Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-07-08


plain the consistency between the oath which he has ia
ken and the sentiments which he Sir II there be
any principle In the breast OF the American citizen which
than any other lies the foundation Of law morals
and society," it is his habual observance and recognition
Of all the sacred obligations Of oath and this no man
knows better than the Senator himself AS lawyer ne
knows that the humbles citizens in the courts OF our
country daily recognise the sacred obligations Of an oath
and no man knows better than himself that if there be
society in this country which adures does not recog
misc this obligation that society must inevitably be re-
garded dangerous to the peace Of the Union.
Sir he rise in his place and say here that Sena-
tor shall be permitted to make mental reservations! LIS
that the explanation? That he is of liberty to exempt
himself from those obligations which bind the humblest
citizen? Sir without any disposition to allude to what
the Senator has said elsewhere cannotbut rccoect that
there gentleman in Boston who certain pub
lie OCCASION apostrophised in this manner the President
of the United States who signed the fugitive slave law
There depths of nfamy there are heights OF fame
and better him had he been born better for his
posterty had he lived than that he should have
signed such act However yindicyely and treason
ably that may have been said, it more properly be
applied the who approaches such an altar as this
is in such presence this and say he does not recog
nse under the Constitution his obligation to return or
deliver up fugitive slaves do not speak in his in
dyidual capacity citizen, but legislator, stand
ing in these halls to whom the American people look at
least for truth, if not for guidance
Mr.. SUMNER said Dir. President since had the
honor Of addressing the Senate two days various Sen
have spoken Among these several have alluded
to me terms clearly beyond the sanctions Of parla
| mentary debate. OF this make complaint, though,
for the honor Of the Senate at least 1t well that it
otherwise to them it seems ft courteous, par
| liamentary
| - to unpsck the heart with words,
/ And fall cursing, like very drab,
1 sculion,"
viii not interfere with the enjoymeuswhich they find
in such exposure Of themselves. ThsSShaye certainly
given taste of their characters Two Of them, the
Senator from South Carolina Mr BUTLER who sits i'm
mediaely before me- and the Senator from Virginia, (r
Mason who sits Immediately behind me, not young
Their heads amply crowned by time They did not
speak from any ebuition Of youth, but from the
frmed temper Of age. 1t is melancholy to believe that
in this debate they showed themselves they It
were charitable to believe that they in reality better
i than they showed themselves.
Think, sir, that not the only person this floor
who, in lately listening to these two cham
pons of the peculiar fanacism of the South was re-
minded Of the striking words by Jefferson pcturing the
influence Of slavery, whore he says
The whole between and slave is per-
petua exercise of the most boerous passions the most
renting despotism the part and degrading submits
sion the other Our children this and learn to initiate
it, for is initiative animal The parent storms tho
child looks on catches the neaments of WRATH puts the
airs in the circle Of smaller slaves loose to his
worst passions and thus nursed educnted and daily sxer-
cised in tyranny but be stamped by with odiops
pecuiarites. The must be prodigy who can retain
his and morals undepraved by such circumstances
Nobody who witnessed the Senator from South Caro-
lima the Senator from Virginia in this debate will place
either Of them among the prodges described by JEFF
ferson As they spoke the Senate chamber must have
seemed in the characteristic fantasy of the moment
plantation well stocked with slaves over which the lash
Of the had free swing. Sir gives plea
sure say these things 1t is not according to my
ture. Bear witness that do it only in just sefdeence
against the unprecedented proyocaons of this debate
If Senators expect by any ardcr of menace or by any
tyrannca rown to shake my fixed resolve they expect
o vain thing
There was perhaps little that these two cham
pions the fit on which deserves reply Certainly
not the hard words they used readily and congenn
The veteran Senator from Virginia {dr MAsoN) COM
planned that had characterized one Of his commitments
person who all the way from Virginia to Boston ia
pursuit of q slave, slave hunter Sir choose to call
things by their right names White / call white, and
black call black. And where person degrades him
self to the work Of chasing fellow man who, under the
inspiration of freedom and the guidance Of the north star
has sought freemans home far away from the coe and
the chain, that person, whomsoever he may be- call
slave hunter II the Senator from Virginia, who pro-
esses nicely Of Speech will give any term which more
precisely Describes such person, will use it. Until
then shall continue to the language which to
me apt But this very sensiby Of the veteran Sc
nator Of just term which truly depicts an odious char
4 acter shows shame in which exult. 1t said by
one Of the philosophers Of antiquity that the blush is
sign of virtue and permit to add that in this violent
sensbility recognise blush manting the cheek Of
the Senator which his plantation cannot
i conceal
And the venerable Senator from South Carolina too,
(lr. BUTLER, he has betrayed his sensibhy Here let
say that this Senator knows well that always listen
with peculiar pleasure TO his racy and exuberant Speech
it gurgles forth-sometmes tinctured by generous
forgetful history ana denance
he undertakes defend that whchs obviously
ndefensbe The Senator disturbed when to his in
qury personally poinedy and vehemeny addressed to
me, whether would join in returning fellow man to
slavery Exclaimed Is thy dog that he should
do this thing In ftfu phrases which seemed to
from the unconscious excitement with the Sc
nator he shot forth various remarks about dogs and
among other things asked if there was any dog in the
Constitution The Senator did not to bear in mnd,
the heady currents Of that moment that by the false
interpretation he has given to the Constitution he has
helped to nurture there whole kennel Of Carolina blood
hounds trained, with savage jaws and inexorabe SCENT
for the hunt Of flying bondmen. No, sir do not be-
ieve that there is any kennel of boodh or even
any dog in the Constitution Of the United States.
But, Mr.. President, since the brief response which
made to the inquiry Of the Senator and which leaped
unconscously to my lips, has drawn upon various at
tacks all marked by grossness Of language and
since have been charged with openly declaring my pur
pose to violate the Constitution and to break the oath
which have taken at that desk, shall be pardoned for
showing simply how few plain words will put all this
down. The authentic report in the Globe shows what
was actually said the report in the Sentinel is sub
santially the and of the New York papers,
which has been put into my hands since entered the
Senate chamber to-day under Geographic head states
the incident with substantial accuracy, though it oms
the personal individual appeal addressed to by the
Senator, and which is preserved in the Globe. TO any
candid mind either of these reports renders any thing
further superuous But the Senators who have been
swift in Misrepresentation deserve to be exposed, and it
4 shall be done.
Now, sir, begin by adopting my gaas the author
tatve words Of Andrew Jackson in his memorable Veto
1882 Of the Bank Of the United States To HE sourse
Mt