Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-12-31
CONGRESSIONAL pEpATE.


kuN '"iVuS uIulcNeS OF tho IreSldentS Aunuul
mcssase To the appropriate Committees.
Mr.. GERRTT SMITH said. as this was tho ers,
ume ne had had the floor, it might be well for him
'" " CONFESS IN advance, lac was in the habit of i'm.
- inunS errors 10 mcn very freely; perhaps ON this
E ,-'''ion nc sioult Follow up that habit it might
" pc M hi3it but Is not cOuntcrpoisc to this
S. habit 1t it Is bad ono, that lac claimed no cxcmp
e. Jon from errors himself He abounded in them
and WAY willing gentlemen should make rcprisals
sVoA nini' H. hoped that while he held his scat
mere ne would be in tc1chabo posture The
rfesidcnts Message fully and warmly indorscd the
conduct OF the Administration in the matter of
Martin kosisa Now he was prepared to he
e'ow unqualified praise in that particular. lie was
Ioay t. a'cDj great ere lit to Can't. Ingraham
Tor his just determination To rescue Kostzn and vet
he would that lngTham had gone one stem further
nc would that lngraham had insisted on Kostzas
Delng set at absolute liberty, ho would have left
nothlng at that point 10 the discretion Of France
CT tho French Consul to tho discretion of any
other GJNe@nmcat. lie would have had him hold
IL tcrus Or cater into aHy treaty with klnappcrs
hosIl was Kidnapped American titiscn as such
inc American Govcmment was bound t1 set him
absolutely free, but Capt. Ingrahaui represented
tho American G5ycrnmeut on the occasion, aud for
That occasion he wa, the american Government.
perhaps what h9 said might b. inconsistent with
.. thc yiows Of his pcacc.loying friends, who knew
',h3 opposition D war yet he justified Capt. Ingra-
blm believed in the propricty of a National Armed
P0hce, and believed there was occasion for the use
oi su:h Police b.. that was net war Cap:. /
lDgraham was not ready to make war on Austris 1
ana did not threaten her with war Capt. Ingra-
ham properly had nothing to do with Austria nor
with tho Austrian Consul 1t would have been an
insult % Austria and her authDrity had he CHARGED
her with authorizing kidnapping. lie hal only to
owith knlnlppers who restrained kostzi's liberty
q ALL hs hNt 70 do TO set him uuconditonay free
AMI compel them to make unconditional surrender
ot their Prey. lie knew Kos,zp was not an Amer
lean citizen but the Secretary Of State argued con-
Ipsively in right of International lav-that hc was
ile wlshe Mr' Marcy had gone further and said
k1stzl was by the law Of reason and right an
American citizen. II is high time we have our
justification something more substantial and
cettain thln Conyentonities and the worm-eatcu
eodes Of Europe. 1t is high time il was placed
on the lmmutablc law Of justice. 1t hal been said
that Captain Ingrdham invaded the rights of a
neutral State, but he always regretted the Secretary
oi State did not positively dony this. The dclial
was not nccdiul for his argument vet il would have
done gj)L Cap. Ing,ahin did not violate
the rights Of Turkey. Austria did not 50 chlrgc
BAT Turkey violated tho rights Of Americans, be-
cts,e she dill hot agJrl Kps,zl the protection due
g him. Sac was chargclLle with letting him be
mdla2pei. Turkey hal no right to be invalcd
tic held that when a neutral State shall fyrbolr to
ID justice to bcilgcnnt that belliserant shall do
justice u itself. II, might be AXE whether he
would have hal Capt. InSraham fire into the Aus.
tran ship! llo answered that he would have
hostLe free at whatever pei. IIo hid said he
w1u MT bcstow un qualified praise on our Govern
ln.lt for tho Kostzl affair. In one of the passages
in the ettcf Of Mr. Marcy to Mr. IInlsemin of rare
rhetorical beauty hc ventures to insinuato the .
despotism of Austria. lie would not say this was
'1mpudent hypocrisy, but il was in bad taste for
'Amerlci is far greater and guilticr oppressor
Austrian despJtism compared with ours which
deyradei men - chattcs, is as the little finger to
the IONS. Secretary Marcy mentions in his ustif-
cation OF Captain lngraham tho divine law" Do
uato others rs we would have them do unto us"
was not this the very acme Of presumption for an
American Secretary to quote this while the nation
ls trampllng under foot millions cfis inhabitants?
lid Mr.: Afrrcy suppose Mr. IIulscman stone Blind
aal that he hal lived in Washington SO long as
ncyerto see the buying and selling of mon, women
and children going on continually? And did Mr..
Marcy suppose Mr. IIulseman ignorant of the fact
that this Government is the great savccatchcr for
the Shareholders! Did he suppose Mr.. IIuseman
did not know that the slave trade finds in the
American Government its greatest rvn?-.hat it
comes not only under general regulation but spec-
fc regulation Of Congress? Did Mr.. Marcy sup
pose Mr. llulscmln ignorant Of the fact that
this Administration surpassos I'll its predecessors
in shameless pledges and devotion to the slave
powerY Tho Secretary cxats the wisdom Of man
above the wisdom of God when be saws Christianity
requires US TO do unto others we would have
others do unto US, except when acting under legal
restraints This latter is sheer Interpolation of the
Secretary. The Administration is guilty at this
point of attempting to corrupt Christianity in the
sacred and authentic record. The Bible command
is absolute. lie was aware that had tho Admins
tratlon put the Justification of Capt. Ingrahams
conduct ON simple Bible truth, it would have opened
the door for the rescue Of every American slave
and justified the rescue of Shairach at Boston and
the celebrated rescue in his (Smith s) neghborhood
The Jerry rescue at Syrncuse--and justified the
shedding of blood at Chrstiana and Justified the
deliyefance of every slave in this land. lie sun
posol the administration hal sold itself in advance
to the Slave power. This Administration had no
right u give up Christianity for slavery Having
further dwelt on this point, he said: After all the
Administration has done good service in attempt-
ing to qualify the divine command. % Do unto others
"as You wonll have Others do unto US" For the
sake OF saving slavery it impes to obey the
commands of the Bible, TO let the oppressed 90 free
lilo was gla the Administration had Identified itself
with Abolitunism. Ii should not have mcddlci
with the Bible.
Mr.. Smith was listened to with marked attention
Mr.. PRESTON said-Liyng as he did in Slave
state ana confident OF the propric,y Of holding
that kind OF pr1pocty--belioying firmly in the
rights which Were recognized by the founders of
tho Government, who laid its basis decp aud strong
and which, ho hoped, would endure foreycr--bc-
lieynS that degree Of patriotism great as that
Of the gentleman from New \ ork animated their
b1s)ns and their descendants, and with all the
strength Of conviction which language could express
as 10 the justice Of J!ing slaves he wa, not one
VI those who could listen with Indifference to the
gonteman's rcmarks. lie trusted he could show ,
that the Southern Representatives were not the up
holders OF the most OncrOus tyranny, but men Of ,
sensc-not misguided by wild enthusiasm such as
would shake the fabric of our institutions. In the
letter OF Mr.. Marcy the doctrine announced was ,
that kOstza was clothed with nationality by the
declaration of his intention to become an American
citizen. When he went to Smyrna he was beyond n
the reach Of Austrian capture and the reach of the
House of Iapsburg; but he would ask the gentle \
man il u solemn treaty did not exist by which the 4
faith Of the American Government pledged for I
the roAease Of kostzaY We have something more !
than treaty aud compact With the Constitution of
our country and Bible in hand the gentleman /
imnores one, hundred uni twenty.six members
hero to commit perjury, and acting on the igher
l'w," speaks about the sGrrender of property con
t'Iry TO to guarantees of that instrument which