Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-01-09
SPEECH OF
Eon. !. R. Giddiz1gIss,
IN The House Of Representatives., Dec. 9, 1850


resolution:
Resolved, That 50 much of said message and
accompdu ing documents as relates to the do
nestle policy, be referred to the Judiciary Com.
mitee,
Mr.. G. continued as fellows: 1t has been
usual, sir. for this body, while considering the
Presidents Message in Committee of the Whole
to investigate and examine its political charac
ter In accordance with that freedom Of discus.
sion which has usually characterized our consd-
Grafton OF this document, will avail myself of
the present moment TO examine that portion
which relates to our domestic affairs. | did not
anticipate sir, that the message would be under
consideration to-day, and | am not, therefore,
| prepared at present 10 give t that examination
which should have bestowed upon it, had
more time for preparation, for examining its de-
tails, There are some portions of the message
which helrtlIy approve, which desire to COM
mpnd aud IN which most heartily Coincide
In It's general features and character, its bold
ness, It's candor, It's perfect frankness, it is hnh
| ly to be approved. 1t is what was due from
that high unctonary, In all his positions, so
far as he has laid them down, 4" whose readelh
can understand" There IS no deception nor
any uncertainty in the Presidents POSITION
Thus far m st cheeriully commend it But
sir, viii call your attention to that DO ton OF
it which refers to our domestic policy, as ing
the most interesting to the House and the coun-
try.
But before proceed to the exam nation of
that portion which relates to the might've bill,
will call the attention Of the House TO the
Presidents views OF the veto power On this
point he has not hestutcd to speak his own views,
and to cast aside and discard the doctrines on
which he was elected
It's well know that in the canvass of IS4S the
Wing party avowed ii one of their cardinal pin
ciples, that the President should never exercise
the perogatlvc OF velolng a bill unless it was
clearly unconstitutional. The President now
goes so far in support Of the unlimited use oflhe
veto, as ever Jackson or Polk or TYLER professed
to 90.
For his bo'dness and frankness on this point
| he is entitled to our commentator. But I've
curiosity to see how many of his political
friends will face about at this bidding of the
Executive, and thus discard their former doct-
rlnes
But it is very evident that the President has
an object IN this change of views on the subject
o. the veto. BY looking at the latter portion of
the message, it is evident that he intends we
shall understand, that he will veto any law for
the repeal Of the fugitive bill and IN oYter to
open the way to that result with some show of
consistency, it was necessary for him to discard
the doctrines on which he was elected For his
candor and badness in thus casting aside the
errors of his patty, think him entitled to our
appreciation
The President next quotes that portion of the
Consultation IN which he says 9 the Constitution
has made 1t the duty of the President to see that
the laws be faithfully executed"
The necessity or proprlety OF this quotation is
not so very obvious. do not think 1t has been
quoted for the last twenty-five years by any
! President /; but it is now evidently quoted in
consequence of the difficulties which have atten
ded the arrest Of iugtlves under this law. 1t is
All intimaton that lie will use the army and ma
Wy 10 execute this odous enactment.
One prominent feature Of the whole message
is, however, obvious. The PRESIDENT intends
that the South shall understand that he intends
to sustain their institutions.
The constitution provides that the "citizens
ofeach State shall be entitled to all the prlvog
es and lmmuntes OF the citizens of the several
States" He knows that our free coored citi.
zens of the North have been seized in Southern
States and sold INTO bondage- held in degrading
serytudc, that hundreds, and perh ps thousands
are now bowing beneath the lash in Southern
chains.
SIR, does he alIude to the return of these free
lnen :-Does he tell that this paramount law of
the land shall be sustained--thIt he will se il
duly executed No, sir! lie has not word nor
an alIusion to this trancendant outrage upon the
Constitution while he is particular upon those
laws which relate to the returning Of fugitive
sal 'es.
Again: he has seen the agents of Massachu
sets driven by mob violence from South Carroll
ma and Louisiana, when sent there to see the
laws executed by their courts for the relief of
our lreemcn whO are their held in degrading ser
vitude but he makes no allusion to these out
RACES.
will now quote with pleasure, sentiment in
which fully concur. The President says. that
"eVery citizen who truly loves the Constitution.
and desires the continuance of lis eXstance and
It's blessings will resoutely and firmly resist any
Interference in those domestic affairs which the
Constitution has clearly and unequv0cally left
to the exclusive authority OF the States"
This, Mr.. Chairman, is the doctrine Of the
Constitution, of its rame-s 1t is the doctrine
of the Free Sellers. II there be any one feature
IN the>COnsututlon, which the whole history of
It's adoption has made plain it is, that slavery
Is State institution over which Congress has no
conrol-with which tbs Federal Government
has no legitimate powers to interfere We. sir.
of the North, will not be constrained even by
your fugitive laws, to interfere with it. The
slavery OF Virginia belongs to her Ifshe DOS
sess the power and the disposition to uphold it,
we cannot put it down or abolish it. If she sees
tit to abolish it, we have no power to interfere to
sustain it.
have often defined the views of anti slavery
men, and of free soilers on this subject. Others
have done II ; yet we arc misapprehended and
msrepresened. The very clause of, message
now under consideration, shows that the Presi
dent intended to lmpute to some portion of Our
people an intention to interfere with slavery
tic should have known that no respectable mum.
Der of our northern people have expressed any
such wish or intention. But for the hundredfh
lime will say that under the Confederation.
each State held as supreme and unlimited pow
eTs over the institution Of slavery within its own
borders, as the Government of Russia holds over
its serts A; that no other power on earth possess.
ed the night TO interfere in any matter that at
the adoption of the constitution these powers
were retained, and now remain with each State
that no PORTION of them was delegated to this
Government; tlal we nave as much power to
day to interfere with Russian serfdom as with
Virginia slavery yet this fugitive law was a
direct and positive attempt to interfere to involve
this Government and the people ofthe free states
in supporting slavery.
Nothing could have been further from the
thoughts of those who framed the 1Constitu ion.
In that convention, Mr. Gnverneur Morris SAID
that she neuer tooutd concur IN uphoiding dom.s
liz oIupeJJo Sn saw | aud so sav ,nr naonlo "a
: the North. We never will concur in upholdIno
that institution. Mr.. Morris added IN is a
nefdrious institution. 1t was the curse of
Heaven upon the States in which 1t existed"
So say we. II is a curse upon those States,
but the curse is theirs, not ours, and we will not
share in it.-Your fugitive law shall not compel
us to share IN it.-Our father would not consent
, to be involved in its crimes-we will not.