Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-12-15

prisionec and sold into intermlnable bondage
IN South Carolina, by the laws Of that State
and when you sent your agent there a re-
preventative of the sovereignty of Massachn-
sets, TO test in the Courts of the United
States the validity of those laws, he was driv
en- from her so and not permitted TO test the
validity of those State enactmeuts. Sir, shall
massachusetts sit quietly, with her arms fold
ed, and see such wrongs and outrages perpe-
trated upon her sons-wrorg s and outrages
that would have produced war and bloodshcd
had they been inflicted by foreign nationa
rejoice that Massachusetts has asserted her
sovereignty in declaring that her jails shall
not be used to imprison fugitive slaves. and
that her officers shall not sgrace that glo-
rious old Commonwealth by playing the blood.
hound in pursuing and seizing the fugitive
from bondage who is fleeing t. Canada.
Mr.. Boyce. l ask the gentleman from
Ohio whether there is any law in any Free
State which prohibits the introduction of free
negroes into such Stale?
Mr.. Giddings.-I believe there is such q
law in the Democratic State of Indiana.
Mr.. Boyce.-As heard of no such law in
any of the Northern States, thought perhaps
none could have existed.
MIR. Giddngs.-I am sorry that such laws
were enacted by Democrats, even in my own
State but we did complain of them and
when the Republicans got the power they re-
pealed them in Ohio. 1t ouly existed in the
darker ages of Locofoco rule, but disappeared
upon the dawn of Republican civilization
[Laughterl,
But was speaking of those transactions of
which the President complaIns-of what has
been done by the State of Massachusetts. Sir,
] ask you to witness the shameful spectacle
that is presented of a President who, from the
Executive chair, undertakes to lecture the
sovereign power of Massachusetts, of YER
mont. Michigan, and perhaps others. for tho
exercise OF their State sovereignty. But the
President has some cause to assail MasSachu
sets. That State has totally bloited out Lo-
coiocoism and Doughfaceism, and now stands
erectin her Republicanism. He also appears
indignant at that State whose Republican star
never sets. In fact, the President may feel
some degree of indignation resulting from the
recent elections IN those States, and is deter
mned to reprove them for their Republican,
ism, while he yet occupies the chair OF state.
The President goes further, and again I'M
dertakes to lecture the people-the people
who have wen him power ard place, and
who have now sent him to political grave.
As he is about retiring from the Presidential
chair, instead of praying for the welfare of
those who have honored him by their conf
dencc-which he has betrayed he is
looking forward to that political grave from
which there will be no esurrection-instead
Of invoking blessings upon the heads of those
who have placed him in the high official pc.
sition which he occupies, he assails them with
calumnious reproaches, and uses his constitu-
nonal privilege of sending a message here to
Willy and SANDER the people and their legisla-
lures. he lectures them for not turning out
to catch the fugitive slave who pass5throughs
these States. Sir, in what age do we live p
Under what circumstances are we placed that
the President of The United States Undertakes
to assall and scold the people, whose. servant
he is, for not assisting TO the utmost of their
ability, to prevent their fellow men from es-
Gaping from an oppression which from their
Utmost souls they detest
never saw painting fugitive flying from
bondage, that L did not pray God most ear
Mestly to speed him in his flight, aud to enable
him to make good his escape. The whole SYM
pathy of my nature is enlisted in his behalf.
l always feel anxious that he may escape from
the crushing power under which he has been
borne down. And yet the President assumes
to lecture me because l choose to obey God
rather than him. Why, sir, gentlemen may
listen while tell them that have seen at one
time nine fugltives dining in my own house
fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, and chill
dren, fleeing for their liberty. and, in spite of
the Presidents censure, obeyed the divine
mandate to feed the hungry and clothe the
naked. l fed them. l clothed them. gave
them money for their journey, and sent them !
on their way. Was that treason If So, make
the most of it.
Mr.. Bennett of Mlssissippi.--I want to
know if the gentleman would not have gone
one step furtler?
Mr.. Giddlngs. sir, would have gone
one step further. l would have driven the
slave carcher who dared pursue them, from
my premises. would have kicked him from
my door-yard, if he had made his appearance
there.
Nh Bennett of Mississippi Would not the
gentleman have justified the taking of them
by force or stealth in the first instance.
Mr., Giddings.-I would snite down the
infmous Slave-eatcher if he were to enter my
door in his infamous attempts to arrest and
enslave a brother man. l hope the President
will feeln unhappiness at what am saying.
MIR. Speaker, make these staten ents in or
der that the people Of my native State of
Pennsylvania, the people of our Northern
States, may express their manhood, and not
be held in silence by executive insoence. 1t
is the duty OF every man, tits Christian du-
ty, that we should speak out our honest senti-
ments in condemnation of those infamous
crimes. But want to speak little further.
do not mean to speak of Slavery as q mere
crime. The STAKEHOLDER controls the slave by
the lash. lie scourges him into submission
to his own will. But further than this no ner-
son is allowed to teach a slave to read the BIZ
BILE under penalty of Imprisonment. Ignor-
ancc is encouraged by a legislative enactment.
Now, Sir, further than this, whenever a mas
ter attempts to correct slave and the slave re-
sists, the master is at liberty to shoot down
such slave. Thus, the master holds The pow
er of life and death over his slave, tyranny
which sets at defiance all European despot-
isms.
Ny. Bennett, of Mississippi.-I want the
member from Ohio to draw the distinction be-
tween the stakeholder bringing his slave into
subsection by the lash, and the Northern men
bringing their poor people into subsection by
starvation.
Mr.. Giddings.-The gentleman understands
that the wife Of a slave held by the master is
lnbe to lis pollutions. and dare not resist her
masters approaches. He sells her children
aye, his own offspring, born of his slave-for
paltry pelf. There is no such thing i'll our
Northern code.
Mr.. Bennett, of Mississippi-I would ask
the gentleman from Ohio if he IS not aware
that in certain case of the separation of
child from its mother, by articles of separa-
ton Northern man was the purchaser OF the
child, and not Southern man?
Mr.. Giddings.-l know not of the particu-
lar case referred to by the gentleman, but here
in tile city OF Washington, as told you by that
old man eloquent, Mr.. j. @. Adams twenty
wears ago. q slave dealer. reekinp in ininnifv