The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-12

absas corpus was issued the case had prompt hearing
out OF chambers, and the negro gained his immedl-
ate reease-not restoration 10 his old master. but his
freedom. his emancipation. ~ E- - fr -.
MIR. COLLAMER interrupted, with rome question,
which was not heard by the reporter, but which was
presumed to be relative to the laws OF Maryland on tins
subject GL.a.
Mr. McLANE replied. that the original law was the
law OF the last century There had however been mod
ihcations of that law. down to within very recent pc
Rod But the law was as he had now stated. Mr. McL
referred especially to the law OF 1881
He had himself defended or brought, within the last
year, since he had been member OF this House, INTO
court the petition of negro woman who was Illegally
sold from the State of Virginia into Maryland, who got
her freedom, her emancipaton-not her restoration TO
her Virginia master. Therefore the House without be-
law of Maryland, might be assured OF the fact that this
was now the law. These notifications which had been
introduced into the law of Maryland he would tell the
gentleman from Vermont, Mr.. CoLLAMER, had been the
result of the labors of the honorable gentlemen before
him The abolition agitation had drawn the State of Ma
ryland, not from her original policy. not into any in.
difference upon this negro question: but had obliged
her in her own defence to make more stringent regu
atons and there not now quite the same facility for
movements the part of individuals who looking
to ultimate emancipation Whatever might have appear
ed within the last few years in the way of interfering
statutes let the House and the country be assured had
been the result of pressing necessity brought upon That
State by these abolition efforts Let not gentlemen m
dersand him now rejecting upon any constitutional.
legal dignfied attempt redeem the black races but the
House would understand him referring 70 the wanton
and factious agitation of tbs question, which went out
side of all acknow edged law in the free well in
the slave States The House would understand him as
referring such agitation as would bring INTO tins House
proposo to poll the negro votes, both free and bond,
in the slave States, when they not poed in the free
States.
Mr. LAHM interposed, and wished to address an in
Mr.. McLANE hoped his friend would not put any in
quiries foreign TO the subject.
Mr.. LAHM wished to ask the gentleman from Mary
la,
when negroes brought into that State for the purpose
of selling them into other States, in force in this Dis
rct? and if it was not. whether there not much
propriety for the law here as there was there!
! MIR. McLANE said he would be very much obliged if
the gentleman would not interrupt the tenor of his
marks
was referring to- and had not gone beyond the law Of
Maryland, and he had said all he say in regard
to it. He had stated the fact that the law and
in the State of Maryland he had stated the fact that that
law had been somewhat modified and he had ventured
to present to the House his judgment to the
which had led TO the notifications all the notifications
of the old Maryland code, than which liberal,
more humane, more enlightened code was not to be
found upon the statute book of any State in the Union,
with regard TO the black race free or bond.
Now. what man in Maryland would do in his own
State, what citizen of Maryland would DO. looking
this whole question in its social and political aspects, he
(Mr. McL) would be most happy 10 see the competent
authority do in the District of Columbia, any other
State of this Union His State having before this
ry having cotemporaneously with the adoption of the
federal constitution, prohibited the foreign slave trade
and adherng still to that prohibition did any honorable
gentleman suppose that member OF Congress from that
State could fail to sympahize with any udicous. with
any legal mode of accomplishing the same result here
As far as any gentleman applied such suggestion to
ment. He was ready now, and he would be always
ready, prohibit everywhere in this Union any other
slave trade than that which was involved in the recog-
milton of slaves within State as property Entertain
ing these views, why was il that he had not only
voted "no" upon this resolution; why was it that
he felt most unaffected resentment, the might add
it not out OF order,) most unaffected lndlgna-
ton, when accomplished men, eloquent men, men Ia
miar, far more so than he claimed to be, with the
constitution under which they here egslaed came into
this House and pefaced their resolutions with insulting
and offensive assertions, that the existence of certain
species of property was inconsistent with humanity and
decency, and when i was declared BY other gentlemen
be "revoltng2" Why he naturally turned to look at
the man who revolted, to ind what there was OF cult
walton and refinement, what there was in his practical
life, social political to authorize any such assumption
He would make his reflections and form his own
Judgment upon that observation he confessed that the
first feelings of resentment not much heightened
perhaps they were aliayed-yes, they were aayed,
when he found this denunciaton emanating from a
representative on this floor in whose personal po-
ltca relations there was no just ground of preten-
sion to uncommon rehnement-when he found it ema-
politics as any slave dealer in saves-hs
Indignation allayed rather than increased, and he
went home to his people and told them, as he did
last summer, he did throughout the presidential
canvass, that there was not after all. SO much in
this slave agitation as there seemed to be. He
had told his people, that looking at the origin of the
movement here in Washngton-ooking at the objects
of those who agitated this questonhe found it all in
hands which were not entitled certainly TO command
prima fdcie the respect of this country When honora-
BILE members, who had devoted the best years of their
lives to the support OF political faith upon which they
had year after year, represented the fate OF the country
to depend-when such men were found bartering away
all their former political doctrines and associations to
become free.se" candidates for Congress. or "free
soil" candidates for governor-here was certainly not
much in their movements prta tdcie entitled to respect
and the results certainly the advocates and supporters
of this would not claim much respect for them
selves AS compared to the public sentiment OF this great
nation they not more respectable than the vote
of the State of New York in favor OF negro suffrage
pared with the aggregate vote of that State. Ii we went
back to the adoption of the constitution the State
of New York, and looked at the polls, we found that
the few who there in favor OF eevatng the negro
little entitled to respect for numbers for intelligence, and
for political morality, was the freeso vote in the
federal or national contests So he not obliged al
home make any sacrifices in view Of this questions he
had been able to say there what he said here and what
he glad this occasion gave him the opportunity hur
State, intimately wrapped up that State was in slave
ry both socially and politically, that all he asked
be left alone; 80 far the institution of slavery was
concerned, he only asked rigid adherence TO the doc
trine Of ts erenee-no aggression by Congress on
the people Of the slave States and their right of property
On the other hand, the people Of that State would
desire to enlarge their constitutional rights by any ag-
gressive action of Congress Mr. Mel said he thought
that the people of Maryland and OF the slave States
generally, ought to be content to stand by their
until their brethren who had the same political instu-
ton were assailed and whenever this institution was as
sailed in any part OF this confederacy Of they made
common cause. Ii not necessary that, as Mary
land men, they should desire to take their negroe. to