Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-03
FUGITIVE SLAVE HnL
SPEECH OF HON. CHARLES SUMNER,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,,
IN the Senate Of the limited States, June 49, 1854

OF MASSACHUSETTS,,
In the Senate of the U,aitsd States, June 49, 1854.
The Senate having under consideration the mo-
ton to refer to the Committee on the Judiciary
the Petition from twenty mine hundred citizens OF
Massachusetts, praying for the repeal of the Fu-
gitive Slave Bill
Mr.. SUMNER said
Mr.. PRESIDENT: Since had the honor Of adj
dressing the Senate two days ago, various Sena-
tors have spoken. Among these, several have
alluded to me in terms clearly beyond the sane
tons Of parliamentary debate. OF this make
no complaint, though, for the honor of the Senate
at least, it were well that it were otherwise. III
to them it seems fit, courteous, parliamentary,
SO unpack the heart with words,
And fall cursing, like very drab,
scullion,"
/ will not interfere with the enjoyment which
they find in such exposure of themselves. They
have certainly given us taste of their characters
Two of them, the Senator from South Carolina
Mr.. BUTLER] who sits Immediately before me,
and the Senator from Virginia Mr.. MAsoN] who
sits Immediately behind me, are not young. Their
heads are amply crowned by time. They did not
speak from any ebullition of youth, but from the
confirmed temper of age. II is melancholy to
believe that, in this debate, they showed them
selves as they are 1t were charitable to believe
that they are in reality better than they showed
themselves.
think sir, that am not the only person on
this floor, who, in lately listening to these two
self-confdent champions ofthe peculiar fanaticism
of the South, was reminded Of the striking words
by Jefferson, picturing the influence of slavery,
where he says, /" The whole commerce between
master and slave is a perpetual exercise Of the
most boisterous passions, the most unremtting
Il f1,a dine otsl
mission on the other Our children see this and
learn to initiate it; for man is an initiative ami
NAL. The parent storms. The child looks on,
catches the lineaments of wrath puts on the
same airs in the circle of smaller slaves, gives
loose to his worst passions, and, thus nursed, ed
ucated, and daily exercised in tyranny cannot
but be stamped by it with odious peculiarities.
: The man must be prodigy who can retain his
manners and morals undepraved by such cir
cumstances." Nobody who witnessed the SEN
ator from South Corolina or the Senator from
Virginia in this debate will place either of them
among the "prodigies described by Jefferson.
AS they spoke the Senate Chamber must have
seemed, in the characteristic fantasy of the mo-
ment plantation well stocked with slaves, over
which the lash of the ovcrseer had free swing.
Sir, it gives me no pleasure to say these things.
1t is not according to my nature. Bear witness,
that | do it only in just self-defence against the
unprecedented assaults and provocations of this
debate. If Senators expect, by any ardor Of men
ace or by any tyrannical frown, to shake my fixed
resolve, they expect vain thing.
There was, perhaps, little that fell from these
two champions, as the fit was on, which deserves
reply. Certainly not the hard words they used
so readily and congenially. The veteran Senator
from Virginia Mr. Mason complained that
had characterized one of his constituents
person who went all the way from Virginia to
Boston in pursuit of slave, as Slave-Hunter.
Sir, choose to call things by their right names.
White call white, and black call black. And
where person degrades himself to the work of
chasing fellow-man, who, under the inspira-
ton OF freedom and the guidance of the north
star, has sought freemans home far away from
the cofie and the chain, that person, whomsoever
he may be, call a Slave-Hunter. If the Senator
from Virginia, who processes nicely of speech,
will give me any term which more precisely de-
scribes such person, ! will use it. Until then
shall continue to use the language which seems
to me so apt. But this very sensibility of the
veteran Senatorial just term, which truly de-
pcts odious character, shows a shame In
which exult. Ii was said by one of the philos-
ophers Of antiquity, that the blush is a sign OF
virtue and permit me to add, that, in this vio-
lent sensibility, recognise blush mantlin4 the
cheek Of the Senator which even his plantation
manners cannot conceal.
And the venerable Senator from South Caro-
lima, too, [Mr. BUTLER he has betrayed his
sensibility. Here let me say that this Senator
knows web that ! always listen with peculiar
pleasure to his racy and exuberant speech, as IL
gurgles forth-sometimes tinctured by generous
ideas-except when, forgetfnl Of history, and in
defiance Of reason, he undertakes to defend that
which is obviously indefepsible. This Senator
was disturbed, when TO his inquiry, personally
pointedly, and vehemently addressed 10 me,
whether ! would join in returning felow-man
TO slavery, exclaimed, +" Is thy servant dog,
that he should do this thing2" In fitful phrases
which seemed TO come from the unconscious ex-
citement so common with the Senator, he shot
forth various remarks about dogs /" and, among
other things, asked IL there was any dog in
the Constitution The Senator did not seem TO
bear in mind, through the heady currents Of that
moment, that, by the false Interpretation he has
given to the Constitution, he has helped 10 nur-
ture there a whole kennel Of Carolina blood
hounds, trained, with savage jaws and memorable
scent, for the hunt Of flying bondmen. No, sir
do not believe that there Is any kennel Of
bloodhounds" or even any dog" In the Con-
stitution Of the United States.
But, Mr. President, since the brief response
which made to the inquiry Of the Senator and
which leaped unconsciously to my lips, has drawn
upon me various attacks, all marked by grossness
Of language and manner; since ! have been
charged with openly declaring my purpose TO Vi
olate the Constitution, and TO break the oath
which | have taken at that desk, | shall be par
doned for showing simply how q few plain words
viii put all this down. The authentic report in
the Globe shows what was actually said. The
report in the Sentinel is substantially the same
and one Of the New York papers, which has been
put into my hands since ! entered the Senate
Chamber to-day, under its telegraphic head,
states the incident with substantial accuracy,
though il omits the personal individual appeal
addressed TO me by the Senator, and which Is
preserved in the Globe. Here is the New York
report:
Mr.. BUTLER. would like to ask the Senator,
II Congress repealed the Fugitive Slave Law,
would Massachusetts, execute the constitutional
requirements, and send back TO the South the
absconding slayes2
Mr.. SUMNER Doyou ask If would send back
slave7