Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-02-25


ing at one time in my own house-fath-
ers, mothers, husbands, wives, parents,
and children. When they came 10 my
door, hungry and faint, cold and bu'
partially clad, l did not turn round to
consult the Fugitive Law, nor to ask the
President what should do KNEW the
Constitution of my country, and would
not violate it. obeyed the divine man
date, to feed the hungry and clothe the
naked. fed them. l clothed them,
gave them money for their journey, and
sent them on their way rejoicing. 1
obeyed God rather than the President.
l obeyed my conscience, the dictates of
my heart, the law of my moral being,
the commands of Heaven, and, l will
add, of the Constitution of my country.
for no man of intelligence ever believed
that the trainers Of that instrument in
tended to involve their descendants Of
the free States in any act that should
violate the teachings of the Most High,
by seizing a fellow being, and returning
him to the hell of Slavery. If that be
treason, make the most of it.
Mr.. BENNETT, of Mississippi, 1 want
to know if the gentleman would not have
gone one step further?
Mr.. GIDDINGS. Yes sir; 1 would
have gone one step further. l would
have driven the slave catcher who dared
pursue them from my premises. Iwould
have kicked him from my door-y if
he had made his appearance there; or.
had attempted to enter my dwelling, l
would have stricken him down upon the
threshold of my door.
L do not speak these things to give
the President unhappiness. l mention
them TO show the people of our flee
States the rights which hold to be clear
and sacred under the Constitution. There
is neither Constitution nor law that for
bids them 10 speak their opinions in re-
gard to Slavery. As already stated, the
master holds the power of life and death
over the Slave; he not only robs the slave
Of his earnings, his intelligence, his man
hood, but murders him if he refuses to
be aogged-a tyranny revolving to every
sense of justice, to every dictate of
Christianity-a tyranny more unmi:iga
ted than any despotism of tie Old
Wcrld.
Mr.. BENNETT, of Mississippi 1
want the member from Ohio to draw the
distinction between the STAKEHOLDER bring.
ing his slave into subsection by the lash.
and the Northern men bringing their
poor people into subjection by starvation.
Mr.. GlDDINGS. The gentleman
understands that the wife of slave held
by the master is liable 10 his polIutions,
and dare notresist her masters approach
es. He sells her children, ay. his own
offspring, born of his slave, for paltry
pelf. There is no such thing i'll our
northerp code.
But, sir, il is amusing to hear Southern
men attempt to disgrace Northern labor
ers. Why. sir. the laborers of my district
generally are the peers of the member
from Mississippi; his equals in learning.
intelligence, in all those virtues which
constitute The dignity of man. I. sir,
am one of the labOring men. There is
now living in my county man for whom
l labored while youth. 1 was faithful
then and believe he has always voted
for me when he had an opportunity. 1.
will continue faithful to him. He labor
ed with me every day while 1 was in his
employ; and, though he is now old. and
has divided most of his property among
his children, l think he has enough left
to compete with the member who now
assails our laboring men.
Mr.. BENNETT, of Mississippi. would
ask the gentleman from Ohio, if he is
not aware that in certain case of sep
aration of child from it's mother, by
articles of separation, Northera man
was the purchaser of the child, and not
a Southern man.
Mr.. GIDDINGS. l know nothing Of
the particular case referred to by the
from Mississippi; but here, in
this city, we have seen enough of those
horrors of the slave trade which chill the
soul, and appeal 10 the deepest sympa
Ihies of our nature. l have often refer. |
ed to them in this Hall. Why, sir, dur
ing the first session of my servicein Con
gress, woman in this city sold her
slave to the dealers in human flesh,
many of whom yet linger around u.s.
He was a man of family; and when he
earned his sad fate he attempted to put
an end to his existance by cutting his
own throat. He was prevented by those
hear him, but soon broke from them, ran
o the bridge over the canal on Seventh
street, and participated himself into
Tatery grave, rather than meet the hor-
-ors of the slave market. l think it is
lear twenty years since Mr.. Adams cal
ed attention TO the case of slave moth
n, with her two children, confined in the
lave prison on Seventh street and Mary
and avenue; and when, with none but
Ter sleeping children in the lone dun
,eon, she thought of the miserable exis-