The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-25

ran to the bridge over the canal on Seventh street,
and precipitated himself into a watery grave,
rather than meet the horrors of the slave
market. think it is near twenty years since MI.
Adams called attention to the case of slave
mother, with her two children, confined IN the
slave prison Seventh street and Maryland
avenue; and when, with none but her sleep
ing children in the lone dungeon, she thought
of the miserable existence which she and her
children were doomed to drag out on the cotton
or sugar plantation of the South, her mind De-
came affected and her reason dethroned, she
murdered the children of her own body; and
then, laying violent hands upon herself she rush
ed to the presence of her God, and there made
her appeal for vengeance upon those who sustain
the laws under which she was subjected to
Slavery.
More recently, in Covington, Kentucky, a father
and mother, with their three children, shut up
in slave dungeon and doomed to Southern
slave market, when there was no eye to pity and
no arm to save, by mutual agreement sent the
souls of their children to Heaven rather than
suffer them to descend to the hell of Slavery, and
then committed suicide, and burst into the pres
ence of God, and made their appeal against those
who now sustain crimes which rise to Heaven,
and call for vengeance upon our guilty land.
Why, sir, it is scarcely year since Margaret
Garner, upon the soil of Ohio bathed her hands
in the blood of her babe, rather than permit the
slave-catcher to carry it back to life of chains,
and signs, and tears, and bitter suffering. And
those miserable wretches, subjected to such out
RACES, the member from Mississippi would repre-
sent occupying position equal with our labor
ing freemen of the North. Again | say, may
God forgive him. l pity his ignorance of our
laboring population.
] return to the message. More than half Of 1t
is occupied in attempting to cast reproach upon
members of Congress, State Legislatures, and the
people, for thinking their own thoughts and
speaking their own words. This, sir, has been
the theme of tyrants, despots, and oligarchs, in
all ages of the world. Eighteen hundred years
since, it presented the principal difficulty in estab
fishing our holy religion. Its founder met the
intolerant rulers of that day in language of stern
defiance. He pronounced woe unto scribes,
pharisees, and hypocrites. The same intolerance
exhibited in this message caused the arrest and
crucfxion of the immaculate Nazarene and
since that period, Christianity and civilization
have contended againstit. During the dark ages,
intolerance reigned throughout the world. Ty-
rants and priests dictated to men what they
should believe and what they should speak. The
Inquisition, the rack, the torture, anathemas and
maedictions, held the world in ignorance, until
the lamp of Christianity family flickered in the
socket.
When the Reformation broke out, men began
to think and speak their thoughts intelligence
beamed upon the earth with increased splendor;
but it has not yet fully overcome the spirit of
religious and civil despotism. Here, in our own
land, we have seen tyranny in various forms. For
many years it exhibited itself in this Hall in the
form of gag-rules resolutions to suppress the
freedom of speech resolutions of censure upon
members who spoke and acted contrary to the
dictates of the Slave Power; by rejecting petit
tons of the people; by constant threats to dis
only tbQ E1ninn nd Nv viz
a distinguished member of the other branch of
Congress. All through the slave States, it is
foundin statutes prohibiting the freedom ofspeech
and Furnishing those who teach slaves to road
the Scriptures speak in favor of human rights.
1t is manifested by acts of violence toward those
who speak in favor of Liberty by driving from
those States men who vote according to the die
tates of their judgments and consciences. In
Kansas, it is manifested by bogus statutes ma
king it death to utter sentiments of Liberty. 1t
is manifested throughout the North by the Dem
ocratic press and Democratic speakers, and by
some of our religious organizations and minis
ters who inveigh against the discussion of those
doctrines of the gospel and of our fathers.
Even our religion and our literature has been
corrupted by these efforts to suppress discussion
of the Divine commandment {" Thou shalt Lore
thy neighbor as UyseC" The Democratic party,
including many preachers and church members,
have labored and still are laborng to repeal this
dictate of the Gospel, as we'll as that which COM
mands to do unto Others as ice rould haze them
do unto u.s." Yet the tide of reform rolls on.
in spite of all these influences. The car of Lib
erty is in motion. Those who stand before it,
must hasten out of the way, or be crushed be-
meath its irresistible power.
1t is at such time, and under such circum-
stances, that the President reads his political
death.warrant, issued by the people. Like Bel
shaZzar, he sees the handwriting upon the wall
but he needs no Daniel to give the Interpretation
thereof He must depart. The cold sweat of
political death starts from his brow and soon
it will be said of him, he died as he bred, the
ADVOCATE OF OPPRESSION"