The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-19
WASHINGTON. ID. G.
THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW, &C.
SPEECH OF CHS. DURKEE, OF WISCONSIN
LIZ TIE HOUSE, OF REPREsENTATIvEs.


The House being in Committee of tn
Whole on the state Of the Union, MIR PHELP
in the chair on the Civil and Diplomatic Ap
preparation Bill
MIR DURKEE said
Mr. CHAIRMAN: History proves that the mos
calling oppression the people have ever suffered
has been inflicted by cruel and tyrannlca
Governments under the name and forms ct law
But in the long catalogue of public crimes
among civilized nations there is none more
cruel and barbarous than the Fugitive Slave
Law now in force in the United States. TIM
law was called by its friends a healing auC
peaceful measure yet time has proved 1t, wha
every candid mind knew il to be at the time o
its passage, n trar measure in some instances
even more cruel in its operation than the gull
lotne itself Jefferson says, "by the law o.
nature, man is at peace with man until some
aggression is committed Here aggression
exists in savage form.
This law, in its operation, dsregards every
principle of justice, and tramples under foot
the very objects for which government was in
stituted The tendency of the Federal Govern
ment to consolidation and oppression, was APP
pretended by our revolutionary fathers and ),
great was their opposition to the Constitution
that it could only be overcome by the stronges
assurances that the amendments now incorpo
rated in that instrument should be immediate
ly thereafter adopted These amendments
were designed as additional checks against an
unlawful exercise of Federal power. Bat, alas,
how futile are paper constitutions, IN the day
of prohigacy and usurpation Who could
have imagined. four years ago, that this great
Republic, Boosting Of its intelligence and of its
sentiments of equality would be now engaged
in performing the drudgery OF slave Traders
kidnapping men, women. and children, for
slave market Who would have believed this
Government could ever be capable Of wagmg
piratical war against an innocent. unOflendng
people, for the sole purpose Of enrchng the
pockets Of those who manufacture and those
who use. thumb-scrcws. chains and letters and
construct prisons in the maintenance of this
horrd traffic Good heavens can it be pos
sible that the Government established by
Washington, Jefferson, and their compatriot',
has engaged, in the middle Of the nineteenth
century, IN what our own statutc-book declares,
in certain ATTITUDES, piracy Strange as it may
seem. it is true. Ii remains to be seen how far
the people are bound by the claims Of party
slavery to sustain and continue this unrcent-
ing war against the African race.
Should the masses of the American people,
after mature dclibcration, endorse the princi-
pie Of finaty," which deprccates free discus
sion, and through the veto power place it be-
yond the control of Congress, we shall be COM
PEELED to say that the great Democratic pr:n-
ciple of sell-goycrnmcnt in the United States
has utterly failed IL will be following the ex-
ample Of the notorious Louis Napoleon, only to
be less thorough in our work than the French
usurpeT for while we rely on Baltimore plat
forms and Congressional resolutions to sup
press free debate, he has taken the precaution
TO Danish all the Independent Democratic clc-
ments from the State and placed a censorship
over the press. This is the only efectudi course
to be pursued in this country, should we persist
IN carrying out the principles Of the Baltimore
platforms; nay, more, we shall find it ncccs-
sary to strike at the root Of the evil-suppress
our free school system, discontinue the tele-
graph, suspend internal and ocean steam nayi-
CATION, provide for the rendition of Democratic
agitators koSsuth Mcagher, and many others
who have fled to this land of liberty for
refuge. They must be taken back TO cruel
despots in Europe, and there forfeit their lives,
or be thrown into dungeons for daring to
speak in behalf of suffering humanity in their
own country for no one can fail TO perceive
that these various and powerful agencies are
constantly difusing knowledge; and the diffu-
sion OF knowledge, we know, tends to promote
civil liberty and universal emancipation
Bat, Mr.. Chairman, | have too much faith
in the integrity of the people, to believe them
capable of descending to snch depths Of infamy
do not believe that the Fugitive Slave Law d
1850 is approved of by the country generally
No, sir. If it were submitted to-day. directly
20 the people, have no doubt it would rccey,
the condemnation of three. fOuthS of the popu
lar vote. 1t is the measure. alone, of II few
strong partisan politicians exceedingly ambi
tiOus of public notOriety and political power
who make politics trade. and claim the con
troll of Wing and Democratic organizations a
a patent right" during life. 1t was cnactc,
by influences not very complimentary to Con
gress or TO the country | need only to rele
to the fact that Daniel Webster and Mr.. Fill
more abandoned the ground they had previ
Ousy occupied on the slave question, and CAV,
their influence for this measure. Several mem
bers of the House of Representatives elected
by Free Soil votes, and who were supposed Il
he true 10 liberty were also persuaded t.
abandon the cause of freedom in New Mexic,
and Utah. and subject that immense tract q
country to the control of slavery. These rec
reant Representatives now holding office in TIN
ward Of their trcaclTsfy) contributed largely
TO bring about this humiliating and disgracefi
state of things But though the minority ha
triuIophed over the majority, az usual, through
the treachery of Northern Representatives
thus widening the sphere of slavery, yet lool
upon it only ~ an incident in war still
waging in behalf of the poor and oppressed,
war that must, sooner or later, bring triumph
20 freedom say il is but IN incident Ou
enemies in 1912, gained like temporary vic
tory when they took possession of this city an,
burned the public buildings But their triumph
was of short duration and SO IN my opinion
1t will be with this high-handed piracy now
under the name of law, cngraited on our stat
ute-bOdks True, there is IA dlsSimilarity in til,
manner OF conducting these two wars, but
striking parallel IN their origin and character
The friends of freedom in America declared
war against Great Britain because she seizeC
American citizens aud made them Slaves-pre
clsely what the Hunker parties are doing il
this country at the present day. This war on
the rights of man has been the cause of ever,
conflict among civilized nations 1t has ever
exhibited one class aiming TO wallow in luxur,
and dissipation at the expense Of the toll an,
labor of another class All the bloody wars o
Europe have arisen from this source. But on
dcspotism is much more barbarous and crue
than that Of many of the European States II
Russia, for instance the families of slaves ar
never separated. nor taken from the home
where they are reared; while in the Unite'
States under the ordinary laws of trade Il chill,
u frequently taken from its mother and th,
wife from her husband, and separated for life
Sir this is painful to contemplate. The great
est Republic on earth uphodng an institution
OF which even barbarOus nations are becomin,
ashamed, and arraying itself in this age of tn,
world, against the spirit of progress and re
form IL Wa not 50 once. The ship of STATE
has driited a hong way from its moorings sine,