The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-10
Il HlRTY-F 0URTH CONGRESS-.
First Session.
Friday, January 6, 1856.
SENATE.
The Senate did not sit to-day.

fr1dGy, January 6, 1856.
u - SENATE.
The Senate did not sit today.
VA. HOUSE.
In the House, Mr.. Boyce, of Soutb Carolina.
made an explanation in regard to certain opin-
ions supposed to be held by him. in relation to
the Union. He was not an enemy. but friend
to the Union. He feared, however. its extinc-
ton would follow, as matter of course. should
the republican party come into power at the
North. 1t proposed measures which. if carried
out, must result In disunion. He feared its ul-
tmate triumph. 1t appealed to the Anti-Sla-
very sentiment of the North, and to its love of
power 1t successful, the North would monop-
ONE the Government, degrade the South, and
claim everything for itself. Would that the
voice OF sectional discord might be allayed
In the course of his remarks. having alluded
to the wise men of the Revolution as being an
mated by spirit of concession and compro-
mise
MI. Allison, OF Pennsylvania, rose to reply.
The Republicans sought to interfere with none
OF the institutions of the South Slavery in the
states they did not interfere with, but Slavery
outside OF the States they resisted This was
not violation of the spirit of the Revolution. but
III harmony with it. He then showed that Benia-
min Franklin was President of an Abolition
Society, and other great men of the Revolution
took an active part in Anti-Slavery efforts.
MI. Orr, OF South Carolina, here asked Mr..
Allison whether he concurred with the gentle
man from Ohio, in the speech he had made
few days ago, in which he advised slaves to rise
up and butcher their masters
MIR. Giddings instantly sought to obtain the
floor, but MIR. Stephens, of Georgia, and other
Southern members, tried to prevent him.
At last, on motion of l.. d. Campbell, of
Ohio, he was allowed to explain.
Mr.. Giddings then said have no deisre to
detain this House more than one minute.
think that for the last eighteen years | have, in
almost every speech that / have addressed to
this House, sufficiently disavowed any intention
of invading the rights of the States of this
Union. So careful have l been, that in nearly
every address which have made, have spe-
officially, in spirit and in language, avowed that
we had no right to legislate for or against Sla.
very in the States. But when we were about
to legislate, and were declaring our right to
legislate, for Kansas, i stated what deemed to
be the law OF Slavery-the power of the master
over his slave. laid it down, in as explicit
language as | could command that the slave
was deprived of the right of defending himself
against the master. At that point of nv re-
marks, the gentleman from Virginia Mr.. Letch-
slave was protected by the same law as he him.
self. Then | remarked at once that the slaves
of Virginia had the right of selfdefence and
would have right to protect themselves
against the violence of the master, Just in the
same degree as the master had to protect him
self against the violence of the slave; that in
such case, the right of selfdefence would ex-
tend to that OF Staying the assailant, if necessa-
ry to defend himself. And | Immediately add
ed, that the gentleman from Virginia was mis-
taken in what he said-that the law of Vir-
GINA gives the master this power to defend
himself, but takes it from the slave | did say
that, ifhe gentleman from Virginia pere cor
rect, the slaves of that State would have the
right of selfdefence. / made that statement
explicitly, with that qualification, if that gen.
tleman were right in what he stated; and i'm
mediately added, that he aoas wrong. i stated
that | would give my authority for what said,
in my printed speech; and have done So.
Loud cries of Call the roll!"l
The House then proceeded to the ninety first
10 Co.. g. Al I'll