Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-12-22
speech 81 5o.h.a z. GsddIags.

organize and proceed to business, and aifort
the members an opportunity to display thei
oratorical po- ers in speech making on the Va
rious subjects Of debate as they come up, !
appears that some Of them hsve already ioux
opportunities for being heard. Among then
we rejoice to perceive that thst WARNER
veteran in the cause OF anti-slavery and tru
Rspublicanisn, Joshua r. Giddings. took &C
casion, in the course Of the interesting debzt
which cane of in the House on Tuesdsy. tt
18th, on the contested matter Of the Speaker
ship. 70 define his position anew OF the gres
question Of the times, and lar down tn
platform on which, alone. II his opinion, II
freemen of the country eouid rally wilh a.
success in the coming struggle with the slaTs
power. Several members had spoken O
both sides of the question, ineIuling Walk
er Of Alabama for SoHthern Know Nothing
ism, and FulIer CT PsnazylgGnis fsl pro
slavery doughfscisn; and Washbusn u Ne
and several Pennsylvania members. had spok
en- eloquently on the night side; when Ma
GIDDISGs, amid general exuitasion, At leng;
took the floor. and walked ont in froI
Of tie Speakers desk TO address the House
The oldest member in service, he probably
80 in years also, and the true successor Of tt
old man eloquent" who, after 50 long ba;
thing for Universal Freedom in the Capitol,
length hsllowed it BY falling insensible at hi
post and dying within its walls. Horae
Greeley ives present aud heard the whole de
bate, and furnishes for the Tribune skete
Of the old veterans remarks. Mr.. Cid
dings commenced By rebuking the national
isns from day to day displayed on that floor
those who were forever Wanting their NJ
:ionality. Propositions to lei the North selet
a Speaker from the South, CT the South fro
the Eorth--to let the North select one and ii
South another, to rule jointly OF. alternately
and all manner Of projects based on the nai
rowest sectional notions-on the assumptio
Of a necessary and jnvincible antagonisn be
tween different portions of this confederacy-
were made from day to day without rebuke.
For one. said Mr.. G., repel those distinc
tons altogether. They were unknown to GU
revolutionary fsthers-they are strangers to
the constitution. know no Nerth, 10 South
would as soon vote for Southern as
Northern man, provided he is faithful 10 the
fundamental principles of American Liberty.
Those principles are proclaimed in the Declar-
alton of Independence they declare all men
endowei-not byCongress-not By the Consti-
tution-but by their Creator--with certain in
ahenable rights, among which are life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness. This is the
Republican platform-it was laid down by
Jefferson and sanctioned by all the great N N
of our revoiutIon-it is the doctrine embodied
by Jefferson in the first ordinance excluding
slavery from the territories-it has been re-
Peatedly reafirmed by Congress-it is Ma
tional platform, broad enough for all who love
liberty to stand on. and not subjecr to misap-
prehension or decay. He who stands on this
platform may be called " American, on
q Know Nothing" or (" Republican 81 ask
not and care not SO long as lie advocates the
application of the principles of the Declaration
Of Independence TO the territories Of the
United States. Over the institutions Of SOW
CAS4HA oiotCo ODAStSeB Ildb no PO0EEs DuL Inc
territories are. undsr federal jurisdiction and
control, and it is tie duty of Congress to Sc
cure to all their inhabitants the blessings of
liberty. This is the principle, defed in the
passage Of the Kanzas-N ebraska act, which
this Congress is required to re-establish and
uphold by restoring to Kanzas and Nebraska
the guarantees of freedom.
Mr. Giddings proceeded to show what
slavery IS, by quoting the opinion Of South
ern Judge on the trial Of master for shooting
female slave. He had given her an order
which she refused to obey, and started to run,
when the master snatched up his rife and
shot her dead as she ran. The Judge held
this excusable, because slavery required it.
being condition at war with natural right,
requiring absolute submission from the ser
want, and comforting absolute authority on
the master. 1t is system, said the Judge,
which requires that the slave should be kept
IN ignorance, should work without wages,
should live for the masters profit, and do
the masters bidding without question or de-
muir. And this, said Mr.. g., is the system
which has just been imposed on Kanzas by
invading hordes, under cover of your Nebras-
ka act. Several Southern members inter-
fupted Mr. g., eontradicting his assertion
that slave resisting his master might legally
be killed BY the latter--yet the Southern law
books are full OF evidence to show that such
is the fact If it is not so, said Mr. G.,
sayto the slaves, take your liberty and defend
t.!
In conclusion, Mr.. Giddings urged the
House 10 meet this great issue frankly and
fairly, in the election Of Speaker, for the
country had pronounced its verdict ON this
subject, and would reiterate it in the APP
preaching Presidential election.
Tup Rpp4xp.eur, H.. - -. - = -. -.