The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-06-28
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. II. M. Il. HUNTER,
or VIRGINIA,


In relation to the assault on Mr. SUMNER aud the resou-
tons of the Massachusetts legislature that subject
delivered in the Senate Of the United States june "a
. 1856.
Mr. HUNTER said Mr.. President it with deep re-
gre that first the announcement OF the passage oi
those resolutions by the legislature of the State Of Massa-
chuse was concerned to that great State nterpose
for the purpose OF converting what seemed TO mo TO DO
personal dispute into the magnitude OF public quarrel
In the history of the houses Of Congress since the in
sutution Of this government there have been many in
stances of personal collisions in which members have been
engaged arising OF words spoken in debate but far
am acquainted with their history this is the first
IN which any State has nteposed for the purpose OF taking
part IN such quarrels When Mr.. John Quincy Adams OF
Massachusetts was President Of the United States his Sec
reary of State challenged senator from Virginia for
words spoken in debate and tho quarrel thus made was
not settled until two shots had been exchanged on the
ground The Legislature of Virginia did not intepose for
the purpose Of demanding OF the Senate t protect lie priv
egas OF its aenato 10 shield him from the consequences
of his speech but the contrary it content 10 leave
lief that hp would be able to defend hinse There have
been cases in which members have fallen at the hands OF
each other for disputes arising out Of Debates and yet
know of instance before in which the legislature of
State has stepped forward to reudge the case and TO pro-
nounce the sentence which is 10 be given.
can see consequence likely TO flow from this at
tempt in the present INSTANCE that OF eSaspoatng the
unfortunate sectional dispute which is now raging In the
country But sir, that not the only thing in these
resolutions which excited pain and regret in my mind. ]
concerned to that when the State OF Massachusetts
of rebuc to its senator for the offensive language which
he uttered not merely towards majority of the members
of this body towards certain individuals who were in
it, but towards all the slave States and particularly to-
wards the States Of South Carolina and Virginia. Not
only did she have word of rebuke TO offer for such
speecha speech which called out from the venerable
from Michigan Mr. CAss the declaration that it was
the unpatiotc and unAmercan speech he had ever
heard this oornot only say, did she have no word
of rebne TO utter the offensive personalities of suoh
speech but she actually endorsed and encouraged them
tnrs he ratu m bprl
for in other light regard her resolution zap
proving" of Mr. SUMMERS manness and courage in his
and fearless declaration of free principles and his
deiepse af human rlghle and free territory
Mr. President so long the attacks on my state ea
mated from single individual had nothing to say Vir-
gnia live under the tauntS of any individual care
not who he be and portentous indeed would be The day
if it should ever arise, when The
:" Falcon, towering in her pride Of place,
Can, by mousing owl, be hawkd at, and klld"
But when State of this conedcraoy forward TO en-
dorse the attack and 10 thank the person who has uttered
what conceive to be SANDER il appears to me that
owe ii as duty TO constituents and 10 myaef well
as y Others Bho may pc concerned To examine into the
foundation upon which this accusation has been
cessariy and unproyokedly made against my State.
pass the personalities towards friends Of mine on
this foortoWards myself even, far included in
that majority who voted for the bill and
towards savehodiug States In the generality to which
belong-and come to the specific attack the State Of
Virginia which understand the State Of Massachusetts,
endorse and approve The senator from Massach oe
lar. sUnsEhi speaking OF nay colleague, said: "
He holds the commission of Virginia but he does
rsRrs;st hs early saia so dear to our a'sr, Yses
declared and tho sword OF Washington, by which
was but he that other M
faces where human beings are bred as cattle Tor the sham
be and where dungeon rewards the pious matron who
teaches little phareH 70 relieve their bondage oy reading The
issS BSGs stas ts should PEiPse 9a sgsa a % ss
The foundation upon which this accusation rests
and has not the poor merit Of originality with him
who has last made its the fact that slavery, and
consequence of il the slave trade exists in the State Of
Virginia that ia say slaves not only held in bond
age but being treated property it follows as con-
These are the facts upon which the attack is
based. The coloring in which II is dressed up de-
pends on the fancy the taste Of him who may happen
10 use the brush say il has the poor merit Of
originality bu II is a stale and hackneyed reproach in the
cant OF all the abolition newspapers, 1t was made by
distinguished scholar and rhetoCian the other side Of
the water who assaied the States of Virginia aud North
Carolina for what he called the domestic slave trade-a
who though distinguished for his felicity in picture
writing often lis effect by the exrayagance Of the
colorng which he uses-I the celebrated Macauay.
The foundation which this rests Is that owing TO the
fact Of the juxaposon Of these two SOIL sla
very has flowed from II as necessary Incident These
circumstances Of long standing and for which
more responsible than those who accuse u.s. History
proves that so far Virginia concerned, this nstu
ton fastened upon her against her remonstrance by
the British government History also shows and the
State in his Speech that the slave sold to In great
part by the OF Old England and New England and
surely the buyer could not have been responsible than
he who sold TO him.
Now sir out Of the nct that these races have been stand
ing together side by side in great numbers in the relation
Of master and slave 1t has followed that the happiness Of
both requires that this relation should be kept up
This has been proved by the experience Of the British gov
itself; and " there such experience "
could be proved by any who knew how upon
the principles Of human nature Turn them loose toor
side by side and you would the black perish
ing In the fierce competition which would with the
superior and white race, which dominant around
H. You would see either that o You would that
they increased In numbers and population began 10
press upon the Of subsistence the white would
Of this continent TO the occupation OF the negro. We
know that from the experiment which has already been
tried. may say that human nature and the experience
Of States around both teach that although the slave
would DO nominay emancpaed he would in fact be in
far worse bondage than he was held before lie would
have not one, but many masters and instead OF having
one person who responsible for bis protection
who linked TO him. all persons who inherit
slaves by the ties OF certain Of family connexon he
would belong 10 every white man. and nobody would be
responsible for the treatment by which he crushed
say this proved too by the experiment which has been
Islands We know that if similar experiment tried
here it's effect would be 10 substitute barbnrism for Ciyza
on and that the wilderness and waste would begin
encroach at once upon the cultivated field
We know the other hand that under this institution
Of slavery present than three millions Of AZ
negroes who exhibit greater degree Of progress aud
Improvement Of happiness and virtue than the
Der of that who be found under any other gov
eminent in any other cline. say, then, that
point to all these things TO prove and to show that the
holding Of these in bondage the necessary result Of
those circumstances which originated Of the action
mart Of Old Enpland and OF New England herself Now