The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-27

we'll known 10 mySeIf, ana 10 my cOllehSVc,
bink, IS being one Of the NEST respectable and
worthy citizens OF Maine, man for whose honor
md integrity stand here TO vouch, who is at this
line one Of the State Senators, who Is, and always
wss aud doubt not always will be, Of the strait
Est sect--a Democrat. He forwards this memo
rial TO me, and assures me that 1t was signed by
The persons whose names purport to be attached
to it and upon that authority | presented it
here, and by that authority shall stand, as be-
lieve it 20 be reliable to the fullest extent.
Mir Pearoe MIR President, the Senator from
New Hampshire Mr. Hale, using very free
language, has epoken Of case which recently
occurred in Philadelphis, Ms Case Of kidmPPmg
That word has q distinct and well-known siguih-
cstion--not a mere legal meaning, but n sense in
which it is universally applied in ordinary use
Neither in that nor any other sense IN which 1t
is ever understood can it be properly applied to
the case in Philadelphia TO which no has alluded.
| know the parties, sir, and the Commissioner by
whom that case was desided. lie is a man Of
honor and lawyer Of ability, and as little likely
to be guilty Of anything to justify the application
to him OF the word kidnapping ss the Senator
from New Hampshire himself Sir, it was case
Of ordinary occurrence. Regular process was
issued for the recovery OF fugitive slave; testi-
mony was taken pro and con, and the Commits
sioDer decided according to his own judgment,
and with perfect integrity of purpose, am very
sure There was, | admit, unfortunately mis-
take Of identity-nothing more-just such mis-
take Of identity ns has occurred thousand times
in judicial proceedings, civil and criminal And
take it that 10 gentleman has right TO apply
to mistake of ideatity unless he is prepared 10
make a charge of fraud, the term kidnapping.
There has been no ease Of kidnapping and the
gentleman to whom suppose that term would ap-
ply-the Commissioner who made the decision
il one of the last men in the community to which
he belongs to whom it could with prOpriety be ap-
piled. | know the parties, and may say this
| that the pronptitude with which the mistake was
corrected by one Of my constituents aud neign-
bors is a very good proof kew false have boeu the
charges that this law would be deliberately con-
yerted into an instrument OF fraud and ppprcs-
sion The mistake was corrected ~ promptly as
was possible That is enough for Southern chnr-
acter.
Bnt the Senator from New Hampshire tells us
that he delights in agitation, and he has made
discovery In philosophy that agitation is an ele-
mentD-wbat sort OF An element have not
chemical knowledge enough to ascertain
The Senator compares the sgitations Of what
he calls foul and foetid corruptions to the heavenly
and benign action told Of in Scripturo--thst gen
tie stirring Of the waters oocssioned by the an
ceIio presen.e which invited suffering humanity
TO receive its benign influences! This he likened
to that agitation which stirred by mistaken, a
feigne7l philanthropy, has wrought go much evil,
aad has threatseed s2-p'17h more to the desa<2'3-
ton Of national harmony, and everything good
and valuable among us. lie delights in agitation,
he saws abbOr il. That gentle stirring Of the
waters can scarcely he compared without irrev
erpnce 10 tho misChievOus agitation which no
seems TO cherish Sir, abhOr sgitation, because
the first aeltator ever heard Of in tho world was
the very last being Of whom msa should speak
with ANYTHING but adherence The devil was
the first agitator He il was who, In the glise OF
a serpcnt orept into Eden. lie found the primal
pair living in peace innocence, and obedience.
The woman's heart no corrupted and no
Brought Death into tho world, and ali orr wo."
lie was the first agitstor Who will he the last
it is not for me to tell but the Senate can well
imagine how easy it would be to describe some of
his followers who are prominent agitatsrs et the
present day IN the strict line Of diaboliosl succes-
sion.
Mr. Hale | want to say word in reply to
the Senator from Maryland, who has undertaken
to give me some Christian admOnitiOn. Now,
think, without the aifectaii0n Of too great sane.
tity, or any peculiar knowledge Of The Scripture,
that am about 40 well Verscd in it as the Senator
is. | think he has made gross mistake, and dome
some Injustice TO an Individual Wh0m he terms an
right names now--when he went into Paradise,
instead of going in the character Of an agitator,
went there 10 enforce fugitive slave law, aud
pretended that the inhabitants Of Paradise were
his servants; and under that false claim be stole
tho children Of God from the garden in which he
planted them and carried them TO tho slavery of
hell, and there detained them Tint il The way
that read that chapter Of Scripture. Now the
honorable Senator is disposed to refer all these
things to the dcvl aud thinks that il IL very IL
reyerent to give any other construction to these
teachings
Sir read that the Scripture Il profitable for
instruction. | read That there has never been a
reformer from tho time that God first spoke 20
his children from tho mouth of their fcllow-mcn,
Of those who have come with messages 10 reprove
the ages in which they lived for The crimes of
which they have been guilty, who has not been
charged as being from the devil. When the great
mission of salvation was first proclaimed upon
the plains Of Galilec, those in whose ears the
message was delivered, said that it was Of the
dovil And when the author OF that great sys-
tenn vindiCatcd his right to speak by divine au-
thOrity, by commanding the winds of the sea, aud
they obeyed him, and when he did other deeds of
power, instead of producing conviction upon the
o. durate hearts OF those to whom he spoke, the
cry was that he eagt out devils by means of Be-
elzsbub, the prince Of devils 1t is no new
train of remark that the honorable Senator from
MARYLAND has taken up. He has not even the
credit Of originality, for the idea he had thrown
out IL as old as the history Of the world
There has never been n truth urwelcome TO
the passions Of deprsved human nature in
whose cars il has sounded come from whence it
might that the rebellion of the natural heart has
not retorted upon the reformer that he was of the
devil; and it confirms, if confirmation was want
- Al IL - tho -,
which stand, and the force Of the truths which
| am compelled to utter, that they are producing
the same effect to-day that truth has always pro-
duced from the time it was first promulgated.
And sir az that cry did not have the effect TO 81
lence and still tho voice OF truth in olden timo,
80 long as ! have place from which J can he
heard, il shall not have that effect upon me now.
Again the Senator abhors agitation Well,
sir, there are great many people that ahhor
agitation. | have no doubt that all the aristOo-
racy OF Europe, seated in their palaces Of power,
wealth, and comfort and revealing in luxuries
wrung from the sweat and blood of toiling mil
lions are very we'll contented with things M they
are. They DO not like agitation; they feel worry
comfortable IA they are now But can tell you
OF some people that are now In favor of agitation,
with mo- They are some of the 0yergrown mo-
nopoliss ofthe country that have found their div
ileuds growing less under the operation Of the
progressive legislation that we have had, making
trade more FREQ and lessening duties They are
an favor OF little sgitation, provided that You
confne 1t to coal and iron, md coarse cotton
Laughter Agitation thus far thsy ere very
much in favor Of And we have had printed pr.
titious, printed patch upon detached sheets, like
this abolition petition, come here to us by scores
petitions printed in this city and sent by mail
all over the United States and afor awhile cont
ing back to us exactly in tho Same shape that
this petit son Is in Rut tberN IL agitation In
that, long Ms II is confined 10 thcss particular
classes Of cssee.
But tho odnm with which agitation is received
is neither new nor strange and am sorry for
the honorable Senator from Maryland for whom