The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-13


very within the District OF Columbia exists only By the
action Of Congress Instead Of pursuing the ssEunsas
res man. demand proof that Congress possesses me
power e 70 make slaus. or hold man in bondage. ~
All the other points which have been raised apply not
TO the merits Of the proposition for emancipation, but
only 10 the form and manner OF carrying il into eject
such were the objections raised BY honorable and ss
'eemedJnend from Connecticut Mr.. BALDwIn, land my
no less honorable and esteemed friend from Massashu
se,is, Mr. WNTHRoPl II will be seen ct once thst
ure is right Nevertheless without holding thoss esu-
emen TO this concession but leaving them 10 judge snd
act for themselves shall be consn,o reply thsn 8
far only to vndcate the plan OF emancipation imbodisd
in the amendment What then, is the form and what the
manner proposed The amendments declare.thsi avsy
shall forever in the District OF Columbia. and thif
all persons held in bondage therein when the act shs
60 into effect shall be free II directs the Secretary Of
The Interior TO pay the damages which any person bold
passage. and approprates two hundred hoasand dsl
lars fund for that purpose. The amendment further
provides for election in which the qualified and cops
tent citizens OF the District shall express their appEobe
ton disapprobaton Of the act II they disappr0ve, II
shall be void and OF no effect. f5
submit sir in the first place, that the plan is adequate
Ii will secure the abolition Of slavery within the Dsct.
il obtain the consent o those who most particularly
concerned in the question have not learned fTosn
either of my honorable friends that he is ia favor Of
enancpang the slaves without the consent Of the peo
pie in the District and have all heard other honorable
senators insist upon that consent as indispensable dc
not insist upon it for myself have only SURRENDERED
50 much 10 their objections but II majority OF the
Senate should waive the objection, il would give me
Secondly, the plan is an equal one While j, restores
to the slave the inestmabe right OF freedom, awards
to him who by authority of Congress, has hitherto bald
the slave in bondage, just remuneration and indemnity
for his loss. II is. then, adequate and equal t.1a
Thirdly, the plan is not violent nor capcious, but 70
deliberate and prudent for i makes this solemn tran,ac
ton 10 depend upon canvass to be continued not sss
than three months nor longer than six months among
he people Of the District.
Fourthly, the plan is broad enough. | am informed
w hAl Alieye err eVd
slaves within the District, ascerained by the Csnsuss
male and female. old and young great and small; U
those who regard them subjects OF traffic. % ceg.
tanly do not three hundred dollars for each person.
and IN the one handea ana sgnsy
sand dollars. If the sum is too great nothing will bs
lost If il be too small, the deficiency can BE- now or
But my honorable friend from Massachusetts mr.
WINTHRopl objects that the amendment contains no
provision for the support Of the slaves or Of any of
that this objection had weight, would be suhcisnt
that in the judgment OF other senators, such
pod Gy 70 s
submit such provision, and II II do not embsrrass NE
bill, il shall receive my vote. sH9t ~
But think the objection itself is not well groundedg1
The slave is held In bondage, not for his own saPpo
and for his benefit but Tor the support and beDsot0
his master II is the slave, them that supports or con-
tributes TO the support OF the master, and not the asae
that supports the slave: i is not in humanity thsl
should be otherwise Relieve the slavs them rom The
support Of his master, and his whole sasrg,ss ~ .i .es
family. The instincts OF the common nature which ~
shares with will do the rest But you may reply tnaf
these persons degraded. so as to be unable g a.e
care OF themselves On the contrary, is in ths Dsct
that the institution its most cheerful or iea ~
pulsye aspect Here in the centre q the Unlon ~ sns
capital OF this free empire, the African race has be
held in bondage from generation TO geperaiion throun
period OF near hundred years We all trust al
believe that the ultimate result OF the transfer Of hD
foreign population to shores s to be the bringing
OF them into condition TO support fhemselvess and g
exercise the privileges Of self-government is -
commentary upon the operation OF our institutions 20
say that two hundred years have not been enough .
bring these hundred persons under such tavosuoio
auspices, to the capabity Of providing for their own
The next objection to the measure which shall notice
that il is indiscreet This. think, wa hs
s IO"Gs The objection implies assent . he
Justice and wisdom OF the measure itself, and takes ieoae
only upon the time occasion, or circumstancce unds,
which proposed II comedies moreover. that woud
be proper at different time on other occasion, OF In
some other circumstances. eY .g.r.8
Let us see then, wherein the indiscfetion cons,Ses
And first as TO the occasion. One honorable senator
we should incur the risk Of losing ihe bill itself which
proposed to be amended and thus losing the abolition M
The slave trade within the District Of Columbia, Sgpgoss
we do What would be the loss Tue amendment beio!e
you the abolition Of the slave trade, foE abol.
.hes slavery altogether. When slavery falls the tr96e
which is only incident OF il, will instantly cease but
the senator afraid that between the two both wiu %
lost. That cannot happen. The passage OF either -
VI a...
Ifthe amendment shall pass you will have bettsr bill
than the bill Of the Committee Of Thirieen II the s|snd'
ment shall fail you will still have the bill OF the Com
mi,tee of Thirteen ..,% H4s 81.
But the bill of the Committee OF Thirteen 10 not put "
jeopardy Il s lost, or than lost to us alrsady
Il had not been. should not have offered my propoUina
az an amendment The abolition Of the slave tiade, m
Deed remains in the bill but conditions have ben -.
nexed which cannot be accepted and which compe % %
the free States to reject the bill itself One Of these CO.,
ditions is the converting into felony punshabe wlfh
ten years imprisonment the OF aiding or iavornl th4
escape OF fugitive slave, the oct OF hArbon9
slave with view to aid his escape The punishment
already denounced by the law 10 enough n ~
Judgment, for act that is wrong not because ~ -
erroneous in itself but only because II u declared ~ see
statute to be wrong The second condition winch las
been annexed to the bill is the conering OF right upon
the corporations within the District to impose cond9ons
upon which freed men shall be allowed TO ener ana
main in the District, depart from Il; in osner Uo:
to prescribe free men, who are citizens Oh ns o"Sa
States and Of The free States. y.
By the addition OF these conditions, the oli nss
converted from law melioratng slavery wnnn ~ -
rct into law to fortify slavery and proscnDe IT,
| When that done my last hcps, my ias psspV3y
this Ia he bill which the honorable senator from M4ee
ehusetts complains that am putting in jeopardy lhns
air and nothing other different IRON thass tne eoo9
which he saws just within our grasp, ana wnfeni
have struck down to the earth. Sir, when my amend-
ment shall have been rejected this bill will still 1eunn
want 10 see whether he will embrace IL and take q 70
to his bosom. shall not harbor it it would sting ne
| TO death. a elA4
So much sir, for the occasion And now for the IN
discretion so far as il depends upon time ana ciscun.