Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-03

ON arrival there by an inhospitable statute, SO
gross in its provisions that an eminent character
of South Carolina, q judge of the Supreme Court
of the United States, Hon William johnson, had
characterized it as "trampling on the Constitu-
tion," and "a direct attack upon the sovereignty
of the United States.n Massachusetts had read
In the Constitution q clause closely associated
with that touching fugitiyes from labor" to the
following effect: The citizens Of each State shall
be entitled TO all privileges and immunities ofcit
zens in the several States, and supposed that
this would yet be recognised by South Carolina.
But she was mistaken. Her venerable represent
alive, an unarmed old man, with hair as silver
white almost as that Of the Senator before me,
was beset in Charleston by respectable" mob,
prevented from entering upon his duties, and
driven from the State while the Legislature
stepped in to sanction this shameless, lawless
act, by placing on the statute book an order for
his expulsion And yet sir, the excitable Senator
from South Carolina is fred by the fancied den-
quencies of Massachusetts towards Slave-Hnnt-
ers, and also by my own refusal to render them
any I" aid or comfort he showers questions in
volleys, assumes to measure our duties by his
understanding, and CALCULATES lecture at Massass
chusetts and myself Sir before that venerable
Senator again does this, let him return to his own
State, scanned all over with the rents left by null
LITIGATION, and first lecture there. Let him look
into his own heart, and lecture to himself
But enough for the present on this head of the
extent Of my constitutional obligations to become
Slave-Hunter There are, however, yet other
things in the assault Of the venerable Senator,
which, for the sake of truth, in just defence Of
Massachusetts, and In honor Of freedom, shall
not left unanswered. Abiding to those days
when Massachusetts was illustrated by Otis,
Hancock, and the brace of Adamses;" when
Faneuil Hall sent forth echoes Of liberty which
resounded even to South Carolina, and the very
stones in the streets of Boston rose in mutiny
against tyranny, the Senator with the silyer-white
locks, in the very ecstacy of slavery, broke forth
in the ejaculation that Massachusetts was then
" slaveholding;" and he presumed to hail these
patriots as representatives of hardy, slavehold-
ing Massachusetts," Sir, repel the imputation.
It is true that Massachusetts, was hardy" but
she was not, IN any just sense, ssaveholding."
And had she been 80, she could not have been
"hardy." The two characteristics are inconsist-
ent as weakness and strength, as sickness and
health had almost said, as death and life.
The Senator opens page, which would will
ingly present. Sir, slavery never honrished in
Massachusetts nor did it ever prevail there at
any time, even in early Colonial days, to such
degree as to be distinctive feature in her pow
erful civilization. Her few slaves were merely
for 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. (Ldnes6oro' vs. Vest
field, l6 Mass, TAI In all her annals, no person
was ever born slave on the soil Of Massachu-
sets This, Of itself, is response to the impu-
tation of the Senator
A benign and brilliant act Of her Legislature,
far back as 1916, shows her sensibility on this
subject A Boston ship had brought home two
negroes, seized the coast Of Guinea. Thus
spoke Massachusetts,
The General Court, conceiving themselves
bound by the first opportunity to bear witness
against the heinous and crying sin of man-steal-
: ing, also to prescribe such timely redress for
what is past, and such law for The future as may
sufficiently deter all those belonging to u.s. 10 haze TO
do an such Ute and most odious conduct justly ab-
horred Of all good and just men, do order that the
negro interpreter, with others unlawfully 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 thereabout and justice
thereof
The Colony that could issue this noble decree
was inconsistent with itself, when it allowed its
rocky face to be pressed by the footsteps Of
single slave. But righteous public opinion
early and constantly set its face against slavery.
As early as l70l vote was entered upon the re-
cords Of Boston TO the following effect: "The Rep
resentatives are desired to promote the encourage
ing the bringing of white servants and to PUT ape
Rod TO negroes being slaves" Perhaps in all history,
this is the earliest testimony from any official
body against negro slavery, and thank God that
ii came from Boston, my native town. In l705
heavy duty was imposed upon every negro inn
ported into the province; in 17l2 the importa-
ton Of Indians servants or slaves was strictly
forbidden; but the general subject of Slavery
Al Al 80 he
controversy, which ended in the Revolution
when the rights of the blacks were blended by
all true patriots with those of the whites. Spar
ing all unnecessary Details suffice it to say, that,
as early as 1859, one of the courts Of Massachu-
setts anticipating, by several years, the renown-
ed judgment in Somersetts case, established with
in its jurisdiction the principle of emancipation
and, under its touch of magic power, changed a
slave into freeman. Similar decisions followed
in other places. In l776, the whole number Of
blacks both free and slave, sprinkled thinly over
!" hardy" Massachusetts,, was five thousand two
hundred and forty mine, being to the whites as
one is TO sixty-fve; while in " slaveholding
South Carolina the number of negro slaves, at
that time, was not far from one hundred thou
sand, being nearly one slave for every freeman,
thus rendering that Colony anything but char
dy.N At last, in 1880, even before the triumph Of
Yorktown had led the way to that peace which
set its seal upon our National independence,
Massachusetts,, animated by the struggles Of the
Revolution, and filed by the sentiments of Free
dom, placed in front Of her Bill of Rights the
emphatic words, that all men are born free
and equal" and by this declaration exterminated
every vestige Of slavery within her borders.
All hail, then, TO Massachusetts, the just and
generous Commonwealth in whose behalf have
the honor TO speak.
Thus, sir, does the venerable Senator err when
he presumes TO vouch Massachusetts, for slavery,
and to associate this odious institution with the
names Of her great patriots.
Mr. ROCKWELL. Will my honorable col
league allow me to send TO the Chair, and have
read in this connection with his present remarks,
passage from Grahams History Of the United
States
Mr.. SUMNER. | do not know the passage TO