Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-07-08
SPEECH OF R. RANToUL, ,JR.

FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.
)eliVered IN Congress, J.ne lin, 1852.

pllesto personal assaults upon MIN and his course,
Mr.. R. proceeded with the main part Of his
speech, as follows:
Sir when six and half millions of white men
in the South attempt TO control the feelings,
opinions, Judgments, and conscences of thirteen
and half millions of white men in the North
-wherthat process is attempted, aud when they
undertake to drive it through by threats, by force
and by all those appliances which make men
revolt against their dictaton, they must under.
stand that they have to do with descendants of
the men who commenced and who fought through
the American Revolution, and whose characters
have not materially changed-those of them who
stay at home-however much those who come
here may be corrupted by the influences which
surround them hero-l say those who remain at
home have not very much departed from the
original character. alude to the circumstances
which recently occurred at Baltimore, as my rea-
son for addressing the committee at this time.
Sir, was unanimously elected delegate to the
National Democratic Convention by ballot, and
on the first ballot, in the fullest convention that
has been held in my district for many years-a
convention regularly called, according to the
uniform usage in Massachusetts for the last
twenty-five or thirty years. | was sent there to
represent five thousand Democrats, who act with
the party in its regular organzation.-The con-
vention thought proper thereby to insult, not
merely that district, but the sovereign State OF
Massachusetts,, which was shorn of her propor-
tionate share of representation in the convention
by that proceeding.
They then thought proper to go on aud take
measures for the union Of the Democratic party.
Is any one Democrat in Massachusetts bound
by what you do in such convention? | speak
not Of tile course which those Democrats may
think proper to take. That is matter for them
to determine. But ask if any one Democrat
in the State of Massachusetts is under any obl-
CATION growing ont of the proceedings Of con-
venton in which the State of Massachusetts
was deprived Of her proportonate number of
delegates elected by her choice That is ques-
tion for the Democratic party to consider, and
for the Democrats of Massachusetts to consider.
AS to the district which has been thus disfran-
Chse, why, sir, if there is district from the
Madawaska TO the Rio Grande--if there is
district from Massachusetts bay to San Francis,
co that is, and ought 10 be Democratic, it is the
district that | represent and | should like to
compare its history with the history fany other
district represented by any other individual on
this floor.
Sir, in my district is that glorious old town of
Marblehead Ebridge Gerry, coming from the
town of Marbehead, was the chairman Of the
committee that re ported the resolutions of the
Both of April, 1888, giving the power to regulate
commerce to the government Of the natlon--the
resolution that laid the foundation of your Fed
eral union. 1t was citizen of my own native
town OF Beverly, and a native of my own district
! Nathan Dane, who was chairman OF the COM
mittee that reported the resolves of the 2lst of
February, 1887, for calling the Federal conven-
ton at Rhiladelp pha-the convention that framed
the constitution of the United States and that
same Nathan Dane, of t1at same Town Of Rev.
erly, was the same who drew up the ordinance
OF 1887, which gave freedom to the broad terri
tory Northwest of the Ohio.
Well, sir, if | stopped there | think | should
have made out ast of claims for my district which
it would not be very easy to pass.-But, sir,
the first resistance to the power of Great Britain
in the revolutionary struggle was in the town of
Danvers "a town in my district, and which ad-
joins my town. On the 26th of February, l775
before the battle of Lexington that which was
done at Lexington and Concord was attempted
to be done at Danvers The British troops
marched upon the town to seize the arseals and
stores Of the Americans, but they were turned,
YUM ACy WGLC NV uJ u IOhCNtlOh VI LUG
farmers and mechanics of Salem, Beverly and
DanveIs so strong that Col. Leslie, who com
manded the British troops, turned back discom
fted from his purpose, knowing that unless he
did so, he and his party would be made prisoners
Of war. Danvers, far distant from Concord, and
in different county, had more men killed i'll the
Concord fight than any other town after the NOR
ming massacre Beverly, my native town, sent
her sons further than any other town on the 10Th
of April, l775, to strike in the first battle of
liberty and have seen the garment, stained
with blood, in which he was killed on that day.
The first Continental flag hoisted upon the ocean,
in defiance OF British supremacy, was the flag of
the schooner " Hannah" fitted out from my own
town of Beverly. The first commission given by
! Washington 10 the commander of any cruiser
against Great Britain, was issued to Capt Manly
of Marblehead, in my district. The first in the
long list of naval heroes the first man who
poured out his iife'S blood IN that great war
against slavery, crying, as Lawrence afterwards
cried, " Don't give up the ship" was Captain
Mugford, Of Marblehead, on the 18th OF May,
l775.
There is the material out of which to form
Democratic Congressional district. 1t is dis
trict that has bright revolutionary glory-hlstor-
| ical glory clustered thickly around tit is not
to me that the insult has been offered but it is
to that district which have described to you
Why, ask, is it that this insult has been Of
fered 1t Is simply because, as | told the com
mittee who examined that case, when they asked
me if would pledge myself beforehand to
agree to the resolutions which might be adopted
BY that convention, " do my own thinking and
and do not allow any convention to do 1t for me-"
! A. Toli 10,
suppose there are not some millions of white
persons at the North, who do their own thinking
as we'll as myself2 If they suppose any such
thing, they are previously mistaken, and by and
| by the consequences Of that mistake will begin
to appear, little more clearly than they now
appear 1t is because determined to think for
myself and adhered to that determination, upon
great question of constitutional law; and
thought it a duty incumbant upon me to avow
the conclusions at which had arrived,
That question of constitutional law now pro.
pose to examine.-lt is this Is there in the
Constitution OF the United States a graut of
power 10 legislate for the rendition OF fugitves
from labor | say there is not and no man
who calls himself Democrat whether he halls
from New Hampshire, OF any other part Of the
! Union-can for moment sustain his character
as Democrat upon the position that there is
such grant Of power. Why, sir what is the
distinguishing doctrine ofthe Democratic party !?
suppose it is the doctrine laid down by Jeffer-
son, in his comments upon the proposed veto of
the first United States Bank. Thomas Jefferson
says; =" | conceive the corner stone of the Con-
stituton to be laid in the tenth article OF the
amendments to the Constitution . the article that
no powers can be exercised by the General
Government except such as are granted to it !;
that powers not granted to the General Govern
ment are reserved to the States or to the people,"
That is the foundation of the Democratic faith,
so stated to be by Thomas Jefferson, so under
stood to be- 6y Samuel Adams and .Elbridge
Gerry, aud all the old Democrats of New Eng
land as well as by Virginia, and the Democrats