True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-02-24
Remarks of Mr.. McClearv.

Senator from jefferson and COlunabiant
counties, upon the Bill 10 RepeDl The
Act to Prohibit the Confinement oJ
Ngitires from slavery IN the Jails
Of Ohio.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN.-It is from no disposi
lion or desire on my part 10 consume the
time of the Senate unnecessarily, that ]
now ask The indulgence ofils members fol
few minutes. Were the proposition
under consideration one Of ordinary char.
acler in legislation, I should be satisfied
to remain silent until called upon to give
my vote for or against the measure. But
sir, this is no ordinary proposition. The
bill before us proposes 10 DO gratuitou'
service in the cause of human degradation
1t proposes TO tax the freemen Of Ohio fol
the purpose of erecting slave prisons fol
The accommodation of the southern chivalry
who may come hither in search of stray
property. cannot consent. sir, 10 lei
this extraordinary measure pass to final
vote without first inquiring why this bill
should become law.
Aye, sir, why are we called on to con-
vert our prisons, erected at our own ex'
pense, for the confinement of transgress
ors against our laws,-into slave-pen.
and cur own Sheriffs into watch dogs
to keep guard over men, guilty of nc
crime, other than that of loving freedom
more than bondage? What are the rea
sons in ducing gentlemen to introduce
and advocate this bill! 1t is The love o.
party consistency! Let US inquire
There was land Senators have not for
gotten that time), when colored "gen
tleman," in order to acquire legal right
to reside in the State of Ohio, was com.
PEELED to enter into bonds with approved
security, for his good behaviour, and thai
he should never, either by disease or
through misfortune, become a public
charge. That statute is no longer found
among the living enactmerts of Ohio
Who repealed h9 A Democratic Leg.
islatiure is responsible for the repeal.
Again, sir, we had law declaring that
no black or mulatto person should be per.
mitled to testify in any of our courts, in
cases where either was white person.
That law like the former has gone into
non existence. Again, ask, who repeal
ed it? The responsibility rests with the
same Democratic Legislature.
Still further, sir. We had a law or
our statute book providing for the infec
ton of pains and penalties upon any o.
our citizens who should be guilty of the
crime of giving crust of dread or drink
Of cold water, to revieve the tagging en-
ergies of a fugitive from the Southern
prison house-knowing him to be such
That enactment, like the Others which
have named, has gone down to the grave
l ask again. who repealed il? As in thu
cases before named | answer, and th'
Journals Of the Ohio Legislature answer
a Democratic Legislature.
Again, sir, what has been, or ra,he
what was the position OF this same Dem
ocratic party Of Ohio few years ago up
on the general subject Of slavery as it ex
lists in our country! Why, sir, in thei
State conventions resolutions were passed
and from year 10 year, for a series O
years, sufficient to establish them as ixe
principles, reaffirmed, dcnouncing SLAYER,
as great moral, sucial and political evil
and pledging the party to use all consti
tutional means to prevent its further ex
tension, mitigate its evils, and 10 secur
its final eradication from the earth. Wi
gentlemen tell US that this bill before tn
Senate is one of the constitutional meas
to secure the "eradication" of SLAYER
or to mitigate" the evils thereof! Sha
we be told that the Legislation now Pre-
posed is the same in spirit with the leg
isla'iOn of the same party already allude
to?
Once more. In the year Of grace, lO4t
when an individual was TO be selected b
the Legislature of Ohio, TO represent ii
public sentiment of the Saie in the Sci
ate Of the United States, it so happene
that neither of the then dominan. parli,