Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-01-30


have undertaken to dencunce US as "as
itatoSs." as n.sectionalisis," as fanGtics,
l deem the present a fitting occasion
vindieate ourselves before the country
This authority of the master to scourg
ths slave. and TO slsy him if he resist.
bat tbs legalizing Of murder; it is Civ
Ing one man power and authority {
commit the offense of assault and bal
terry against his fellow men, and if the
resist he is authorized to Stay them
The Democratic party insist that Ties
crimes shall be permitted in Kanzas
that no projection shall be extended t
the weak, the friendless, the helples
poor Of thai Territory | repeat tina
we. the Republicans, insist that protec
ton to the weak and friendless shoult
constitute the first principal object, the
great leading feature and end of al
Governments, particularly Of all Gov
sernments formed under our Constitution
With the founders of our Republic W,
hold that whenever any form of Gov
eminent becomes destructive of these
ends, tits the right, it is the duty of the
people to sier or abolish it, and erecI
new safeguards for their protection"
lis admitted that the people OF Kan
zss derive their authority to legislats
from Congress. The very tile of the
bill pulporis to give authority to TIC
people there to erect a Government.
We could moi give them, or a portion of
them. powers which we do not ourselves
possess which We may not now exer-
else. We have moi delegated to them,
nor to any portion of them, authority
thus to scourge and slsy another portion
of their fellow-men nor has nature, or
natures God, bestowed such right
But IL, as commended, we have delegated
such powers, we are ourselves response
bic for their exercise, and every mem.
Der Of this body who now insists On per-
uniting these crimes to continue in Kan
zasis involved in their moral guilt.
Now, for one, l will not battle my
hands in the blood, moi stain my soul
with the moral guilt of these iniquilies.
1 stand here before the nation. and. in
the presence of God and my frllOw-men,
declare l win not participate in such
w~ickedness. AS a man. a Christian, a
statesman. my feelings revolt ct the
proposition. My judgement, my con-
science, the example of the early Re-
publicans, their declared obiectc, left
upon the records of our Government,
the Constitution of our country, the
laws of God. unite in urging me TO op-
pose the existence of slavery and its at
tendant crimes, not only in Kanzas, but
wherever We have power to prohibit it.
The Democratic party insist that there
Tho master may ever kill his slave, if the
Stare nsist him. -Four thousand years
since, Godbimself. in a voice of thunder,
proclaimed from Sinai, "Thou shalt no.
kiIl.'' The Democrats are endeaYoring
to repeal this law of the Mosr HIeH,
and to render hat commandment void.
In thus sustaining slavery they are
fighting against God, and nature, and
our common humanity.
I repeat, that l embrace this oppor-
tunity of speaking frankly my own
views, and | trust the views of RepuIli
cans and Christians generally, in conse
quense Of the u~nrestrained denuucia
lions iierated and reiterated against us
by the advocates Of oppression. l could
not ask a new member To perform thi.
) duty, Indeed. l have been led to its
discharge principally for the benefit OF
our new members. l desire to hear
them speak BOLDLY when they speak
TO give Inference to their honest emo
tons to speak their sentiments. and
aYow their Doctrines without disguise.
and l would say to them, they need not
fear a dissolution of the Union, of which
We have heard so many limitations ihi,
morning.
1 feel that this threat Of dissolving the
Unien should be met promptly at The
threshold of u session. Ii has long
been held up as the scarecrow, the bug
bear to Tighten doughfaces. These
threats come from the slave States
They are not heard among the public
men Of the free States. They never have
been uttered by the friend of liberty.
A VOICE. Did not SUMNER threaten
to dissolve the Union
Mr.. GIDDINGS. Never, sir. never.
While from the Save States, from the
slayehOlding portion of the Union, they
have been almost constantly proclaimed
for the last quarter of a century. Ever
now, the leading Democratic paper Of
the slave States, the Richmond Enquir
er. almost daily puts forth articles calling
on the people of Virginia to prepare for
q dissolution OF the Union. While the
public press and the politicians of thai
portion Of the Union are thus proclaim
ing their intention to dissolve it, ahey
turn round AID charge US of the Nortl
with efforts to effect that object.
The free States have ever been loya
to the Union, and they will remain so
They will not only refrain from dissol.
wing III but they will NOT hermit II tn he