The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-31

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The New Haven Register contains the speeches Of
Gen Kimberly, Hon Ralph J. IngersolI. and Judge T. |
Foster. 1t hs Onion meeting held there last TUESDAY
Those before US are the spirit Of the occasion and
wish il were in power to publish them entire.
Among the REGULATIONS adopted was one sppoallsag
Union Safety Committee 10 carry out the objects oil me
fred Blsei@an, Dennis Kimberly. Charles a Ingersoll
n M. Welsh. Charles W. Allen, Samuel s. Basssu,
Burton Mallory. Stephen Gilbert, Geo<ge ID. English,
Charles Aiwster. ir. James vssdsri John Galpn'
Henry Hooker. Lewis B, Judson, Henry 9. Lewis, Ly-
man BisselI Lsandsr Pameiee. c. 5 A. Davis, William
The speech Of Mr. Ingersoll. late minister TO Russia,
though IRON its nature less enthusiastic than some OF the
others is rich in historical facts bearing upon ne ooee's
Of the meeting and particularly in relation TO thar article
OF the constitution which provides for the surrender Oh
fugitive slaves. IL is as follows;
| Ma. PREsIDENT AND YELLOW CITIZENS; | should have
been well satisfied had the vote been taken the
lutons without a word OF comment; but as my fellow
citizens, assembled from this busy community, seem
to expect that something should be said. viii deialn
them for few moments. and assure you they shall De
very few, whlei express my own views on the subjects
thai have brought us here shall say nothing but as 10
one Of the measures Of the Compromise Tor the public
sentiment has been too generally expressed IN favor OF
the others to justify any farther comment on them on the
present occasion. Il s however. The fugitive acl that
has drawn upon the Compromise the violent denunca-
lions Of portion OF the public pressof meetings oil ex-
cited citizens and, regret to add OF some pup,ts too
But after all this excitement |" ieisned or felt" The
ed in OF the solemn compacts oil the constitutions
which plainly declares that persons held to service or
labor in one State under the laws thereof. shall DC dey
cred up claim OF the party TO whom such service or
labor may be due"
thas always appeared to me, in view Of this clause
OF the constitution that the only consistent opponents
either OF the law Of 1898, for the return Of fugitive
slaves the jurisdiction from which they come or the
law OF the last session OF Congress, which Is the same
in principle, though efecual in carrying out the
constitutional requirements, those who, like Mr.
Garrison and his associates denounce the constitution IL
self as compact with SIM, well all laws that are
made in obedience 10 its requirements. But ! am not
one of those who believe that we have grown wiser IN
reference either TO moral or our constitutional duties
than the fathers OF the republic They carried the
country through the Of the revoution.he men OF
the North and the OF the South contendng shoulder
to shoulder. in the common cause, without stopping 70
call in question interfere with the domestic lnsttu-
tons which either section 1T to maintain. The IL.
ustrous statesman who drew up the Declaration OF In
same may be said Of him. more lustrious, who led
armies through the contests OF the revouton-hc man
Es in war, first IN peace. and rst N the hearts OF his
countrymen", This ira,ernal feeling. which i had
pleased Providence to bless in the first struggles OF the
then rising republic, animated the members OF the con.
ventcn which afterwards met 70 finish the great work
rms were tne watchwords OF those days
NJ Without them the independence OF ;sess States coula
1 never have been without them, this government
could never have been established and in my humble
opinion its days will have been numbered when we
4 cease to regard them they regarded BY those
early patriots There were undoubtedly sectional in
the convention that formed the constitution will men
ton two OF them The subject Of slavery was deca,s
with the South, lest should be nerfered with
,rary their wishes; the other hand. the navigation
interests Of the East created somewhat of sectiona
feeling in the other geographical extreme, where the de
! England under the control Of general government
which could secure it foreign interference or com
= petition.
slaves from Africa elsewhere to any extent. as nigh
seem TO them expedenta right which they could have
retained !illhis day, but for the constitution which limit
ed il to the year 1905 The committee to whom the sub
ject had been referred st reported in favor oil the yea
1900 The South particularly FESTIVE under this
ss Ss hs U% could
into the Union upon such condition. COMMITTEES a
The time had also reported in favor OF restrichna
Congress from passing any navigation laws, unless BY
two-thirds vote OF the members condition which New
England felt TO be fatal 10 her interests In this state Of
things, both subjects were recommitted to the same
committee and compromise was the result; they re-
ported permit the slave trade 10 go till the year isos
and authorize Congress TO pass navigation laws with
out the two-hlrds restriction Both recommendation,
will be found upon the record that upon the question o.
giving the longest time sos) for the slave trade. New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (he only
New England States then represented voted in the al
hmative, with the South against the votes o
the central States and Virginia. Subsequently, when i
proposed insert thai article in the constitution
which requires the surrender Of fugitive slaves out Of
which the acts Of Congress- that subject have sprung
not voice from New England was raised against il
vsneraied names Of Roger Sherman Oliver Ellsworth
and William Samuel johnson, the men who then repre-
scented the honor and interests OF Connecticut am sare
that voice in this community will utter reproach
NJ upon their memories. IL not that these dele
gates, their associates from the other portions
:, OF New England were in favor OF slavery an any
OF its forms Far from most If not all OF them had
taken part in the early legislation OF the eastern States
gradually 10 be rid Of Il in her borders But IN the
convention they did not forget that they were forming
united government for separate and independent sover-
eighties, having different local interests habits and pur-
government limited in its operations TO matters
mostly external and which left the internal and domestic
concerns Of each State far as consistently could be- to
lie legislation And though they voted to permit the
slave trade to such States might choose 70 have H. TILL
the year 1908, yet that better than TO form no
Union all and thus leave II 60 forever under SOY
eregnties disuned and independent Of each other. so
when they agreed that fugves should De delivered up,
but apa Of the compact by which the importation
limited and probably secured 10 the slave population
Of the South liberties and greater indugences from
those whom they served than they could have had with
out IL for without such provision, the master would
very naturally 10 severe and rigid discipline
10 prevent escapes which would always be attended with
total loss In this connexon may be permitted here
to observe that although the word slave" nowhere ap
pears in the constitution of the United States, here was
fastidiousness about using among The members OF the
conventon) yet the Connecticut legislation bad no OBJ
lection call things persons by the appropriate Names
and our own State voted with Virginia and Georgia TO
p substitute the word slaves" for the word "persons
y where il occurs in the article on that subject
Such was the action OF the convention on this disturbing
subject After the adoption Of the constitution i was