The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-22
WASHINGTON, d. c..
National Slavery and National Responsibility.
SPEECH OF HON. FRANCIS GILLETTE,
OF CONNFcTTCIrr
In ssna.e efase Uai.a s,a,es, FEB. aad, 1856.

has been made TO lead of in this new onset for
the supremacy of Slavery by my colleague, who
reported the bill before us, | feel myself called
upon to represent what think to be her true SEN
timents, and vindcate her good name from dis
honor. am free to say, sir, that no other State
IN this Union more deeply abhors the Fugitive
Act Of 1850 than Connecticut and to no other
State could this bill, being intended as sequel
10 that act, be more distasteful and odious
Sir, It affords me no pleasure to appear before
the Senate on any question which may not be
agreeable to some Senators 1t would be less
uncongenial TO my taste and feelings, either to
sit in silence, or confne myself exclusively to
such subjects as commend themselves to the ia
vorable consideration Of ali. But when PROPOSE
tons are thrust upon our attention which can
not approve; or when injustice stalks before us
In its most appalling forms, trampling humanity
IN the dust, have no option but TO oppose them
at whatever hazard and only say, in self
Justification, with a great statesman and orator
OF antiquity, when about to urge an unpopular
measure before en- Athenian assembly, that
while am not so perverse as to study to give
ofense where good purpose can be answered
by it, my opinion is, that every honest speaker
should prefer the interests of the State to the ad-
miration and applause Of his hearers
In the RESPONSIVENESS of this debate, the Sena-
tor from Louisiana Mr.. BESJANNl has charged
the North with aggressiveness upon the South.
He represented the South as the aggrieved and
outraged party, always suffering in her rights
from the encroachments of the North, and always
acting in defense Of her peculiar institution from
the assaults of Freedom Such was the burden
OF much of his eloquent speech. Now, sir, be-
heve this to be as contrary 10 the whole history
of this Government as opposed to our own OBJ
servaton. The Senator from Ohio Mr. WADE
has called our attention to some facts of recent
date, TO show the fallacy of the idea which the
Senator from Louisiana advanced, and l wish to
call his attention, and that of the Senate, to
tain other facts Of prior date, to show the error
into which be has fallen. If do not greatly
mistake, the declaration is true which was made
by the Hon. Caleb Gushing, now the Attorney
General of the United States, in a letter ad-
dressed, in the year 1898, 10 certain citizens Of
Massachusetts, in which he says
" In its industrial, financial and political rela-
tons, Slavery is at the bottom of all the action
Of Congress" 1T is that thing which
pervades, colors, and controls, by its unpro-
nounced but ever-present influence all the
measures and operations of the Government"
Now, Mr.. President, believe this to be true
literally, historically, humiliatingly true. And
in proof Of this, would first call the attention
of the Senate 10 the action of the Federal Govern
ment in relation to the District in which
assembled. Let us begin here. This Govern
ment has enacted laws over the National District
which are a violation of every principle of Free
dom and justice for the existence Of which my
constituents are held equally responsible with
those of the Senator from Louisiana, and which
involve every State in this Union in a fearful
sponsibility-laws which are the sublimation Of
injustice, barbarity, and despotism, and which,
according to Jefferson, impose a bondage, one
hour Of which is fraught with more misery than
ages Of that which he rose in rebellion to OPP
pose"
By the enactment and authority Of the United
States, one portion Of the people of this District
hold another portion as property chattels, to
be worked without wages, to be scourged with
out remedy, and sold without redress.
Laws in force here, by the enactment and
authority Of the United States, which authorize
and permit some hundreds of children, annually
born in this District, TO be snatched, while yet
the seal of Heaven is fresh upon them" out of
that condition Of natural liberty which our ia
theirs truly asserted to be the birthrght of every
human being and doomed to lifelong Slavery
children, which from their very helplessness,
cannot be supposed guilty of any crime, nor for
the alleged reason that their mothers mot to
speak of their fathers) are criminal According
10 the Constitution, the children Of the blacklist
culprits even cannot be attainted What then,
be said of the inhiction of the severest pun
ishment upon the innocent children Of innocent
mothers, even the doom of Slavery for life Said
Governor Giles, of Virginia
Slavery mnst be admitted to be a punish
ment Of the highest order and it ought to be
applied only to crimes of the highest order"
Yet the Government of the United States dooms
innocent men, women, and children 10 a punish
ment of the highest order.
By the authority of the United States n part
Of the population Of this District are doomed to
the profoundest ignorance, absolutely stultifed
and then, if the poor darkened wretch, the eyes
of whose mind have thus been put out, and the
chambers of whose soul have been filled with dark
ness, should violate certain law which he was
thus forbidden to read and understand he is con-
demned TO have his right hand cut off, to be hung
in the usual manner, to be beheaded and quar-
tered, and have each fragment of his mangled
body hung up in the most conspicuous places in
the District. And although, as l am informed,
and am happy to believe, this Draconic enactmen
has not been executed here for many years, do
not understand how Court could evade the in
fiction OF ii, upon conviction of either of the
crimes of which it is the penalty, without a re-
nunciation Of the lower law dogma.
By another law in force here, by the enactment
and authority of the United States if any person
of the prescribed class breaks into 4 shop store
house, or warehouse, not contiguous to, or used
with, any mansion-house, and steal from. thence
any goods 10 the valne of five shillngs such of
fender, on conviction, shall suffer death without
benefit of clergy. Yes, sir death for stealing the
value Of FIVE shillings when Slavery itself is the
master-theft Of earth teaching theft as its fret,
Tudimcntal, and practical lessOn-plundering not
simply five shilings from the pocket of a man, but
clutchng the man himself body, soul pocket
shillings, all, aud devoting them upon its execra-
BILE altar Death for stealing five shillings, not
withstanding the Constitution forbids the infic-
tion of cruel and unusual punishmentsl
By another law in force here by the enactment
and authority of the United States, if person
belonging TO a certain class, whether man or
woman, presumes to strike person of another
class, whether in self-defense against a drunken
rufian or an adulterous villain, or under any
provocaton whatever, on conviction by the oath
Of the person struck, he or she shall be manned
by having ear cut of, cropt," the law
has it.
By another law in force here, by the enactment
and authority of the United States, if person
belonging certain class goes out into the woods
and shoots hog, and refuses to return the
demand of a person Of another class, it is lawful
70 shoot kill, and destroy such person.
By another law in force here, by the enactment
and authority of the United States, any person
Of the prescribed class who shall give false testi-
mony against any other person of his own class,
shall have one ear cut off the day of his or her
conviction, and receive thirty-nne stripes on his
or her bare back and the next day the other ear
shall be cropped, and the like number of stripes
given the offender.
Il is noteworthy, in passing, that the number
of lashes generally melted out to the slave, by
slave-law, is thirty-nine. Why this precise num-
Der should be designated, it is not easy to I'M
derstand, unless it was suggested by the Z" forty
stripes save one" which ST Paul tells us he re-
ceived FIVE times from the Jews, and adopted in
the hope of canonizing the so-called "patriarchal
Institution into the higher sanctty of apostolic
eaintship.
Byanother law in force here, by the enactment
and authority Of the United States, any colored