The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-17


when all The other bills were passed this would be
killed in some way OF other
rous that this bill shosld pass in the form in which
il VAS originally reported. have already voted against
one aIneloment, and ! propose TO vote against the
others sAali endeavor to clear the bill from every
thing that tends TO mar It's symmetry, and leave il
10 pass II possible. precisely in the form in which
il Was presented by the committee II is very we'll
framed bill II meets its object II meets the single
object for which il was intended, which is admitted on
ali hands, or nearly all, to De sautary measure.
voted against the amendment offered the other day BY the
senator IRON New York, Mr. SEwARD,) without looking
10 the principle OF the amendmen or into what would be
the effect OF It. took no time to consider. did not
trouble my self TO consider about IT, because the amend
nent was presented al Time when could not be pass
an and because the effect OF that TO destroy this bill
which believe 10 DO good one And the amendment
was SO lilly diges'ed 50 lily prepared and based upon
out looking al the principle which il contained. Why,
slr let me state thing with regard 70 that amendment
and will ns sgSey 81 ae9f upon aess
slaves this district was estimated by the honorable SEN
ator from New York at six hundred, whereas am in
formed that the number does not fall short of two thou.
sand There was no time to take up this matter, and
reflect upon no time to investigate the facts, and pre-
pare bill fitted for any good purpose was prepared,
therefore, to reject that amendment without troubling
myself much about the principle involved in IT, Il was
no time to touch it. For like reasons, am prepared to
reject this without any particular reflection upon the pro-
pety OF passing the other OF these amendments
on proper occasion No OF here is in proper
situation to know rightly the circumstances which ought
to determine to vote or not to vote Tor them ana
there is good reason fear that the passage Of the bill H.
self may be defeated Now Mr. President, what these
amendments The second OF the senator from Mary:
land MR. PEARcE) ought moi to pass i z wrong ana
any gentleman that is wrong, and ought not 70 pass N
the form in which il is presented II would be clearly
unjust to pass as il is and We have no time 70 look q
its provisions and amend it, and make such as II ought
TO be- if, indeed, is capable OF such amendment Then
the question remains only upon the first amendment,
which the senator from Kentucky INT CLAIl proposes
.lr. ant Nntu w
Furnishes any person for an attempt to entlce slave 70
abandon his her master in the District with
Tertiary from two to ten years. according % 'ne Ssc,e
distinction taken as to motives which induce Inc attempt
to entce. II free person sage TO slave "Come, 30
dence is complete and he is punished with the penten
ary for two years at least Now let us see how this
will operate in cases Slaves and free people are
pose then The wife says to the husband, You in
servtude; il pains me to see ~ our children TOO are
slaves let us go out Of the District" Whichever one
says that to the other has committed crime for which he
or she is to be punished in the pentenary My feelings
and my judgment revolt against this wlllnot submit to
it, II 10 wrong it ofends the moral sense OF men who
stand off and look the subject with feeling OF in
erest at a-wiih other than the feelings OF hu-
mainly. What is the offence that s committed II is
not larceny, for il does not rank in that class OF crime al
all. II is not committed for the purpose OF gain. II
does not come within that class OF offences in which
you would place the counterfe,ing Of money. Or the
commit the offence has always been reckoned as con-
summation Of the crime And will you enact law by
which the soicude OF the husband, the wife, or the
parent TOR the welfare Of the wife, the husband, or the
child. shall be converted into penitentlary cence'
Now, il is very different case from that OF man who
steals slave and carries him o Tor the purpose q sell
are great many OF that kind occurring upon our
borders. which deserve any degree OF punishment that
you ma, be pleased 10 niic upon them. IN my opinion,
Mr. Preside Mt, the punishment " totally dispropo tomato
offence in those cases that have named In other
may not he too great; and do hot accord 10 II al
all cannot for bill containing that provision;
and desire yery much to rid the bill OF H. and leave it
lust as il was reported by the committee.
Now, it may be looked upon, and an interference
with the domestic rights OF individuals for any man who
Is free--eher a black white man--lo say anything
10 slave which would induce him to become dissatisfied
with his position, and tend to induce him TO leave his
master But how We leave to the judgment OF men
10 what the meaning oil TINS very loose and
vague term .enc,ng or attempting TO enilcep Why,
the judgment would not be UNIFORM at all. One jury
would consider thing an attempt to entice aud
another jury would no, so consider it AMI j, would de-
pend upon the state OF feeling OF the JuIymenDe stae
oil irritation, perhaps, at The moment o tnsl-sheher
the committed offence or not tn most vague,
incorrect. and nconclusve legislation therefore OBJ
ject to II upon that ground, and desire TO nave 1t ex-
pdnged from the bill. desire it more especially he
amendment cannot be perfected and considered in time 10
pass and make acceptable to the two houses oil Con-
gress so as 10 be able TO pass 1t
Mr. MASON Mr.. President the amendment which
has been offered BY the senator from Maryland. and
which was adopted in committee, has tended develop.
10 some extent al leas state OF feeling IN this Senate
which had supposed did exist 1t has led some gen.
tlemen 10 say-and amongst them the senator who has
Just taken bis seat Mr. EwIsol-that they are not pre-
pared in Iegsstrng Dsifcl subject 10 the institution
OF slavery 10 enact such laws a. Is beeved are neces
sary to protect and that species OF
property Sir, sentiments avowed aud the language
uttered BY that seusior, my judgment tend orcby 10
demonstrate what fell from the sendior from Georgia the
other dayihai these gentlemen will force To believe
that there IL such incoppaublliiy between the States
holding slaves and those not holding slaves AS TO render
il impracticable for them live together under
nothing that | have heard leads me more decidedly
towards that opinion than the sentiments and language
uttered by the honorable senator who has Just addressed
the Senate.
SIR oil the slave States, far am Informed-cer-
tainy the State OF Virgnia-hnd II matter OF indspen
sable policy for the security OF their property to punish
as felony those who attempt to seduce slaves from their
masters 10 get them to abscond The attempt Is pun
shed and punished equally with the success OF that al
tempt and we have found il indispensable Tor the
ry of our property in slaves And now what do we see
Why here sir in the city OF the government.
where this institution prevails, and where gentlemen tell
they do design, at present at least TO abolish II,
they refuse TO pass we saveowners consider
necessary for the enjoyment o security in that property
nd they refuse ii in the face Of the TACT that here during
the present session, in more than one instance slaves,
the property OF gentlemen who have been sent here by
their constituents egsate for the country, have been
taken from them, aud attempts made TO them OIL and
10 get them safe into the free States, where they will be
beyond their power Sir the inequalities, the ordinary
and decent Inequalities due TO gentlemen who are sent
here by their constituents have been violated; and
il is refused pass laws which will not only extend the
security which the law is bound 10 extend, but which
will provide them with the decent Inequalities which