Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-17

Sir, Let him wait until the next session of Congress.
when these measures shah be attempted 10 be car.
riod out, and WI will see of what stun tho South
is mlde. lie will sec whether we will quietly
sit here, and whether our constituents will tolerate
the idea of our quietly sitting here aud submitting
TO such Injuries as he has proposed to intiict upon
us.
The sunny South is our homo. It is tho land
that gave us birth. Il is the lard in which is
deposited the b,ncs OF our ancestors. Mlthn
the bosom Of my own State sleep Jefferson, and
Henry, and Madison, and hosts Of others whose
deeds have tilt st aJod and adorned the annals OF
cur country. And, sir. shall VIC permit our
enemies to invade the sanctity Of those homes and
those fresides2 No, sir the South will he pro
tected and defended by her sons, at whatever
cost, and you will find that there is spirit enough
left to repcl any attempt at interference with our
rights or our interests.
Now. sir, there is still one other point TO which
] desire to alludc. l wish to know from the gem
tlcman from Ohio whether he indorses the senti-
mcnts contained in the correspondence which
appeared a few days ago in the American Organ
Of this city.
Mr.. Giddings. Will the gentlemen DO a little
more explicit /? I do not know precisely to what
he alludes?
Mr.. Lctcher. 1 mean TIE correspondence be-
tween Mr.. Ellis and Mr.. WILSON, the Senator from
Massachusetts,?
Mr.. Gidd ngs. / endorse that part of it written
by Mr.. Wilson, fully. | do not know much about
that of NJ. Ellis.
Mr.. Letcher. Do you indorsc all the sentiments
expressed by Mr.. Wilson?
Mr.. Giddings. | do endorse all the sentiments
expressed by Mr.. WILsoN2
Mr.. Giddings. | do endorse all the sentiments
expressed in that correspondence, so far rs to say,
that the Federal Government has no power of inter-
ference with the existence of slavery in the States.
My friend must know that l have laid down that
doctrine in express terms, hut a little more in de-
tail than is contained in that letter.
Mr.. Leteher. Well, let me try the gentleman
on another point a little more explicitly.
Mr.. Giddings. A moment if you please.
What we intend to do is to purify this Govern
mcnt from the institution of slavery, and leave
that institution entirely with the States.
Er, Letcher. Upon the principle, | suppose,
that as we inherit it from the North, their children
feel the stain of it and want tc relieve their ances
tors from it.
Nj. Giddiugs Will, l can go irto that question
if the gentleman wishes it.
Mr.. Let'her. Stop q moment. There is
another question which | wish to put to the gen
tleman. Suppose he had been Intercepted on the
question of slavery, what would have been hi'
answer?
Mr.. Giddings. l do not believe I should have
done it better than Mr.. WILSON.
Mr.. Letcher, Would you not have gone n little
further than he does?
Mr.. Giddings. might have gone more into
detail. But if | had undertaken to do it in a brief
and comprehensive manner, | should probably
have done it in nearly the same terms as he has
done. His letter contains everything that have
said tonight, only l have elaborated anu gone
more INTO detail.
Mr.. Letcher. | should like to know whether
the gentleman from Ohio and Mr.. WILSON both
belong to the same Crganization-the Know
nothings2
Mr.. Giddincs. No man will imputc that to me.
1 know something. Laughter l have known
enough, at all events, to keep me here for twenty
years. Renewed laughter.
Mr.. Letcher. l know the gentleman is not
practically n knownothing. | know that very
Ill D. ,rLotor 10 - thoOratinnlv a knorpnth.
ing, and pract 'colly upon the anne platform will
Mr.. WILSON with regard to TIE slavery question, i
what / want to know.
Mr.. Giddings. My friend, l suppose, asks m
if | belong to that political or moral organization
called Knownothings in the common language o
the the day. | can say to my friend, that, individ
ually, / know nothing" about that organization
whatever, either by precept, example, or anything
else, excepting, of course, what have seen IN til
public press. Laughter
Mr.. Letcller. | find that nobody has any pei
sonal knowledge about that organization. The
all "know nothing" about it. Renewed laughter
And | have yet to see the first man upon this floor
although it has been proclaimed that n number
seats in this Hall are occupied by Knownothings-
who will acknowledge that he is one. The gentp
man from Massachusetts Mr.. BANKS could not |
screwed up 70 it the other day, although ever
man in this House would swear that the gcntlema
Is n member Of the order. Laughter.
Mr.. Banks. No one asked me the question.
Mr.. Letcher. Well, then, l ask it now. W
the gentleman anwer MI!
Mr.. Banks. What?
Mr.. Letcher. Do you belong to the order
KnOwnothings?
Nj. Giddings. One moment, if you please.
want to answer the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr.. Letcher. Oh, | cannot get anything out {
you. Laughter
Mr.. Giddings. / only want to say that l d
not belong to any organization of that kind, what
sGover.
Mr.. fletcher. Very well. That is frank.
Mr.. Giddings. l have no knowledge Of an.
such organization.
from Massachusetts. Does he belong to the organ
ization called Knownothing, that has been the sui
iect of comment by the gentleman from Mort
Carolina Mr.. RuFFIN] tonight?
Mr.. Banks. / belong to an organizauon-nt
that | know that is called by the name of Knov
nothing-but that answers the desert ption that
generally understood by that name in my ow
town. Nobody has asked me the question bcfor
l have never decli led to answer t and nobody hi
screwed me- up to it."
Mr.. Letcher. Then l have gotten one anti-sl
very gentlemen hero to acknowledge the cor
tGreat laughter. He is the first. Now, MAJ
others arc said to be here, and | should like
know of the gentleman from Massachusetts, sin
he acknowledges himself to be a high priest in t
Organization, how many Of his followers are mel
bers of this House?
Mr.. Banks. do not know one.
Mr.. Lcteher. 1t is very remarkable the gent
man should be the head Of a family, and knt
none of his children-is it not? Laughter.
take it that the gentleman is about as nearly
practical Knownothing as you could well g
Renewed laughter. | have heard it said that
Is one of the rules Of this organization ID knt
nothing, to know nobody, to say %n)thing, to he
all they can. to retail all they hear, and to ma
the best use of AL they hear. and / think, after t
last answer Of the gentleman from Massaehuset
the House will have no difficulty ia ARRIVING at t
conclusion that the party has been pretty accura
Iy described.
Now. let nue. call attention to another fact
connection with this matter. Here is SenaI
WILsaS, who is said to be y Knownothir
That is a conceded fact. as understand. | ia