Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-07-10
Gge 57aiIgy spg.
MONDAY. JULY Io. 1s54.
FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.
SPEECH OF
HON. CEAS. SUMNER.

HA-AN~-ANih1'AsAAN
| In The Senate, June 2S, 1854.
The Senate having under consideration the motion to res,
to the Committee the judiciary, the Petition from
tweny-niue hundred citizens Of MASSACHUSETTS praying
for the Repeal OF the Fugitive Slave Law
Mr. Sumner said Mr.. Pre5ident-Since /
| had the honor of addressing the Senate two
days ago, various Senators have spoken. -
Among these several have alluded to me in
terms clearly beyond the sanctions of parlia-
mentary debate. Of this | make 10 com
plains, though, for the honor of the Senate at
least, it were well that it were otherwise. If
to them it seems tit, courteous, parliamentary,
-''to unpack the heart with words
And fall u cursing, like very drab
A sculion,"
/ 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 imme-
diately before me. and the Senator from Viz
ginia, MIR. Mason, who sits Immediately be-
hind 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. 1t is melancholy to
believe, that in this debate, they showed them
selves as they are. 1t were charitable to be-
leve that they are in reality better than they
showed themselves.
think, sir, that lam not the only person
on this floor, who, in lately listening to these
two self confident champions Of the peculiar
fanaticism of the South, was reminded of the
striking words by Jefferson, picturing the in
huence of slavery, where he says, 1.-The whole
commerce between master and slave, is a per-
petual exercise of the most boisterous passions,
,,,oc+ ,,Oraroittino o, +l,a ~.
part, and degrading submission on the other.
Our children see this, and learn to initiate it
for man is an initiative auiInal. The parent
storms, the child looks on, catches the Inca
ments Of wrath, puts on the same airs in the
circle Of smaller slaves, gives loose to his worst
passions, and thus nurSed, educated and daily
e> ercised in tyranny, cannot but be stamped
by it with odious peculiarities. The man
must be prodigy who can retain his man.
ners and morals undepraved by such circum-
stances" Nobody who witnessed the Sena-
tor from South Carolina, or the Senator from
Virginia, in this debate, will place either of
them among the "prodig'es 4" described by
Jefferson. AS they spoke, the Senate Cham
her must have seemed, III the characteristic
fantasy OF the moment, plantation well
stocked with slaves, over which the lash of the
oyerseer had free swing. Sir, ii gives me no
pleasure to say these things. 1t is not accord
ing to my nature. Bear witness, that do it
only in just self defence against the unprece-
dented provocations Of this debate. If Sena-
tors expect, by any ardor OF menace, or by any
tyrannical frown, to shake my fixed resolve,
they expect a vain thing.
There was, perhaps, little that fell from
these two champions, as the tit was Oh, which
deserves reply. Certainly not the hard words
they used SO readily and congenially. The
yetefan. Senator from Virginia Mr.. Masonl
his 'scomstituents, PERSON WHO wed, q9e .of
way from Virginia to Boston, in pursuit Of
slave as Slave Hunter. Sir, choose to
call things by Their right names White l call
white, and black call black. And where a
person degrades himself to the work Of chas-
ing fellow-Inan who, under the inspiration
Of freedom and the guidance of the North
star has sought freemans home far away
from the collie aud the chaiu, that person,
whomsoever he may be, | call Slave Hunter.
If the Senator from Virginia, who processes
nicely of speech, will give Inc any term which
more precisely describes such a person, will
use it. Until then, | shall continue to use the
language which seems to me so apt. But this
very sensibil,ty OF the veteran Senator at
just term, which truly depicts an odious char
acter, shows shame in which | eXult. 1t
lfAAhAC'oRAASto
tiquity, that the blush is sign OF virtue; and
permit me to add. that, in this violent sens-
bility, l recognize blush mantlng the cheek
of the Senator, which even his plantation
manners cannot conceal.
And the venerable Senator from South Car
DINA, Mr.. Butler, he has betrayed his sensi-
bility. Here let me say, that this Senator
knows well that always listen with peculiar
pleasure to his racy and exu6erant speech, as
it gurgles forth-sometimes tnctured by gem
erous ldeas-except when, forgelful Of history,
and in defiance of reason, he undertakes to
defend that which is obviously indefensible.-
This Senator was disturbed, when to his in
quiry, personally, pointedly, and vehemently
addressed to me, whether | would join i'll re-
turning fellow to slavery, exclaimed,
SIS thy servant a dog, that he shonld do this
thingf" In fitful phrases, which seemed to
come from the unconscious excitement so com
mon with the Senator, he shot forth various
remarks about "dogs;'' and, among other
things, asked if there was any '.dog" in the
Constitution The Senator did not seem to
bear in mind in 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
inexorable scent, for the hunt Of flying bond
men. No. sir. | do not believe that there is
any "kennel of blood hounds" or even any
''dog' in the Constitution of the U. 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 mark
ed by grossness of language and manner !;
since haze been charged with openly declar-
ing my purpose to violate the Constitution, land
to break the oath which l have taken at that
desk, shall be pardoned for showing simply
how a fsw PLAIN words will put all this down.
The authentic report in the Globe, shows what
was actually said. The report i'll the Sentinel
is substantially the same and one of the ~
Y. papers, which has been put into my hands
since I entered the Senate Chamber to .day,
under its telegraphic head, states the incident
with substantial accuracy, though it omlts the
personal individual appeal addressed to me by
the Senator, and which is preserved III the
Globe. 10 any candid mind, either of these
reports renders anything further superfiuous.
But the Senators who have been SO swift in
misrepresentation, deserve to be exposed, and
it shall be done. ~! 5sa 7aia %
Now, sir, begin by adopting as nav guide,
the authoritative words Of Andrew jackson.
i'll his memorable veto, III 1882, of the Bank
of the United States. 10 his course, at that
critical time, were opposed the authority of
the Supreme Court, and his oath to supDort The
Constellation. Here is his triumphant reply
til the opinion Of the Supreme Court covers the whole
ground OF this act ought not to the CO ordinate
authorities Of this verment, The Congress, the Exec
utve and the Court must each for itself be guided by its
own opinions Of the Constitution. Each p9blic o6fcsr.
tpho fakes oath to support the stusars