Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-06-30


his (Sumner speech which he said were
never uttered. The speaker was very person.
al in his remarks, and quite abusive in the as
sault which he made upon the Massachusetts
Senator.
Mr.. Sumner.--I call the Senator to order.
l say they we're uttered by me, hero in the
Senate.
Mr.. Pettit--1 will prove right in his teeth
that what he says is false. 1Cries of order,
order say he did not make use of the re-
mark here reported on the floor, but after the
adjournment he went to the reporter and had
them interpoated into the report of my re-
marks. The Senator had said in answer to a
remark, that he would not execute the Con-
stitution, that he recognized no such oblga-
ton. The Senator said that he would not re-
turn fugitive slave, and asked, " Is thy SER
want dog that he should do this thing !"
The man who had first used that remark was
fitting person for the Senator to quote. He
ha6 proved himself lying migrate, dog. He
was a happy prototype of the Senator from
Massachusetts, in all his conduct. The inter-
polation of the Senator was false, because he
could not have said it, and false because he
did not say it.
Mr.. SUMNER repeat that the remarks
were made by me substantially as reported.
ludOO lnSlu III oOdIt anu NA0 NV oVPP"oS
they would have reached the reporters ears
He then explained that the reporter voluutar-
ily showed him the report, and finding it did
. not correspond exactly with what he had said,
he corrected it. AS to all else which the Sena-
tor had said, he had not one word to reply.
The subject, which had consumed an hour,
was then dropped
The motion to refer the Boston, petition for
repeal of the Fugitive Slave law was then tax
en- up.
Mr.. Dixon spoke for an hour in defense of
the Fugitive Slave law, denouncing opposi-
ton to it.
An effort was then made to postpone the
subject until Monday, but after considerable
debate was voted down.
Mr.. Mallory defended the Fugitive Slave
law and in the course of his remarks referred
to MIR. Summers disavowal of any obligation,
imposed by his oath, to support the Constitu
ton.
Mr.. SUMNER call the Senator to order. l
never said so.
Mr.. Mallory said he would not even put
into dogs mouth any statement which was
not true, but he would be glad to know what
the Senator did say.
Mr.. Summer said l recognized no obi
CATION upon me to help to return or reduce to
Slavery any man.
Mr.. Clay said he could not keep silent and
hear the Senator, with lnsolence of manner
and unblushing face, deny, after having un-
qualihedly disavowed his constitutional obli-
cations, attempt to throw the responsibility
on the reporter. If the Senator had not dis
avowed any obligations to the Constitution,
would he have been charged with having done
SO by the two Senators sitting nearest him
He desired to suggest to Senators means of
remedying this conduct; though there were
no means to reach person guilty only of
crime in thought, still there was a mode of,
defending that body from such PERSONS
Though man be the most talented, able and
scholarlike, eloquent, and profound, if he
should show an intention to crime, or should
instigate Others to do that which he had not
the courage to do himself, or should he be as
guilty of moral perjury as any man who had
ever been branded with the letter ?, or even
should in all respects be exemplfed by the
character given to "Uriah Heep" by Dickens,
there was way to treat him. Municipal ac-
ton would not reach such a man. The Sem
ate could treat him with disdain--they could
send him to Coventry-deny to him all those
civilitIes and courtesies common among gentle
lnen-make him feel he is treated as leper, land
avoided as a venomous reptilo-thus far SEN
ators had it i'll their power to do If they
have not power to impose punishments of law,
they can take from the serpent his fangs, and
place him in that social degradation he de-
serves.
Mr.. Sumner said, since had the honor of
addressing the Senate yesterday, various SEN
ators have spoken, several have alluded to me
in terms clearly beyond the sanction Of par
iamentary debate. OF this make no com
nloinf If fo fhona
and parliamentary to unpack the heart with
words and fall a cur5ing like very drab,
scNllion, l will not interfere with the enjoy
ment which they find in such exposure Of
themselves; they have certainly shown their
character. Two of them, the Senator from
South Carolina, who sits immediately before
me, and the Senator from Virginia. who sis
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. tits mel
ancholy to believe that they showed them
selves as they are. 1t were charitable to be-
lieve that they are in reality better than they
showed themselves. think, Sir, that l am
not the only person on this floor, who i'll list
ening to them i'll this debate-thesc two self
confident champions of the peculiar fanatcisln
of the South,-was reminded of the striking
words of Jefferson picturing ths influence OF
Slavery "The whole commerce." said he
''between master and slave is perpetual ex-
ercise of the most boisterous passions, the most
unremitting despotism on the one part and de-
grading submission on the other. Our child
rem see this and learn to initiate it, for man is
an initiative animal. The parent storms, the
child looks on, catches the lineaments of
wrath, Puts on the same airs i'll the circle of
smaller slaves, gives loose rein to his worst
passions, and thus nursed, educated, 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 manly feelings. undepraved by such cir
cumstancee." No person who has witnessed
the Senator from South Carolina and the Sem
ator from Virginia in this debate, will place
them among the prodigies described by Jeter-
son. As they spoke the Senate Chamber must
have seemed in their sighta plantation stocked
with slaves, over which the lash OF the over
seer had free scope.
There was little that fell from them which
deserves reply--certainly not the hard words
they used so readily. The Senator from Vir-
GINA complained that 1 had characterized u
person, who went from Virginia to Boston in
pursuit of slave as a slave hunter. Sir, l
choose to call things by their right Names
White I call white, and black black. A man
who degrades himself to the work of chasing
a poor negro, who, under the inspiration of
freedom and the guidance Of the North star,
had sought a freemans home far away from
the whip of the overseer, call slave-hun-
ter. If the Senator will give me any term
which more precisely describes such person
will use it. 1t was said by one of the phi
losophers of antiquty, that the blush is sign
of virtue, and permit me to add that the SEN