Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-02-05

carnage, the survivors here, and, in differ
ent sections of the country, are exultant
with joy that they have not all been slain /;
that few yet survive; and truly they may
be said to be monuments of the spariDg
mercy of the people. /,
The President, among Others, has found
himself victim of the Slave Power. Hav-
ing expended what moral and political IN
fiuence he possessed in favor of human
bondage, they have cast him off as no
longer useful. Given up by Northern and
abandoned by slaveholding friends, he can
do nothing more than submit to that SEN
tence of condemnation which the people
have pronounced against him. But while
he vet fingers upon the verge of political
life, he seizes upon the last moments OF his
political existence to send forth to the coun-
try the very extraordinary message now be-
fore us.
In bestowing few moments attention
upon this most singular State paper, l
shall pass over that which may be regarded
as merely the declamatory portion, and no
tice only one or two of those assertions on
which l wish to comment.
I call attention To the declaration which
reads follows: 'a $50
"In the long series of acts indiscreet aggres-
sion the first was the strenuous agitation, by cit
liens of the Northern States, in Congress and cut
of it, of the question of negro emancipation In
the Southern States.
Here is distinct assertion, that sin Con-
gress, citizens of the Northern States had
strenuously agitated the question OF negro
characterization in the Southern States" 1t
i not an assertion that "agitation" tending
to anegro emancipation" had been avowed
in Congress, as the member from South
Carolina Mr.. KEIrr] has represented.
Why, sir, the assertion of every neral prin-
cipal the reading of the gospel, every ex-
hortation to do Justice, every sermon, every
prayer of faith, tends to emancipation, not
only in our Southern Safes, but through
out the world. But when members hold
seats here, they are supposed to act in their
legislative capacity, and only on subjects
over which they have constitutional juris-
diction. No persons act in this body but
members; and the charge of the President
is, that members of Congress haze dgita-
ted the subject Of emancipation an the
Southern States.
Now, sir, have served long in this body
and have been regarded as the most ultra
Anti-Slavery member for nearly twenty
wears; and if the President intended to IN
volve any present member in this charge,
he doubtless referred to me, | will say,
very frankly. that never presented petit
ton, resolution, bill, proposition, or motion,
nor have / ever proposed negro emancipa-
ton in the Southern States, in any speech
l ever delivered in this body nor do think
such proposition was ever made or pre-
sented in either branch of Congress. On
the contrary, in almost every speech | ever
made in this House, have taken care to
deny all constitutional power to Interfere
with Slavery in the States, either TO uphold
or destroy it.
Sir, my life has not been spent in the
dark corners of the earth. l have often
spoke in this body; have written much ;
but in no writing or speech, made here or
elsewhere, can any man lay his hand on a
proposition for emancipating the slaves of
our Southern States by Congressional leg
islation. l wish we had the power, and
the independence TO use it; / would at once
vote to strike the fetters from the limbs Of
every human being upon Gods footstool.
But. sir, suppose Northern men had re-
ally believed Congress possessed the power
to emancipate slaves in the Southern States,
would they have felt it their duty TO con-
suit the President upon the propriety Of
speaking their sentiments? Thank God,
we are not amenable to that officer. We
hold our seats here from the people; our
| commissions are from power higher than
that which he holds. To that power we
acknowledge feality, but not to the Presi.
| dent. 54, ~ eF s
But, sir, while the history of Congres
can show no assertion of right in Congress
| to carry Freedom into the Slave States, oul
records show numerous instances in which
members from Slave States have asserted
the right to carry Slavery into our Free
States. / think it was in 1888, that dis
tinguished member of the body from Vir
ginia Mr.. WISE asserted the right of slave
holders to carry slaves upon the soil Of ouI
Free States. Indeed, Virginia, in her soy
ereign capacity, now claims that right, and
is contesting case in which that question
is involved. 4- - caI ~
In l849 distinguished member from
Georgia Mr.. TooMBs asserted on this
floor that it was the constitutional duty o
our Federal Government to sustain the
Shareholders possession of his slave wherer-
er the American flag may float: and since
that gentleman has held seat in the Sen
ate, he has outraged the feelings of New
England and the whole North, by decla-
ring that he will "yet call the roll of his
slaves under the shadow of Bunker Hill
Monument that he will polute that holy
ground which drank the blood of Warren
and his companions, while fighting for Free
dom, by the footsteps of Gods image il
manacles! SD -f
Sir, these men had the right to speak
their sentiments-5to unfold their moral
powers-and utter the doctrines which
they hold to be true They were as inde-
pendent of the President as that officer was
of them. They were no more responsible
to him than he was to them; and | stand
here to defend the freedom OF speech, both
to the North and South. And however
opposed their views were to my own, they
had perfect right to utter them. But
where slept the thunder of the President
when these doctrines of enslaving the
North were put forthl Are all his re-