The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-08

resist.
Mr.. DuRKEE, lin his seat Their tongues
are tied
MIR. GIDDINGs. You are friend Of liberty,
and not authorized to speak for them. Laugh
ter. want some one to answer who is au-
thorized to speak for their party. | ask re-
spcctfully of my colleague from the Circleyille
district, what do you mean to do? How will
| you resist mel
Mr.. OLDs | am well aware there is no
time to reply to an interrogatory while the gen
tlcman is making a speech If he asks me
how, as an Ohio Democrat, | will resist the
agitation OF the slavery question here and else
where. | will answer him in a minute. | shall
resist 1t here by voting against the suspension
of the rules for the introduction Of the apple
of dscOrd into this House | shall resist it at
home by telling my people to stand by the
compromises of the Constitution and rather
bear the ills we have, than fly to Others we
know not of
Mr.. GIDDINGs. Mr. Chairman, my col
league has given an answer entirely satisfacto-
ry. He will vote against any suspension of the
rules for introducing the apple of discord. He
is perfectly safe. No motion was ever made to
suspend the rules for that purpose, or ever will
| be. But | understand, that when in Commit
tee OF the Whole, as we are now, and men,
Der agltatcs the slave question, he will sit quiet
ly by and say nothing His resistance will be
like that of my Wing friends TO slavchoding
dictaton he will sit still and bear it, silently
dCquieSce, az they now do That is the very
resistance which approve in this case. It is
sate-lt will injure no one. But at home, he
goes for the Compromise for agitation He him
self is to become an agtatOr Well, sir, wish
the Democratic party joy, in having such agi-
tators among them
The Wings, in their Convention, also resolv-
ed that they will discountenance all efforts to
continue or renew such agitation, lrheneuer,
rheeUer, and hOlceUer the attempt may be
made The language Of this resolution differs
from that Of the Democracy, but its spirit and
object are the same. They intend to suppress
the freedom of speech here and among the peo-
pie On this point the two great parties of the
nation have cordially united. A coalition for
Il more Odous purpose could not have been
formed. Duty to myself to this body, and the
country, demands an exposure of this cOnspra-
cy against the Constitution, against the rights
OF members here, against the people.
Mr.. Chairman, is it contemplated to silence
the popular voice in this Hall? If that be not
the case, these resolutions mean nothing They
are mere "brutum (ulnlen," made for show, to
brighten men of weak nerves They may do
very well among doughfaces: but when those
parties attempt to brighten Free Soilers, they
| should better understand their opponents
The Wings and Democrats united have sufli-
cient numbers to vote us down, to silence us
but they will not do it. They dare not do it.
The Constitution has provided that Congress
shall pass no law abridging the freedom of
speech That Constitution we have sworn to
support, and by the blood of our ancestors we
will maintain it Shareholders and doughfaces,
Wings and Democrats, may combine to tram
pie that sacred instrument under their feet by |
suppressing the freedom Of speech but, sir,
they have not the moral power to effect that |
object
Agitation or discussion is not only to be put |
down here, but among the people, they are to |
have no more Ant-Slavery meetings; no more
Free-Soil Conventions; no more sermons in |
favor of Gods law no more prayers to Heaven |
for the oppressed of our land; the Declaration |
of Independence is to be burned our printing |
establishments broken up, and our social circles |
are to speak no more of the rights of all men |
to enjoy life and liberty. A new political |
police il to be established and the American
people placed under slaveholdng surveillance |
Our literary writers are to be driven into exile |
Bat am paying undeserved attention to these |
base, these puerile attempts to stihe discussion |
on the subject of humanity hold these res
olutions in unutterable contempt | trample |
them under my feet. | spit upon them Their
authors those who adopted them, had better |
have been attending some Sabbath school,
gaining intelligence, and qualifying themselves
Tor useful employment
And here will leave this ridiculous attempt
to ape the despotisms of Europe by sitting
discussion upon the absorbing question Of lib
erty
will now proceed to examine the reasons
why these resolutions were adopted
Why should these parties in their National
Conventions take Congress the Constitution.
and people under their control, and command
universal silence upon certain measures! Evil
IDENTITY because investigation and discussion
would endanger the future success of their or
CARNATIONS. The very proposition shows that
they have no confidence in the people. The
man or party who strives to silence discussion,
to shut ont truth, admits that he il in error
No man. or party, who feels that he is right,
hesitates 10 let the whole truth be known. He
feels that he will be indicated by the develop
ment Of truth, and his honor will be sustained
But why should the Wings and Democrats
unite to keep the truth from the public eye in
regard to the Compromise measures! Why,
sir, the first of those measures was that cstab-
fishing Territorial Government in Utah admit
ting slavery and the slave trade to be establish
ed there, on soil consecrated to freedom by
Mexican laws, well know the people were
told that slavery could not 90 there, as it was
excluded by the laws of God. Well, sir, official
documents now show that assertion to have
been gigantic falSehood. The census returns
show that slavery exists there that man is there
held in bondage, dashed into subsection by his
fellow-man women are sold like swine in the
market, and children made subjects of barter
Now sir, we Free Democrats insist that slavery
and the slave trade should be excluded from
that Territory. The motto of our party is
" No sIdre territory' We do not believe it
right thus to deal in Gods image But this
law which permits these outrages, the Wings
and Democrats say, is n final settlement; that
these practices may continue in all coming
time But they dare not go before the people
admitting this truth nor dare they deny these
facts. To avoid this unpleasant question, they
resolve to resist every attempt to speak or
write upon it. Their only way Of escaping
from popular odium is to keep truth from the
people. Now, sir, does any Democrat or any
Wing believe that Frce-Soilers will vote for any
candidate pledged to sustain those revolving
practicesi If any one who ever held place
in the Free Democracy shall east such a vote,
it will be some other man than myself
Again, Mr.. Chairman. the last Congress
provided by the law aforesaid, that one or more
States may be admitted from said Territory,
with or without slavery They were unwilling
that the members of the next or any future
Congress should judge for themselves. when.
ever Utah shall ask admission into the Union
and they have made this foolish attempt to
dictate the action Of this body in future ages.
Well, the provision is that an indefinite num-
-. L.. a