Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-07-30
NO. XXXvI.

There Is one other point that feel called up
on to notice. The elder gentleman from Ohio,
[Mr. Giddings,l IN his remarks on yesterday, de-
elared that the effect of slavery was to blunt the
intellectual and moral faculties of those who re-
sided in the States in which the institution exis-
| ted. Now, sir let me call the attention of the
gentleman and the House to one or two histori-
cal facts, to show how utterly unjustifable-
how entirely unfounded such TN assertion is
Was it not a STAKEHOLDER who conceived and
penned the Declaration of American Indepen-
dence, and was he not born, and did he not i've
and did he not die, in slave State2 Did the
institution Of slavery destroy, or even impair his
intellectual faculties? Was IL not a STAKEHOLDER
who contributed moro than all others to the
formation of the Federal Constitution, under
which we have SO long lived? He, too, was
born on slave SOIL was reared on slave soil, died
on slave soil, and now sleeps in the bosom ofthe
slave State Of Virginia. Were his intellectual
faculties bunted by this institutions No, sir!
/ No! Was it not a STAKEHOLDER who penned tho
Virginia resolutions of 1893, and the celebrated
report of 1899, of which John Randolph once
said: "To attemptto add anything to them,
would be like an attempt to gild refined gold, to
slnoothe the ice, to paint the lily, to throw per-
fume on the violet, or add another hue to the
|
Sir, was it not another STAKEHOLDER who drew
the Kentucky resolutions at the same period, and
on the same great snbjectl might give other
illustrations but let these suffice.
Were the intellectual faculties of Mr.. Jefferson
and Mr.. Madison injured by the blighting in
fuence of slavery, when their minds conceived
and their pens wrote out these great papers, so
Astounding in political wisdom. and displaying
such enlarged statesmaEshipl When the gentle
man makes such charge, he does injustice to
himself as well as to others. II the genteman's
mind had not been warped by the passions and
prejudices that unfortunately rule the hour, he
would not have made so unjust an accusation
against the southern section of the Union, in
which my lot has been cast The southern Sec
ton of the Union will not suffer in comparison
with the northern, on the score of intellectual
vigor and ability, and the charge therefore, that
the institution of slavery has dwarfed them, is
unfounded and unjust.
The gentleman charges, also, that slavery hard
ems the heart, and destroys the moral and re-
gious faculties. Will the gentleman say that tho
religion which prevails in the northern section
of this country is of higher, holier, and purer
character than that which prevails in the South!
lit be so, will the gentleman explain to me
how it is, that northern ministers Of the Gospel
20 into their pulpits on the Sabbath day, and
urge their followers to arm themselves with
Sharpe's rifles, for the purpose Of enforcing their
particular political views in Kansas and else-
where! Is such instruction in accordance with
the iniunct;ops of the good Book which has been
given to them as their giide2 Is that such in-
struction as the Author and Founder Of their
! faith would have given to his followers? lie
preached peace and goodwill amongst men, and
discouraged everything like strife, and conten-
ton, and bloodshed. Whenever the gentleman
| finds such things done in the southern country
/ by southern ministers of the Gospel, in the pull
pits of southern churches, on the Sabbath, or
any other day, let him then make the charge,
that the moral and religious sensibilities OF the
southern people have been blunted and destroy
ed But, until he does find such conduct exhibit
ed by southern ministers-untilhe he can find some
instance in which they have preached some 9TH
er doctrine than ''Chrst and him cruciiied,"
! those disgraceful scenes which have occurred in
northern pulpits-those disgraceful doctrines
| which have been proclaimed from the sacred
desk. in that section of the Union, should silence
his tongue.
| AREyoLurIoYAgY IYcIDENT-The second vol
ume of Irving's Life of Washington has just been
! published. From it we Gull the following anec-
] lote. At the time Gen. Washington had his
headquarters at Cambridge:
"a large party Of Virginia riAemen who had
recently arrived in camp, were strolling about
Cambridge and viewing the collegiate buildings,
now turned into barracks. The half Indian Q.
quipments and tringed and rufled hunting garbs
provoked the inerriment OF some troops from
| Marblehead, chiefly fishermen and sailors, who
thought nothing equal to the round jacket and
trowsers. A bantering ensued between them.
There was snow upon the ground,and snow
balls began to fly when jokes were wanting
The parties waxed warm with contest. They
closed and came to blows both sides were re-
inforced. and in little while at least thousand
were at 6sticuffs, and there was o tumult in the
camp worthy Of the days of Homer.
"'At this iuncture,' writes our informant,
Washington made his appearance, whether by
accident or design, never knew. | saw none
of his aids with him mounted. He threw the
bride of his own horse into his servants hands,
sprang from his seat, rushed into the thickest
! of the melee, seized two brawny rifemen by the
throat, keeping them at arms length, talking to
and shaking them"
"As they were from his own province he may
have felt peculiar responsible for their good con-
duct; they were engaged too, in one OF those
sectional brawls which were his especial abhor-
renee; his reprimand must, therefore, hayo been
vehement one. He was commanding in his
serenest moments but irresistible in his bursts
of Indignation. On the present occasion We are
told his appearance and strong handed rebnke
put an instant end to the tuinult. The combat
ants dispersed in all directions in less than three
minutes none remained on the ground but the
two he had collared."
One WHO WANTS HIS .HgLrs INsHURxD--A