The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-10


undertake TO slow the object of his avowal. IL you
look TO the latter part of the message no doubt re-
mains. The i'ugitive Slave act is to remain on the
statute book, and he regards II as necessary and
If bill shall be passed for it's repeal he will inter
pose the veto. This frankness is commendablc,
and is worthy of that high functionary of our Gov
eminent.
In another portion of the message he says that it
is the duty of the President to that the laws be
faithfully executed. Why is Congress thus in
formed Ii we'll understood that at the last SEES
sion law called the Fugitive Slave act, passed
under the operation of the previous question and
by silencing the voice of the free States. And now,
| after some difficulties have been encountered, the
President says that the law shall be faithfully exc
| cuted For myself, / oball regard such language
| as n menace. II is that the people Of the North
| shall snbmit to the dctation of the law, or the
President Will call upon the military forces to exc
cute it. The remark is unworthy of the President
| To menace ireemen. However, in the nineteenth
century freemen are not to be governed by swords
and cannon, but by law. Let me say that the act
cannot be enforced by sword, bayonet, and can.
non Ii is due to the President and our brethren
Of the South and to the world, that it should
be known and understood that this act never
has been, is not, and never be enforced.
The President has not the power to enforce the
law; and mean what say. When the law com
mands the ireemen of the North to leave their
workshops and dwellings to give chase to iugi-
tves, to put iron on their limbs, and return them
to bondage, say that il is not In the power of the
President, nor his army and navy, to force them to
do 1t. The people OF my portion OF OHIO (and
4
permit VIII speak longcr) repudiate, abhor and
detest the law. We as good citizens, will abide
| By the right, and will not interfere with slavery;
and when are asked to do SO, we will refuse. In
the formation of the Constitution if fact stood
more prominent and distinct than another, it was
this: that slavery is an institution of the States,
| and on State policy ID alone predcated This Co
vernment has no power TO control and spreadlt. IL
| is your institution, not ours We hold it in abcy-
ance. The whole design OF the Fugitive act is to
| make us catchers of runaway negroes, and return
them to their masters. We will not acquiesce,
| have you the power to compel US.
For the benefit of new members, and to their
better understanding Of this subject, will repeat
| the substance of the doctrine adhered to by the
northern Free soers and Anti slavery men, viz:
slavery is State institution, one which Congress
has right to sustain abolish that prior to the
adoption OF the Constitution, it resided with the
| people of the States that the adoption of
the Constitution this power was not surrendcred;
and Virginia has the same power over
the subject which shehad under the confedera-
ton. Vermont, Ohio, and Massachusetts,, have
the same right to be free from slavery The
States reciprocally and equally independent.
We of the North adhere to the great principle that
all men created equal; we recognise differ
ence in the natural rights of man 1t is violation
OF the Constitution for to sustain slavery, put
it down. would ask the South whether we to
be the slave catchers, the catchpoles of their fu
giuvesl would rather trust my liberty with
southerneTs than with northern dough faces
There Is holiness about southern men upon W hich
you rely. To be concerned in slave. catching
ID worse Than piracy or murder; and my consti
tuents so regard it, The President may, like Hay
nau, kill them, but he will never execute the law.
And he who points cannon northern freemen,
sounds the death knell of this republic; that mo
ment the republic goes to its eternal sleep. don't
mean to say this by way OF menace
Many Wings said that the President signed the
Fugitive Slave bill on conpusion and that it was
Webster's bill; but now the President comes out
boldly, and places himself upon it. And from this
time forward we know where the President is.
He 10 in favor of the Fugitive Slave law he
has placed the Admin stration there and the
Administration must stand or fall by the law.
Sink swim, live die, the President stands
! by its enactment and know where
parties stand, and who the advocates of slavery
| and who of freedom. There is gulf between them
as wide as that which separa ted Dives from LaZa-
rus; aEd every man who takes his position by the
! Administration docs so with full knowledge that
| tho President is allied to the Fugitive Slave law.
| They who go with this law will themselves DC
chased Out of fifteen thousand fugitives in the
| northern States, not more than four or FIVE have
been captured and nine out OF ten OF the Wing pa
pers throughout the free States denounce and exc
! crate the law. The public voice ia against it, and
will eventually prevail in procuring It's repeal
! Further remarks were made by this gentleman,
of which the above is bat meagre outline.
! Mr.. BROWN, Of Indiana, said, we have short
session, and consequently but little time in which
10 transact the public business II we go into long
discussion we do not know where the matter viii
! end. therefore move that the committee rise, for
the purpose OF terminating the debate, say in ten
or five minutes. [Several voices " That's right"
"agreed," "agreed'l
! The committee rose, when
! Mr.. BROWN moved that the debate cease in
| five minutes.
Mr.. WENTWORTH. move to amend by say
| ing " one minute
Under the operation Of the previous question this
was agreed to; and
The House again went into committee, when
! Mr.. WENTWORTH obtained the floor, and
cupied the minute 10 which the general debate wac
now limited, by saying, 81 hope. that every other
| 10 be de vii not
mine. When this subject shall have been disposed Of
/ ] will call up the River and Harbor bill, then the
Cheap Postage bill hope it will pass this week;
the people expect it; and then poss On to the
other business,
! Mr.. MoCLERNAND proposed an amendment to
/ the pending resolutions. Under the rulcs he was
entitled to i've minutes for explanation and he
! Piled TO Mr. G1DDfNGs, by saying that he was him
self a'cizcn OF free State, and he disavowed for
himself and those whom he represented, and for the
whole State of Illinois, the revolutionary, seditious,
aud he might say reasonable sentiments avowcd
/ by the gentleman from Ohio. The gentleman OBJ
ecs 10 the Fugitive Slave act. becsu he says that
Is an outrage on humanity. The objection might
! better be made 10 the Constitution According 10
my Obligation felt myself called ~ vote for the
law 10 give effect TO the constitutional provision
which bad been nullihed by persons holding such
sentiments as those which had just been avowcI.
IL is fraud on honesty and the Constitution fOr
any who PROCESSES 10 adhere TO the Constitution
10 oppose law which is passed in accordance with
the requirements Of the Constitution. There would
nave Dtcu no QcChblOn TIC law out Tor the con
duct Of men whe hold sentiments similar 20 those
Of the gentleman. IL was annulled by the arts and
force Of those who we're opposed to the Constitution.
| and they who now dcclaim against the Fugitive
Slave law are responsible for its passage; for IL
was owing TO their disregard and violation Of the
law Of 1893 that Congress, during the ast session,
passed the Fugitive Slave act Will the gentle
man from Ohio say that our revolutionary fathers,
who incorporated the clause in the Constitution
we're enemies TO human freedom; The Constitu-
ton could not have been adopted but for the inser
ton Of that clause. The act VI 1898 signed by
Washington. Il the gentleman more pure, be
ncyolcnt, and patriotic, than the father Of Our
country
The act Of 1898 was voted for by many who as
sisted in framing tho Constitution. They did not
conceive that they were trampling the rights Of
mankind they considered that they were obsery-
ing good faith towards the South aud all sections
Of the Union. But, in The Of time voluntary
associations we're organized, under ground rail
roads made, and slaves scduccd from the slave
holding States and transported to the free, and
sOiDe finally conducted b Canada. The conduct
Of certain individuals had become grievance; and
at the last session Congress actunted by Of
justice, rcmcdied the grievance by the passage OF
the Fugitive Slave act. The people would obey
the injunctions Of the act. For one if necessary,
he would cnforce II bv tho military of Tho