Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-01-05
REMARKS OF MR. GlDD1NGs IN CON-
GRESS, DEC. Is.

lress the House. The oldest Member in service
hc probably is SO in years also, and the true suo-
cessor OF the "old man eloquent" who, after so
long battling fur Universal Freedom in the Capitol,
at length hallowed i, by falling insensblc at his
post and dying within its walls. .-t
Mr. Gid1iD2s commenced by re5ukng the soe-
tonaIism from day to day displayed on that floor
Iy those who were forever vaunting their Nation
atty. Propositions to let the NOrtltaelect Speak
er from the South, the South from the North
to let the North select one and the South another
torulo loiSty or atarnately--and all manner Of
projects based on the nGrrowest sectional notions
ON the assumption Of a necessary and invincble
antag9nism between different portions of this Con-
fedeacy-were made from day to day without re-
buke. For one, said Mr.. G. repel these dstinc.
tons altogether. They were unknown to our Rev
olutonary Fathers-they arc strangers to the Con-
stitution. know no North, no Souih-I would
as sooh vote for a Southern aq Northern man.
provided he is faithful to the Fundamental prirei
pies of American Liberty. Those principles are
proclaimed in the Declaration o. Independence
they declare all men end3wed-rot by Congress-
not by the Constituton--bu. by their Creator
with certain inalienable rishts-among which are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit Of happiness. Ths
is the Republican platform--it was laid lown by
Jefferson and sanctioned by all the great men OF
our Rcvolution-it is the do-trne embodied by
Jefferson is the first Ordinance excluding Slavery
from The Territories-- has been repeatedly reaf-
irmed by Congress-it is national platform
broad enough for ali who love Liberty to stand on
and not subject to Misrepresentation or decay. lie
who stands on this platform may be called Amer
ican," or "Know Nothing" or "Republican"-I
ask not and care not SO long lie advocates the
application of the principles of the Declaration Of
Independence to the Territories Ct the United
States. Over the institutions Of sovereign States,
Congress las no power; but the Territories are uu-
der Federal jurisdiction and control, and it is the
duty Of Congress to secure to all their inhabitants
the blessings Of Liberty. This is the principle,
defcd in the passage of the Kansas Nebraska act,
which this Congress is required to reestablish and
uphold by restoring to Kansas and Nebraska the
guarantees Of Freedom.
MIR. Giddings proceeded to show what Slavery
is, by quoting the opinions Of q Southern Judge
on the trial Of master for shooting female slave.
lie had q So. her order which she refused to
obey, and startcd to ran, when the master snatch
ed up his riEe and shot her dead MS she ran. The
Judge held this excusable, because Slavery re-
CURED absolute submission from the servan. and
coAiergiHS absoate authority on the master. 1t 10
Il system, said the Judge, which requires that the
slave should be kept in ignorance, should work
without wages should live fur the masters profit
and do the masters Lidding without question or
demur. And this said Mr. c., is the system which
has just been imposed on Kansas.by invading
hordes, under cover Of your Nebraska act. (Sov-
eral Southern Members interrupted Mr.. G.. contra
dieting his assertion that slave resisting his mas
Ter might legally be killed by the latter-yet the
southern law-books are full Of evidence that such
is the fact.) If iii not So said Mr.. c., say to
the slaves, take your liberty and defend it!
In conclusion, Mr., Giddiugs urged the House TO
meet this great issu. frankly and fairly. Be on
one side d the other Of it, Ii the House is not
AntiNebraska. he did not want Speaker Of that
faith elected. If it is, he did want one, and that
speedily. The Country had pronounced its vordict
On this subject. it would reiterate it in the ap-
preaching Presidential Election Let the House
meet the issue with equal frankness and decis,-
ion.
Humphrey Marshall closed the debate on the
part of the Southern Kuow-Nothings. lie pro-
claimed that nc recognized no man as of the Amer
lean party who did not subscribe to the twelfth
section" of the Philadelphia plat(orm-that re-
quiring ''acquiescence" in existing laws with re-
spect 10 Slavery. lie did not care whether u man
was in favor Of the Kansas Nebraska bill wieui.
passed, or opposed it now for his own part, there
were provisions in that bill which he never could
approve-that extending the Right of Suffrage to
Aliens for one. That was contrary to American
principles, and he protested against it. AS to tho
principles of that bill really IIo therefore
addressed question to Mr.. Clancy Jones (whc
had been questioning and speaking pretty freely
through the day. to the scope and effect OF that
bill. After asking one two preliminary ques-'
tions, relating to the husks of the In attor, which,
Mr.. Jones answered quite glbly, he came at length
to the kernel of the matter-''Do you, Mr. Jones,
understand the Kansas Nebraska bill to secure to
every stakeholder a right to migrate to Kansas
with his slaves, and there to hold them as slaves
until the People, in forming Slate Constitution,
shall otherwise decree ?-or, do you hold that the
first or any subsequent Territorial Legislature may
exclude Slavery from such Territory" did not,
understand Mr.. Jones to meet this question: what
did understand him to say was that Congress
had made over to the Territory whatever power il
had, be the same or less, over tho s,biect of
Slavery within its Borders. But | will watch the
officials Reports, and copy therefron the exact
ground on which Mr.. Jones plants himself. This
however, am sure of already: the doctrine Of
Squatter Sovereignty, or tbs right of Territory
to exclude Slavery from its soil, is universally
reprobated at the South.
Mr. Giddings denied that he had used such re-
mark was attributed to him by Mr.. McMullen,
viz that the Government would eventually go in-
to The hands of the North and that the Abolition
party would elect their candidate for the Presden.
cy ard that then the Union must aud ought to b.