Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-07-15
some unknown person.
MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTH CAROLINA

The following is part Of Mr.. Summers speech
in reply to Mr.. Butler of South Caroline, who al
legged that the successes of the revolution we're
achieved by 'hcrdg sldteho;liny Massachusetts,"
But enough for the present on this head Of the
extent Of my constitutional obligations to become
II Slave-llunter. There are, however, yet other
things in the assault of the venerable Senator
which, for the sake of truth in just defense Of
Of Massachusetts,, and in honor Of freedom, shall
not be left unanswered. Abiding TO those days
when Massachusetts was illustrated by Otis, Han
cock, and 'thc brace of Adamses;" when Faneu
Hall sent forth echoes Of liberty which rcsounded
even to South Carolina, and the very stones in the
streets of Boston rose IN mutiny against tyranny,
the Senator with the siver-white locks in the very
ecstasy Of slavery, broke forth in the ejaculation
THAI Massachusetts was then ''siaveholding;" and
he presumed to hail these patriots representa-
tivGs Of hardy, slaveholdng Massachusetts. So
Sir, repel the inputation. 1t is true that Massa
oh.--=tta ''hnrdyj'- but she not in ar,
Just ScH:c, "spveholInG" And had she been So
she could not have been hardy" The two char
actcristics inconsistent weakness and
strength as sickness and healtll-I had almost
said, rs death and life. ..
The Senator opens page, which l would will
ingty present. Sir, slavery never flourished in
Massachusetts, not did it ever prevail there at
anv time, even i'll early colonial days, to such a
degree as to be a distinctive feature in her power
/
term of years, or for life. If, in point of fact,
their issue was sometimes held in bondage, it was
never by sanction OF any statute or law of Colony
or Commonwealth. tLanesJoro' VS.. UeStfeld, lt
! Mass. IA In all her annals no person WAS ever
born slave on the soil Of Massachusetts. Thi.
OF itself is response to the imputation Of the
Senator,
\ benign and brilliant act of her Legislature n;
far back as lGIG, shows her sensibility on thu.
subject. Boston ship had brought home tive
negroes seized ON the coast Of Guinea Thus
spoke Massachusetts:
"Tht General Court, conceving themselves
bound by thb first opportunity to bear witness
against the heinohs and crying sin Of man stealing
also to prescribe shch timely redress for what is
'past and such ldw for tie ,tiiiHiG as may SqGic
ie1y deter all those Jeioagi"g to as, 70 hocv to q,
II, such ellie and most odiouS conduct, justly djhm'
rel of dN good dn,i jn& nle,i do order that thI
negro Interpreter, with others unlawtully taken
be, by the first opportunity at the charge OF the
country for the present, sent to his native country
of Guinea, and letter with him of the indignation
of the Court thcreabout and justice thereof"
The Colony that could issue this noble decree
was inconsistent with itself, wheh it allowed it
rocky face to he pressed by the footsteps OF sin
gle slave. But n righteous pnblic option earl,
, and constantly set its face against slavery. A
early as l70l vote was el,tsred upon the record
of Boston to the following effect "Thc Represent
atiyes are desired to promote the encouraging tn
bringing of white serN ants, and 10 put period
negroes being slares." Perhaps, in all history thi
is the earliest testimony from any official bod
against negro slavery, and thank God that
came from Boston, MY native town. In 100
J heavy duty was imposed upon every negro import
ed into the province in l7l2 the importation o
Indians as servants or slaves WIS strictly forbid
den but the general subject of slavery atracte
little attention till The beginning ot the cOntr0ve'
e'sy ,vbi in
rights of the blacks were blended by all true pat
riots with those of the whites. Sparing all unneC
essary details, suffice it tn say; that, as carly
: lT69, one of the courts Of Massachusetts, drtic
pating, by sercral years, the renowned ludSmcn
, in Somersetts case. established within its juri,
diction the principle of emancipation; and, unde
its touch of magic power, changed slave into
J freeman Similar decisions followed in other plG
ccs. In l776 the whole uuIfiber Uf blacks, bot
, free and slave, sprinkled thnly over "hardy
Massachusetts, was FIVE thousand two hundred an
fortynine, being to the whites as one is to sixty
FIVE; while in ''slaveholding" South Carolina til
9 number Of negro slaves at that time, was not ia
J from one hundred thousand, being nearly on
slave for every freeman thus rendering that Colon
anything hut "hardt." At last, in l7S0, eve
before the trump ph of Yorktown had led the wa
, to that peace which set its seal upon our Natlon0
! independence, Massachusetts, animated by tn
struggles Of the Revolution, and filled by the ser
tments of freedom. placed in front Of her bill ,
Rights the emphatic words that 'all men are bbr
free and equal" ana by this declaration EXTERN
: mated every ycstige of slavery within her border
All hail, then, 10 Massachusetts,, the just an
, generous COMMONWEALTH in whose behalf l hay
the honor to speak
Thus, sir, docs the venerable Senator err who
! he prcsumes to vouch Massachusetts for SLAYER
= u and to associate this odious Institution with II
: names of her great patriots.
l. Mr.. ROCKWELL. viii my honorable e.
, league allow me to send to tho Chair and ha'
! read in this connection with his present remark
f a passage from Graham's History of tho Unite
StdtesY ' '' '.a-- aaA f. -i' ID '7i-