The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-08-20
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. J. IL. LUMPKIN,
on GEORaIA.

On the Slavery Agitation; delivered in the House OF Rep
resentatives August 2, 1856.
The House being in Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union, and having under consideration The
naval appropriation bill =
Mr. LUMPKIN addressed the committee as follows:
Mr. CHAIRMAN; have been contented up to this time
manifest my position all questions presented for my
consideration by my recorded votes upon the journals of
the House of Representatives. and my personal inclination
continue this until the close of the present
session Of Congress- and now nothing could change
my determination but the conviction, TO which every
hours experience in this hall gives additional strength,
that ia the duty of every southern member who is true to
his obligations and faithful to his constituency to meet the
present alarming crisis unsuccessfuy at least boldly
that the people may that, far the southern
ton of the Union is concerned, there division of
sentiment upon any Of the issues that have been presented
for consideration. have submitted, with all the
philosophy could command, TO the unmeasnred personal
assaults upon the South and its domestic institutions that
have been made this floor by those representing thean
slavery sentiment of the North As American citizen
and a member of the American Congress- have been
deeply panied the ruthless and attacks made
upon section OF this great of States by
those who represent another and different section and if
had taken counsel Of my feelings should time and
again during this session OF Congress- have hurled back
upon assaiants the language of we-ounded resent
ment the bitter denunciaon of indignant and
contempt
We have been denounced here the slaveocracy-the
as criminals who in violation of the laws
of God and man, deal in human esh and draw sup
port from the groans and agones OF portion of the hu
that hold in servle bondage One individual
Who by lifetime service in this House perhaps od
ous the South than any other public in this republic
has referring to isolated highly colored crime
pushed and party far attempt
to upon the southern section Of the Union the black
and basest offences known to the decaogue Day after
day have compelled to sit quietly in and
hear these ISLANDERS uttered in this hail in presence
and If southern representative, to himself and
to his constituents should resent it, in the only way such
assaults deserve be resented he arragned at the bar
of this House a cuprit and packed majority, COM
posed of abotonsts black republicans grayely insist
on his expulsion unworthy Of seat tins floor And
the preex is orsooth that the freedom OF debate in the
national Congress been violated and the grave offence
can only be expiaed by expelng the southern member
who the spirit and manness to resent the insult and
hold the slanderer to personal accountability And
has come this that represen tatve in American
Congress whom has been conded the rights and inter
ests OF than hundred thousand inhabitants shall
basey submit to personal insult and foumouhed abuse
upon his constituents without any manifestation of feeling
esenment the condition upon which he shall be per-
mitted occupy seat within this hall fso then desire
here in my place say for ALL that the South has
no need of further representation and those here who be-
eve that any true southern representative will submit 10
SO and humating condition have not properly
dersood the character Of the South the members OF
this House who represent that section of the Union Tho
people of the South loyal TO the constitution and to the
Union of that constitution, and would make now IN
times they have made great and important sacrifices
not involing their constitutional equality to perpetual
that Union but the South and pever will
that the halls of Congress shall be used as stage
propagate slander and utter hbes upon her people and
their domestic institutions and she would Justly disown
any representative who did promptly every in
suit upon himself or the people who had chosen him
their representative These outrages upon the South
attempted be justified upon the plea that the constitu
ton Of the United States protects and guarantees the
liberty Of speech and of the press and shields mem
Der from being questioned in any other place for nyhng
said by him in debate; and under Of this limited
and special provision majority Of this House embold
ened to sander and utter libels against entire
ton Of this Union and meanly and whningy urge that
they must not be questioned for II anywhere else deny
this doctrine as unenabe and as disoganizing as well
base and cowardly and far from its being sanctioned
by written unwriten law, by any authority human
divine the very of this assumption Is and
IL has been held by the Supreme Court of the United
Sate-the highest judicial tribunal in this country Tho
slanderer or the beller is answeabe before the judicial
tribunals any who may be aggrieyed at his words
and will be protection to him to plead his privilege
as member OF either house Of Congress, and that l4a
words were spoken by him in debate am aware that
those who seek TO excite the two sections Of this Union
open hostility to each other by the and abuse o
these privileges members Of the two houses OF Congress
have attempted maintain that they had the right w
anything they chose however false sanderous and libel
lous Of individuals communities and then claim pro-
fined congressional privilege from being questioned in any
other place In the name Of the people Of the South
here enter my most solemn protest against any such
The enemies Of the South who have for more than
twenty years been carrying forward systematic oppos
ton TO the institution Of slavery have sought make the
halls of Congress the citadel from which these assaults
were to be hurled IL commenced by the opponents OF
slavery peonng Congress TO abolish that institution in
the District OF COLUMBIA 10 abolish the slave trade between
the States and TO prohibit slavery in the Territories the
common property OF the United States They sought by
this agtate the question Of negro PATTON
and thus inviting Congress to consider other questions
either directly remotely connected with the rights
South in the perpetuation OF this institution TIE South
regarded this at that time attempt the part Of the
anisavery OF the North destroy the value Of our
slave property, by creating the impression that title
10 II uncertain and temporary rather than fixed and
permanent These movements, however, promptly
and boldly resisted by majority OF Congress, who
did then concur in the adoption Of a standing rule,
by which they sought TO prevent the aboitonss from
agitatng this dangerous and exciting question in the
House Of Representatives majority OF Congress saw
and felt from the commencement that open the doors
Of the House receive the food Of abolition and ncen-
diary petitions that then pouring In upon It, would
be 10 disregard and trampe upon the rights interes
and institutions Of large section Of the Union There
then, thank God patriotism justice and devotion TO
the constitution sufficient In Congress 10 preven IT, and
arrested by the famous 2ls rule Of the House which
that character Northern statesmen who disavowcd all
sympathy with the abolitioniss affected be deeply
cerned at the alleged violation Of the constitutional right
Of petition that had been effected by the adoption OF this
rule And ene distinguished member from the State of
Massachusetts, devoted the best portion Of the remainder
Of bis life to efforts which but successful in re-
scnding this barrier congressional slavery agitation
In the District Of Columbia in the Territories and even
In the States OF the Union such gevanc the peo-
pie Of the nonsaveholdng States contemplated by
the trainers Of the constitution when they inserted In that
instrument provision securing to the people the rght
peaceaby TO assemble and petition Congress ior redress
Of grevance Was there ever gross fragrant per-
version OF any provision Of the constitution yet in l46
he and those who acted with him had so sr influenced
public opinion In the northern section Of the Union
they succeeded In resembling this and by this