Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1849-02-09

Lewis: would any man pretend that the /
heirs Of 'Pacheco, IL he had been lost or |
captured, could have brought in claim for /
damages Again surprising Pacheco had
a sou eighteen or nineteen years of age,
possessing all the accomplishments necessa-
~ for him to have performed the duties re. |
quired by the officer ofthe detachment, and |
that he had entered the service aud been
captured or killed would the father or the |
heirs have presented claim for damages
Aud was il to be said in this country, that |
because a colored man was made slave |
| by the laws Of Florida and Of other south |
ern States, he stood on any higher ground,
or had any stronger claim for damages when
such colored man was killed in the defence
Of his country, than the parent or the mas
ter had for his son or his apprentice, who
also fell in the service Of his country The
colored man was made property by law,
and against natural right. Human laws
might make the African slave God made
him a man, person. Now. he asked gen.
tlemen il there could be any distinction of
that kind taken here-if Pacheco or Pache-
cos heirs, could come here with any less
claim for the loss OF the father or son. than
for the loss Of the slaye1 Or did the disa.
biliiy which attached 10 the coiored man by
the local operation Of the local laws, give
this individual any superior claim upon the
Government, or impose upon the Govern
ment any superior obligation to make com.
pensation
lie, gentlemen take notice, that from the
commencement OF the Government up to
1916 or 1918, such claims had never been
thought Of being made. Since that time
they had been brought forward; but with
one solitary exception, which had been no.
tced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Mr. Dickeyl the other day, they had been
resisted by the Government, and liability
had been constantly refused. Now. he re-
GREETED the introduction of this subject here
al this time. God knew that the country
had been agiiated quite enough upon this
question. He dreaded il as much as any
man dreaded it /; and he hoped that in what
ever he might say now. or at any other lime,
he should make nse Of no unkind express
sion which could give pain 10 any gentle
( man ON this aoer. II he did, il would escape
|. from him in the excitement Of debate when
. he intended no such thing. He had been
treated with too much kindness, with too
much courtesy and consideration by gentle
, men composing this honorable body, from
) every section Of the Union, 10 allow him to
say word which should prompt any unkind
feelings towards himself, or IN the least i'm.
pair his harmonious and friendly relations,
I either here or elsewhere, with gentlemen
, But it must be obvious, that this question
5 was agitaiing the country from one end oil
Ia ~. "a a.,
E which he might refer At some future time
D when he had opportunity causes which
1 took strong hold upon the feelings Of III,
b. people causes which struck at the yer,
/. foundation, and ran through every ramif.
5 cation OF society. He knew il was said lha
$ il was temporary excitement, and woulC
e soon be over; but he could speak here il
: the hearing Of this House, and consciou,
n that he was speaking 10 this country, tina
y in his poor judgment, this hostility that wa
springing up ia The minds Of the people .
!. the North 10 being involved in the mainte
n nance or in the responsibility Of the system
: OF slavery was not easily to be quoted moi
d were the people 10 be prevented from utter
: ing their sentiments. and explaining its oper
# alton upon them. Ii sprung from deer
h cause gentlemen would find il So In hi
c judgment, there was every occasion for tn,
Il members of this House to be cautious, care
d fol, quiet in all their movements Let hin
u say that, in his belief, there was no dispo
n silion and no feeling anywhere manifesto,
s to interfere with the rights Of the slave-hold
IS ers within The States He did not under
e stand it so. The people Of the North sioo,
l. upon the Constitution as il was; they plant
l. ed themselves upon the Constitution as
IS was, and there were ready TO stand. Wber
!. the local laws Of other sections operated,
lie was theirs TO regulate the question OF slave
lie ry; ifslavery was blessing, theirs were tn
r benefits Of il; il il was an evil and curse
B. they must suffer from il, and not the peopl
ID Of the North. They had no dispositio
ID whatever TO interfere with the local insiiiu
e lions OF the South but whenever soulher
,e gentlemen come 10 the Government of III
NJ country. and ask them to recognize the rigl
ID OF property in slaves, and this Goyernmen
ID was obligated to pay for them, then they {
re the North took their stand and said that tn
: Constitution did not so obigate then
nj Whatever might be the views of souiher
n gentlemen at home, however they migl
n look upon their slaves as property, unde
is the Constitution of the United States, the
b. Of the North believed they were not proper
TO ~, and that the treasury Of the United State
was not bound TO pay for them when the
I'd were lost in the service of the country, a
e. any white citizen might be.
d, But, he repeated, he wanted TO know
in wba, particular act OF the Government
he this country, or by what particular legal a,
q. Of any Of our military officers, this Cover