Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-02-05
NO.24.
Ha

some citizens pining in Southern slavery,
BY reason of Southern State laws. Sir,
when the semi-barbarians of Algiers COM
mitted precisely the same outrages, when
they seized and enslayed our people, we did
not remain silent, with Cur arms folded, but
we sent an army and feet there, and
butchered those shareholders without mer-
cy. The civilized world pronounced them
barbarians, unfit for human association, and
fully justified us in waging an extermina-
ting war against them. But now, when
the Slave States perpetrate the same out
RACES upon our free-bom citizens, the Presl-
dent does not even refer to the fact. On
that, he and his whole party, including the
whole race of doughfaces, remain silent,
while he endeavors, with whatever influ-
ence his office has clothed him, to east re-
proach upon Free State Governments, who
refuse to assist in returning the flying bond
man to the Plu, ,onic regions Of Slavery
rejoice that Massachusetts, has stood up
in the dignity of her own sovereignty, and
refused to permit her prisons or her officers
to be polluted by rendering assistance to
brutal SlstSS-CdtCuSlS. ..fr
Mr.. BOYCE. I ask the gentleman
from Ohio whether there is any law in any
Free State which prohibits the introduce
tion of free negroes into such Statea I
Mr.. GIDDINGS. / believe the is such
a law in the Democratic State of Indiana.
Mr.. BOYCE. As I heard no COM
plant of such law in any of the Northern
States, / thought perhaps none could have
existed. =z-s r. -a - 20 gsss
Mr.. GIDDINGS. am sorry that such
laws were enacted by Democrats, even in
my own State; but we did not complain of
them; and when the Republicans got the
power, they repealed them in Ohio. They
only existed during the darker ages of Lo-
cofoco rule, but disappeared upon the dawn
ing of Republican civilization. [ laughter ]
was speaking of the undignifed spec
tacle presented by his message. l suppose
its authorship cannot be mistaken BY any
one who served in this hall with The pres
ent Attorney General The astute sophis-
try and carelessness, not to say disregard
of facts, are characteristic of that officer,
whose sincerity ofpurpose on behalf of Sla-
very ought not to be doubted. He estab-'
Iished that fact fully while here. I recols
lect on certain occasion / presented reso-
lutions, declaring the right of the people Of
the Free States to be free and exempt from
The disgrace and crime of supporting the
slave trade; and that distinguished men1-
Der pronouced such resolutions san ap,
prorimation to treason" He doubtless
feels that anything now said in behalf Of
Freedom, is an advance towards treason.
Nor is the President destitute of provoca-
ton TO speak on this subject. New En-
gland has blotted cut the Slave Democracy
from the land of the Pilgrims. He and
his supporters have been discarded; but
now, as he is about to depart, conscious
that the places that know him now shall
know him no more forever, he exhibits "his
ruling passion strong in death" s1 tss
But the President again resumes his lee
ture to the people of the Free States.
They appear to be the cause Of all his trou-
BILE. Again be reproaches and scolds those
who gave him political life, who raised him
to power and place. As he is retiring from
the Executive Chair to that political grave
from which there is no resurrection, he
does not exhibit the ordinary Christian re-
signation. He utters no prayer for the
people, for the liberties of mankind; he in
vokes no blessings upon bis native land.-
He exhausts his dying breath in calamni-
ating the people for their devotion to Free
dom, and denounces them for not assist
ing the slave-catcher in securing his VIC
tins as they flee from bondage which IS far
worse than death. Sir, with what circum-
stances are We surrounded? in what age
do we Gyea that the Chief Magistrate of
The nation should thus condemn the best
sympathies of the human heart and seek
to change the law of our, natures, to eradi-
cate from the human soul the law which
was written upon it by the finger of God.
Why, sir, / never saw painting fugitive
speeding his way for Freedom, that an in
voluntary invocation did not burst from
my lips, that God would aid him in his
fightl Such are the feelings of every
man in our free States, whose heart has
not become hardened in iniquity. lido not
eon6ne this vitue to Republicans, not to
Apti-Slavery men; speak of all men, of
all parties, in all Christian communities
Northern Democrats feel it; they ordinari-
ly bow to this higher law of their natures,
and they only prove reereant to the law Of
the ..Most High" when they regard the in
terests of the Democratic party as superior
to Gods law and the rights of mankind. ss
Gentlemen will bear with me when I
assure them and the President that have
seen as many as nine fugitives dining at
one time in my own house-fathers, moth
ers, husbands, wives, parents, and children.
When they came TO my door, hungry and
faint, cold and partially clad, 1 did not
turn round to consult the Fugitive Law,
nor to ask the President what ] should do.
l knew the Constition of my country and
would not vioate it. l obeyed the divine
mandate, to feed the hungry and clothe
the naked. fed them. 1 clothed them
gave them money for their journey, and
sent them on their way rejoicing. l obey
ed God rather than the President. I obey
ed my conscience, the dictates of my heart,
the law finy moral being, the commands
ofHeaven, and, viii add, of the Constr
tuition of my country; for no man Of intel
hgence ever believed that the framers of
that instrument intended 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 He'll of Slavery. IL
that be treason, make the most Of it.