The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-01
WASHINGTON, ID. G.
THE COMPROMISE MEASURES.
SPEECH OF HON. J. R. GIDDINGS,

Ddirs,ed ia nc House Of Reps, March II, 1852.
The House having resolved itself into Com
mittee Of the Whole on the state of the Unior
on the Deficiency Bill, (Mr MEADE, Of Vir
ginia, in the CHAIR
Mr.. GIDDlNGS said
For the manner in which these politica
questions are now precipitated upon the Hous
| feel no responsibility From the commence
ment Of our session have endeavOred, so far a
able, 10 guide the business of this body in tn,
regular and appropriate channels marked on
by our predecessors in the earlier and better
days Of the Republic. endeavored, by all tn,
influence | could command, to take up thu
Presidents message in the first months of thu
session. On examining that document, all par
ties could have brought forward their views.
viii also add, that regretted to hear the gen
tlcman from Georgia, who has Just taken hi
seat, boast in this Hall Of the price Of human
flesh at the South. 1t appeared TO me tina
this was not the place for such declarations.
Sir, on the morning Of the first day Of thi'
session. one of the great political parties Of thu
body In caucus assembled, resolved to sustain
the Compromise measures of the late Congress
uC OlhCI, hSSClnDltu III ike lUuIUcI, luiu SlNl
l9r resolutions on the table The support o
these measures was a subject of agitation anC
discussion, before we had proceeded 50 far a
even to ballot for a Speaker and few days Of
the entire session have passed, in which por
ton OF the time has not been occupied by such
agitation.
The Compromise understand to consist OF
a series Of laws, enacted by the late Congress,
consisting, first of the law which admits Cali
fOrnia rs a State The object Of that bill being
accomplished no attempt to disturb 1t Will OF
course be made Secondly, that which defines
the boundaries of Texas This too, has accom-
plished its object and is therefore settled, and
no longer a subject of controversy. The others,
establishing Governments in our Territories
excluding the save.breeders Of Maryland and
Virginia from the slave markets of this District,
aud that for the rccapture Of fugitive slaves,
are in operation-sulject like other statutes,
20 modification or repeal But it is said that
all slestons of slavery were settled by the pas
sage Of these laws; that they are to operate as
a final quietuS of the whole slavery agitation.
These idea, were not advanced in this body at
the time those bills were passed. Indeed, if
my recollection be correct, there was no dis
cussjOn upon the passage of the fugitive law, or
the laws establishing Governments in Utah and
New Mexico. They were passed under tho
previous question, without examination. Few
members OF that Congress, | think, entertained
the absurd notion that their action could bind
the action of gentlemen now present Few
members from the free States, who voted for
these measures, have survived the storm of
popular Indignation, brought upon themselves
by the passage Of those laws. Their successors
were sent here for the very purpose of repeal
ing these enactments; and am of opinion that
1T will require strong argument to convince
them that the reprehenSble conduct of their
predecessors is to control and govern this Con-
gress
| am aware that men in high official stations
have announced to the country that the slave
questions are scttlcd-that all agitation has
ceased But what are the facts! We see and
know that discussion has increased and ex-
tended more rapidly since the enactment Of
those laws than at any former period
Our elections are very generally made to de-
pend on the slave question. 1t has placed new
and able members in the Senate and it has
driven others INTO retirement Ii has Occa-
stoned great changes in this body. Where
now are the Northern members who advocated
these Compromise measures! Gone sir most
of them, to that land Of political iorgetiulness
from which they will never return. What
questions entered INTO the late contest in New
Hampshire! What were the issues in Massa-
chusetts at her late autumnal election What
has occasoned the political revolution IN Ohio!
These elections turned upon the question of
slavery. And while on this point, would ask
what has blasted and withered the last pOlltI-
cal hopes of the present Secretary of State !
Every man knows that it is this very question
Of slavery While he has been writing letters
and making speeches to demonstrate that the
slave agitation had ceased it was operating in
the popular mind, was silently stealing his po-
litical breath, and has now pronounced the
sentence OF death to his political hopes In
most of our elections for State and county Off
GERS, it is rapidly becoming the principal dis
turbing element The people in some portions
of the country will not contide in those who are
the advocates of freedom, in other parts they
will conide in no other
The institution of slavery has increased its
victims in sixty wears from six hundred thou
sand to three millions
The slave States, early finding themselves
unable TO hold their bondmen IN subsection,
called on the Federal Government to assist
them in recovering their fngitivcs from their
neghbors, the Indians. Without discussion
or, 50 lar rs we know without obligation, the
Executive power, then rs usual in slaveholding
hands effected treaty providing for the re-
turn of fugitive slaves to their masters This
constituted precedent Another similar
treaty followed. The Indians failed to live up
to their stpulatons. The sending of their fell
low men back to chains and bondage was a
barbarlty ut which they rcyOlted At length
the first Seminole war cnsucd Then the see
ond and untold millions of tho peoples money
was squandered in returning them to bondage
Slavery and the slave trade, in this District
was established early in the present century
and in few years thereafter Congress estab.
lishcd the coastwse slave trade. As the insti
tuition increased, more slave territory was de-
mandcd. Louisiana was purchased then
Florida. Texas was annexed. War with
Mexico followed and vast territory was &C.
CURED. Three million slaves could not be held
in bondage 10y the power of the slave States
We were called on TO permit the institution t.
be extended into our Territories we did so t.
give free territory to Texas and we did it tc
pay her for territory which our arms had con
quercd and We did it to take upon the nation
the burden of capturing and returning fugitiv,
slaves; to appoint officers or sIaye-catchers, il
all parts of the free States; to subject the citi
zens of the North to the expenses and disgrace
of chasing down the hunted fugitive, rs he file
from land of chains, and signs, and bite
tears. The people of the free States have wit
messed these things They know them to b
Observation-Disclosures of their rights
inhuman, and barbarous They of cours,
understand that the remedy is with themsclyc'
and they are endeayoring to east these burden
from them. Aad they wW do a.
Looking forward, as all rejecting men must
we see that in sixty years more we shall hay
2O,0000O0 slaves in the United States
greater number than our present white popu
lation. Now, sir, if this Federal Goyernmcn
Is to take upon itself the burden and expcns
OF holding that vast number of human being
in hnn-ll.... ~ --.. .,-......t nn.,.