Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-03
srEECH or
HON. PHILEMON BLISS,
OF ouIO,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
MAY 24th.l658.


Concluded.
have spoken of the energy and success of tn
slave domination, yet ] see in the near futur
its Fastening end. ! see it because tyranny tsel
has become demented. The wisdom that CONTROL
cd its energy has departed. It's strength was il
its moderation well irmness it has booom
wantonly arrogant and insulting. Its allies hav
been conservatism and ignorance frightened a
its recklessness, conservatism is driven to oppose
its mad pretensions while its bald crimes opei
the eyes Of ignoracco itself. Like the harlot pas
power of seduction it 1aunts its very nakedncs
to the disgusted eyes of those its decent garment
were wont to entice | see it also in the new spr
1 1t OF its opponents Casting aside dead issues auC
entNngling alliances, they have finally accepted
the issues OF debauched Democracy. Firmnes
begins TO meet frmuess, and resolution, resolu
ton, Senators from Presidential steps may ninl
their weak threats = Representatives may redeem
their transient faith by gutterng deeper to hiret
mob + applicants for seats that the people havt
refused them may make the heart sicken at tlei
/ servihty yet Ike the wnne,bibbing aristucracN
nt the mad feast Of AnGoineIte, they but darker
their own sure doom.
And here ! would pause. I have hitherto, dur
Ing this session, declined speaking upon tic Sla
/ very question and would not do so now but tha
the ASSISTANTS Of Freedom and free institutions OF
| the one side hrve been chiefly met on tho other hy
arguments only upon the specific questions before
us and thus some euppose us unwilling TO nee
this great question in any form, whether by bill o.
Argument, gentlemen thrust it upon us. The ar
rument of the Pcntleman from South Carolina
! tMr Keitt) this evening following up the d,6ta
/ Of those synods of chief priests and elders, that
/ impiously Charge the iniquites ~ Slavery upon
tho religion of Him whom their prototypes cruc
| ted, Is but specimen of the continuous agita
ticns of the prcpagGndists. While desire not
unnecessarily to enter upon abstract discussions
| am always ready to take up the glove, and. with
out following the line Of argument of any enc
gentleman, | will proceed in the invited road.
have alluded to the idenlsm Of the propagau.
uists, and the sngleness cf their devotion As
fully as my remaining time will permit, propose
to show what and whence is this idea
1t is simply the idea of force Gs the origin, the
base Of property and subjection, the law of gov
ernman
Society, itself an idea, takes its form and its
character, its influence and it's life from the idea
lthet Inspires t-irom the ideal ends for which il
} is shaped. The chief end of society, of its most
complicated machinery, must lie the security OF
property The instinct of property is within us all;
It's necessity is absolute; and society cannot exist,
which does not look to its protection. There can be
no personal security security in life, liberty, and
the social relations without security to labor and
its accumulations. The basis, them of property,
must give color tothe whole character Of association
The modern basis of property is the law of ma.
ture. the law OF justice the subjects of property
arc the inferior animals, the earth, and its pro,
ducts and the propTia are the Accommodations Of
honest labor and houest exchange. l know of no
other radical distinction between the ancient and
modern civilization, than in the idea Of property
Though the law OF nature justice came 10 be
nncienuy studied though the more elevated clear
y apprehended many of Its maxims vet in tho
Constitution, the foundation of pronerfy, it bad
no actual force. That was property which the law
the State made property; and 1t made anything
property that outside the State, could be seized
and held, whether Den or things. The Roman
robber went forth to conquer, and whatever he
could seize 10y the strong hand, became his own
lt mattered not whether il was his neighhor's OK
or his neghbor's wife, his locks or his children
his farm HIMSELF all yielded to the robber right
and tho spoils-mancipia- but term for
property,
AS society advanced, the manner Of seizure be,
came systematizcd, and ripcncd into an ancient
law Of nations: and that law such a system of
brutality, such q system of robbery and wrung
that humanity would fpin turn ita sickencd head
away. will not give details, but merely allude
to them us c0mpendiously referred to by Wheaton:
Victory in their (iho Roman) expressive me.
taphorical language, made even the sacred things
of the enemy prolane ; coniscated all his proper,
ty, movable and mmovable, public and private
doomed him and his posteri;y to perpetual Slave
ry." &c. JTbeGtons Lar Of Nations, %.
The same author introduces lis work by the
following alusion to the fundamental idea Of Pa
gan civilization:
"Thc laws or customs by which the mutual In
tercourse Of European natiOns was regulated, pre-
ciOus to the introduction of Christianity, were
founded on the prejudices which regarded the diff
terent races of men as natural enemies. With the
ancient Greeks and Romans tho terms barbarian,
stranger and enemy, were originally Synonymous.
Nothing but some positive compact exempted the
persons of aliens from being doomed to slavery,
the moment they passed the bounds of one State,
and touched the confines of another. And though,
according to the Roman law, in its more improved
state an alien, with whose country the relations
of friendship aud hospitality did not exist, was not
technically considered enemy, (hostjS,) yet his
person might lawfully be enslaved, and his prop
erty coniscated, if found on Roman territory
During the heroic age of Greece, piracy was uni
versaly practced," DC.
Pagan authorities did not decide what might he
held ms property, whether the earth and its pro
duets, the inferior animals or man. They made
not the modern distinction between men and
things. That was not alone property over which
the common Father bad given no domiriOn-they
knew not His law. Though Jnstinian in the light
Iof Christianity pronounced property in man con-
irary to the law Of nature though his annotators
could family hear the inward voice that to all who
have ears to hear, clearly vindicates each mans
right to his own person to the society of his owr
vile, and the custody Of his own children; and,
hence, repudAtes the idea that they can be the
property of others yet this idea contravened no
The night after the passage of the Toombs
English substitute, celebration was held in front
of the Presidential Mansion. Following the Pres
ident and Mr. Tuombs, Senator Gwin, among 9th
er things, said, IF she (Kansas) rejects it,"
then let Kansas shrek and let her bleed, zap.
plause,( for she shall never. come in until she has
sufficient population. > WaShingtoa Union, My2,
Mr. English and Others addressed crowd Of
Government employees the samo night, on the
avenue, and seemed chiefly concerned for fear
'niggers' would be held in too high esteem,