Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-12-23
From the Boston Traveller. Dec. /.
"Reminiscences Of Twenty Years
Congressional Experience.
nv Hov. JOSHUA r. clpDIxes.

The fremont Temple was filed on
Tuesday evening. to hear the lecture
Of the course by Hon. Joshua r. Gid
,lings. on the "reminiscences of twenty
years experience in Congress. The
lower floor Of the hall was crowded,
and the galleries largely occupied
MIR. Giddings. on making his appear
ancc with Hon. Henry Wilson, Josiah
Quincy. Jr.. anil others. was hailed
with hearty applause.
Mr.. Giddings, when tine applause
which had followed his Introduction
hal subsiicd. said he was under great
embarrassment, a. he had bad cold,
and did not know whether he should
talk to or cough to the aulience-
When he first went to Congress he
was much younger than now, and he
was therefore afraid that he got into
bad society. He boarded in the same
house with Charles +. Mitchell and
Millard Fillmore. Mitchell afterward
forged a check, and Millard Fillmore
signed the fugitive slave bill. One
for his misdesds was sent to the peni-
Tertiary, the other was made Presi-
dent, and (saii Mr.. Gidding>, | alone
have escaped.
Mr.. Gid,lings said his first vote in
Congress was against the Atherton
gag resolutions - so called from
Charles G.. Atherton who introduced
theni--or Charles Gag Atherton, al
though they were drawn up by Cal
houn at caucus. Mr.. G.. then de-
scribed the proceedings in the case of
the Georgia slaves, when the first fire
of the Shareholders was drawn by Mr..
g., and Mr.. Adams followed against
the bill. He argucd that no soul AMI
body could sell the soul AMI body OF
another. Mr. Giddings saw that il
had taken elect, he voted for the pre-
vious question with the friends of the
bill, anil then voted against it. He
said it was a study to witness the
workings of the features of the old
patriot Adams when he watched that
roll-call, and bcheld Edmund Burke
and the New Hampshire delegation
vote for the odious bill, while John
Campbell of South Carolina and his
compecrs voted against the bill. and it
was defeated. receiving but % votes
out of two hundred.
Thirty days fter his entrance into
Congress. a long train of chained
slaves was so near the capitol that
members Of Congress hal to pass by
them to get to the House there were
men with immortal souls male the
subject of merchandise in a public
street in that city bearing the name of
Washington the Father of his Coun-
try. Resolutions were introduced on
the subject by Northern member.
Mr.. Slade, but they were votel down.
Mr.. Giddings said that his first
speech was on the 18th of February,
against an appropriation to build a
bridge across the Potomac, because he
would never vote to build up city
where slave market was established.
OF course he was called to order bv the
Speaker and a dozen members at these
remarks. The next morning a Wash
ington paper stated that real estate
had fallen in Washington in conse-
quencc.
Mr.. G. then related couple of du-
elling anecdotes.
Then he referred to the Amistai
slave case, in which the slaves were
tried for rising against the crew, and
defended by Mr.. Adams. while the pi-
rates who controlled the vessel were
set at liberty. The slaves were sent
back to Africa, and bill introduced
into Congress to pay the owners $780,
600 for those slaves. Mr.. Giddings
spoke against it and Mr.. Ingersoll got
the floor, and the House Adjourned
The next day it was said that Charles
j. Ingersoll, Of Pennsylvania. would
annihilate him, but he knew Ingersol
; could not annihiatc the truth. Adj
ans told Mr.. Giddings to never mind
for if Ingersoll assailed him he would
be on his track. SO the next morning
Mr.. Ingersoll suffered the bill to b,
| laid on he table, not daring to lea,
where Mr.. Adams was to follow.
t Under Pierce. the Amistad ques
ton was renewed. and Mr.. Ingersol
7 made an unfounded and false repor
: on the matter, but the subject wa
: forced to stand aside for the time.
/, Under Buchanan, it was to b
5 brought up again, but when they saw
1 Hale and Seward and their compeer
T prepared to bring the matter before tn
5 country, the Southerners hesitated
: and did not bring in bill for the ap