Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-11-04
The Admission of Slave States
- Letter of Hon. J. R. Giddings to
Hon. Thcs. Corwin.

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Letter of Hon. J. r. Giddings to
Hon. Thcs. Corwin.
From The Ohio State Journal. ID
JEFFERSON, Oct. l3, 1858.
Hon. YHos. Coruia: Dear Sir-Tbe
electionof yesterday constitutes you mem
Der of the Thirty Sixth Congress, and re-
stores ne tn the privilege of private cit
ien. Among these privileges none is more
impossus than that of respectfully and
fankly addressing our public servants on
matters pertaining to our public interest.
In a recent speech at Xenia, you are re-
Dor; ed as saying. "that If we bought slave |
territory-say Cub.-uBder such a treaty |
as that by which we obtained L suisisna. We
were bound 'to respect their rights Of prop |
aerty and admit the territory as slave State
fiji wished to come in as such a
can give to this declaration no other
construction than an assurance, that If the
Executive shall negotiate treaty for the
purchase OF Cuba and obtain its rattle alton
by the Senate, you will feel bound to re-
speet the right Of property ,Ohich Spanish
matters hold in their SLAVES; and on account
of such right you " i'll vote for the admission
of Cuba as Save State, if her people ask
IT,. -a-.s7s--- l-szae. sgsss .-. II
Coming from one to whom the question
will probably be submitted, the declaration
is certainly important The admission of
Cuba as Save State must greatly affect
rhe interests, the lights. and the honor of
our people You will permit me to suggest
that this doctrine OF property IN human flesh
has ever been repudiated by the people of
Ohio, even VIII e we were Territory. In
both our first and present Constitutions it is
most une quivocally rejected. In our legis-
lation, By the decision of all our Courts. it
has with perfect unanimity been discarded.
When it was first presented 10 the Supreme
Court of the United States for decision. an
emiueat Judge of Ohio Judge McLean)
boldly denied its existence under the Fed
eral Constitution; and exposed its absurdity
" ith such powers of logic and of eloquence,
that no slsveholding judge was then wiling
to meet OF deny his doctrine.
When In 1885 it was presented to the
HOUSE. OF Representatives in 'ongress, and
referred to he Committee on Claims. my
predseeseor, Hon.E Whittlssey. another
son of Ohio, met ii ablyi and in repori
rejecting honor upon himself and the State
which be represented, showed from Official
records that the doctrine which you assert
hadAup to that time ever been repudiated by
Congress. In accordance with these p,e-
eedents l have, during nv service in that
body, opposed it as often as presented for
consideration, and. to THIS day, as often as
Il has been agitaisd an Congress, It has been
rejected. 7a5sA ts.-7sa s
At the formation of our Federal Consti
tuition, Mr.. Madison declared it would be
wrong to admit in that instrument that 'naaz
con hold property in man,"-to which every
member of the convention yielded a ia il
admission. But the people we're not sat
isisd with sile Mt negation of such doctrin,
and two years afterwa ard Congress pro
posed to amend the Constitution by de-
cIaring, THAI no person shall be deprived o
I.fe, liberty or p' operty tci.hout due process o
lau;p that is wit aout trial and conviction
before some tribunal having jurisdiction o
the offence; and thus proposition was adopt
ed by the States. and nov fUIms r-xtAn
the Constitution.
need not say that :he Republicans o
l716 and those of 1856 declarsdsit to be a
s.seLf erident traLs" that all men (includins
slares as we'll as their masters are endowet
BY their Creator with the inaienable right
% liberty, and ,hat our Federal Govern
nent was founded for the express purpos
OF securing t, every human being within
is exclusive Jurisdiction the enjoyment o
this right And should Cuba be annexed I,
the United States, aud tn, reby brough
nnder our jurisdiction, the Republicans vii
be bound TO respect the right OF every ind
piduaI 10 enjoy his liberty under the Iavs o
the Gnsted Statss, while they will be equal
ly. bound to reject any claims of propert,
watch Cubsns may set up TO the souls ant
bSdies st each other.
To these d0ctrines-of our Republican
fatler.. ol the statesmen and jsrists o
sShio. TO- thel letters and spirit OF our Stat
ssad, Feder Constiiu tions, to the platform
ssnd pJicy OF the Republican party, yo'
seem to have placed yourself in The mos
'unmistskeabie aatagonism. | say you seen
10 have placed yourself in this attitude
You are SO reported, and if you have beeI
misrepresented in any respect, il is due t,
The people OF our state, as well as to your
self.that your true position be known; an
Il ihus address YOU over my own signature
IN order that you may feel at perfect lbert,
to exp lain the language you are reported tC
have used, as well as to correct any erro
of facts vr of al Igument into which / ma,
have fallen. in this letter. know that yo,
desire to be understood. and will approV
my earnestness and plainness. have Ion.
szlabored to restore our government to tn
,,doctIines on which il was founded. Nj
hopes for our country are based upon tha
respect for the rights Of e-ery me nber o
the human family which gives equal pro
s-tsction to each, and which the Republics
Pa:rty are pledged to maintain wherever tn,
Federal Constitution holds exclusive juris
diction, regarding slavery as they do an un
mitigated despotism, an outrage upon huma,
nature, crime which no sophistry can dis
guise, and no circumstances Can justify.
TfYuu further assert that we will be bounC
to admit Cuba as Slave State il she de
sres il after annexation. To this beiiev,
the Y n,thlicans are ttnauim,ustv onoo.aJ