ways
= has presented even greater obstacles to the
> DTOgIGSS VI lIulU tDdU oil tu6 OppOSitiOu VI
g southern men.
t Another evidence of the progress of the
great reformation now going on is TO be found
l in the action of the Executive. In 1892 a
slave ship, (the Comet,) laden with slaves,
sailed from this District for New Orleans,
f and was wrecked on one of the British West
; India islands. When the slaves reached Brit
5 ish soil they became instantly free, and each
went in pursuit of his own fortune. The
I slave-dealers demanded that the British au-
thorities should arrest and return them 10
their owners, but they %spurned the degrading
proposition. The slave merchants, thus fall
t ing in their speculations, returned 10 this cl-
: ty, and demanded that the character and In
t fuence of the nation should be prostltuied to
aid them in obtaining a compensation for
their loss from the Government of England.
And strange 10 say, the President, instead Of
o recommending to Congress the passage Of
d laws TO punish with death the crimes oil
which they had been guilty, sent orders tc
C our minister at the Court of st. James to de-
If mand, in the name of this Government, in
y demnity for the loss of those slaves. The
S. orders of the President were obeyed. Onl
= minister, (Mr. StevensonO however, still fur
is Their disgraced the Government. In order tc
a obtain indemnity for crimes of the deepes
n, dye, he had recourse to misrepresentation
IN fragrant falsehood. l invite the friends O
Is that gentleman to call me 10 an account fol
what | am saying to demand explanation
e.. before this body and the country for thu
d. charge | make against him. He, however
Ill deceived the British ministers, and obtained
d. the money. The people of Great Brltall
Id have paid these slave merchants for the com
mission of crimes more aggravated than tina
mt of murder or of piracy.
- Other slave ships were wrecked, and thel
us cargoes obtained freedom in the same mar
ner, and compensation has been demanded
he and in one instance obtained in others
at was refused. The South became clamorouI
u The Senate passed resolutions unanimousI
te- declaring that it was the duty of this Go
nd eminent 10 support this coastwise slave trad
ed A report from the Committee on Foreign r
lations in this body was made, limiting
war in case indemnity was Withheld fro
these slave-dealers and speeches were mad
even by northern members, which indicat,
a willingness to see our country involved
a war to support this Infamous traffic. Il
:" case of the Creole is fresh in the recollecti
&c of all who hear me. On that ship the slave
in conscious of the rights with which God h
a endowed them, and true to the noblest il
pulses of our nature, asserted and maintain
in practice the doctrines of our revolutlona
he fathers. They regained their freedom
their own physical strength. They then ma
of igated the ship to the island of New Pro
ed, dence, and each sought his own happine'
ey At that time a Wing administration contro
pit. ed the Government. Mr.. Van Buren,, nc
an so much denounced for his favor to the sla
eat power, had retired TO Lindenwald. The L
Id %ecutive sent immediate orders TO our minis
of at London to demand compensation of I
Use English Government for the loss of the
ed, slave merchants who had been unable to CO
hat troll their human cargo. Sir, l then saw I
ian party with whom | had always acted abb
an 10 commit itself and the Government to
ur- support of a detestable commerce il mankiI