Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-01-19

this House. There are few, very few, now
present, that had tue pleasure of serving with
him but his contemporaries can attest to his
great abilities and deserved influence. That
committee reported in favor of allowing COM
pensation for the articles furnished to the ar
my, but said, expressly, that 90 siaces not be-
ing property, they could not allow the master
any compensation for his loss" This was
the unanimous report; Mr.. Williams of N,
Carolina, Mr.. Mccoy of Virginia, and Mr..
Owen of Alabama, uniting in the report
Mr.. Williams had been contemporaneous
with Madison and Jefferson, and he did not
hesitate 10 avow the doctrines of the Consti-
tuition, and 10 maintain them. Here is the
record OF his opinion and the views of his as
s%ociates. When the bill came up in Commit
tee of the Whole, certain southern men sud
denly became excited, worked themselves
into a passion, threatened a dissolution of the
Union, and all that sort of thing. They made
a strenuous effort TO reverse the decision Of
the Committee on Claims; but after some
Two weeks discussion, gave it up, laid the
subject on the table, and there the matter
ended.
The discussion was thirty-nine years sub
sequent to the adoption of the Constitution,
and more than fifty from the Declaration OF
Independence. The principle that slaves
NcIC pSfoOHSs uhu " pIOptItys was IcdlllIill-
ed, upon full discussion, without the light
which we possess on the subject. The Mad
lson Papers were not then published. The
views Of Gerry and Sherman and Madison,
in the Convention, and the action Of that bo-
dy In relation to this matter, was unknown
to them. Should we now reverse that deci-
sion, and o%verturn the practice, we shall sin
against greater light than they possessed.
The next and only remaining instance in
which the question of appropriating the trea-
sure of the nation to pay for slaves was in
1913. "A bill for the relief of the people of
West Florida" intended to provide for the
payment Of slaves taken by the army Of Gen
eral Jackson from the inhabitants of that Ter
ritory, in 1914, came up for discussion. The
slaves had been taken against the consent of
their owners by the military power of The ma
ton. | think there were about ninety slaves
taken from different individuals. The prop
osition was distinct in its character. The
object of the bill was 10 pay for human flesh.
| myself opened the debate upon it; and sta
ted, as the principal grounds of my oppose
ton TO it, that slaves were not regarded as pro-
perty under the Federal Constitution. My
venerable and lfmented friend, now no more,
(John Quincy Adans0 sustained my posi-
tions. Several southern gentlemen spoke in
favor of the bill. The Journal is now before
me, and shows the bill 10 have been rejected
by a vote Of one hundred aud thirteen to
thirty-six. This was done by a Mir Con-
gress. Not one of that party from the free
States voted for the bill.
| have now given a history Of our legisla-
ton on ihe subject. There was a bill passed
this body, "SuJ sihnii0,' on one of those
days when there is, by the rules of the
House, no discussion, by which payment was
made for a slave. My friend from Pennsyl-
vania Mr.. Dickey] has stated the facts in
regard to it. ! knew that such a bill was
pending, and so did Mr.. ADAMS; and we had
mutually agreed to oppose lis passage; but
it slipped through unnoticed, and, therefore,
constitutes no precedent.
In 1913 a bill passed this body 10 pay over
moneys obtained by the Government from
Great Britain, and held in trust by us, to be
paid TO the owners of slaves lost on board the
Comet and Enconium. This bill also passed
the Senate, and became a law. At the last
session we passed two bills to pay over mo-
neys held in trust for The same purpose
These cases were not TO take the treasure of
the people Of the free States to pay for slaves,
but to pay over moneys that did not belong
to us, but which we held for the use Of those
who claimed it. But from The dawn of the
Revolution to this day, being more than sew
enty years, this House has expressed but one
opinion on this subject. They have at all
times refused 10 tao lie people Of Tie North 10
! pay for The sLareS gf lie South. We have ne
, yer regarded them as property. But an al
tempt is now making to change the essential
, elements of our Government. Statesmen,
E now, in the high councils Of the nation, de-
ny that sail men are created equal; :" that
"Mey are endured By their Creator lcih the
unahenabh right 10 their Hrcs and their hGcr-
ties )" or, that Governments are instituted
r among men To secure The enjoyment If those
rights" 1t is now urged, that this Govern
= ment was instituted for the purpose of rob.
hing men Of those rights of disrobing a por.
t ton Of our race of their humanity, and redu-
: cling them TO the state of brutes, and making
e them the property Of others. Will northern
members assist 10 commit this outrage upon
the honor Of the nation and constitutions
e rights of the northern Statesl Is there {
member from the free States who will vote tc
e tax his constituents TO pay for The blood, and
bones, and muscles, Of southern slaves |
so, let them place their names on record it
favor of this bill, and let that record descenC
d to coming generations, as a lasting mementC
e of the principles which guide them.
] have now referred to the history of ou
h legislation on the subject. The action of on
d committees was well commented upon b,
my friend from New Hampshire, Mr.. vii
= son.. wish, however, to add a few word
on this point. ! am not aware that any com
mittee of this House ever reported in favor 0
e paying for slaves, until the first session o
Re the 27lh Congress-being more than sixty
five years from the formation of this Govern
t, ment.
n In the eth Congress, the claim of Jane
J. Watson for slaves was committed to tn
Committee Of Claims, of which was INV
self chairman. The friends of the claim, b.
some means, learned that the committee ha.
ID always reported against the payment 70
n- slaves. They therefore obtained the transfe
of that case 10 the Committee on Indian Al
= ! Eairs mkn rannEIel a hill IN nav for The slaun