Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-12-04


The Fraternity Lectures in fremont Temple
The Temple was crowded, and Mr.. GIDDINGs,
on making his appearance with Hon. HENRY
WILSON, JOSIAH Quincy, Jr., and others, was
greeted with hearty applause. The subject Of
the Lecture by Mr.. G. was "reminiscences of
Twenty Years Experience in Congress. The
Traveller gives the following interesting report :
Mr.. Giddings, when the applause which fol-
lowed his introduction had subsided, said he
was under great embarrassment, as he had bad
cold, and did not know whether he should talk
to or cough to the audience. When he first
went to Congress he was much younger than
now, and he was therefore afraid that he had
got into bad society He boarded in the same
house with Charles F. Mitchell and Milard Fill
more. Mitchell afterwards forged check and
Fillmore signed the fugitive slave bill. One for
his misdeeds was sent to the penitentiarY, the
other was made President, and (said Mr.. Gid
dings) alone have escaped.
Mr. Giddings said his first vote in Congress
was against the AthertOn gag resolutions-so
called from Charles G. Anterior, who introduced
them-or Charles Gag Atherton, although they
were drawn up by Calhoun at caucus. Mr.. G.
then described the proceedings in the case of the
holders was drawn by Mr.. G., and Mr.
Adams followed against the bill. He argued
that no soul and body could sell the soul and
body of another Mr. Giddings saw that it had
taken effect; he voted for the previous question
with the friends of the bill, and then voted
against it. He said it was q study to witness
the workings of the features of the old patriot
Adams when he watched that roll call and beheld
Edmund Burke and the New Hampshire delega-
ton vote for the odious bill, while John Camp
bell of South Carolina and his compeers voted
against the bill, and it was defeated, receiving
but thirty two votes out of two hundred.
Thirty days after his entrance into Congress
long train of chained slaves was 50 near the
capitol that members of Congress had to pass
by them to get to the HOuse-there were men
with immortal souls made the subject of mer-
chandize in a public street in that city bearing
the name of Washington the Father of his
Country. Resolutions were introduced on the
subject by Northern member, Mr. Slade, but
they were voted down.
Mr.. Giddings said that his first speech was
on the 18th of February, against an appropria-
ton to build bridge across the Potomac, be-
cause he would never vote to build up a city
where slave market was established Ofcourse
he was called to order by the Speaker and a
dozen members at these remarks. The next
morning Washington paper stated that real
estate had fallen in Washington in consequence
Mr.. 6. then related a couple of dueling an
ecdotes
Then he referred to the Amstad slave case
in which the slaves were tried for rising against
the crew, and defended by Mr.. Adams, while
the pirates who controlled the vessel were at
liberty. The slaves were sent back to Africa,
and bill introduced into Congress to pay the
owners $4,000 for those slaves. Mr.. Gid
dings spoke against it, aud Mr.. Ingersol got the
floor and the House adjourned. The next day
it was said that Charles J. IngersolI of Penn
sylvania would annihilate him, but he knew In
gersoll could not annihilate the truth. Adams
told Mr. Giddings to never mind, for if Ingersoll
assaed him he would be on his track So the
next morning Mr. Ingersoll suffered the bill to
be laid on the table, not daring to lead where
Mr. Adams was to follow
Under Pierce the Amistad question was re-
Dewed, and Mr.. Ingersoll made an unfounded
and false report on the matter, but the subject
was forced to stand aside for the time
Under Buchanan it was to be brought up
again, but when they saw Hale and Seward and
their compeers prepared to bring the matter
before the country, the Southerners hesitated,
and did not bring in a bill for the appropria.
ton. These repeated checks proved what
Northern frmness could do. Yet this appro-
priation would be pressed hereafter and unless
there was great revolution it might yet be OBJ
tanned
Next Mr.. Giddings spoke of an instance of
s-.-Ai57----lsi---l~sz -ebootiuo at random when
pistol, and turning around without any GER
tain idea who to fire at, shot a police officer,
and Congress had to maintain him and family
till he got well. The gallant reputation of the
ehIvalric SOutherner remained, though the pow
der and bali were totally lost.
The Northern members sometimes made
speeches under difficulties On one occasion
bill concerning slavery was up-it was in Is45
and Mr.. Giddings in his speech upon it made
a remark upon a historical point incident to the
case, when Mr.. Black, of Georgia, came near
him with raised cane, and said if he repeated
it he would knock him down. Now he had new |
er been knocked down in his life, and he thought
it might be curiosity, so he repeated it. Daw- |
son came up in front, cooked his pistol in his |
pocket, and said he would shoot him. Thereup. |
on another Southerner, fully armed, fronted |
DawsOn Rayner, armed, took his stand to de-
end Mr. Giddings on his left, Charles Hudson
md other friends gathered around, and thus pro-
ected Mr. Giddings finished his speech; and
the freedom of debate. Previously,
luring debate, Mr.. Black had charged him with
tealing slaves and with franking a dress to his
wife by mail. But on an Investigation by Mr..
iiddings, it turned out that Mr. Butler had sent
shawl to his own wife, and that was the parcel
n question.
At Mr.. Buffers request Mr. Giddings said no.
hing about it, for Butler feared he would not be
if the story got out. Mr. Giddings
old him that he did not want to see any more
democrats returned, but he would as personal
/. II, I. i L |
n him. That did not save Butler, however, for !
is district is now represented bya Republican T
Mr. Giddings next spoke of the Creole case T
cargo of slaves sailed from Richmond, Va, in
S40 and when outside, by their own right arms 4
sserted their freedom, killed the miserable deal
+ who opposed them, and going to Nassau left "
lie vessel and escaped. This gave rise to the }
rOmulgatiOn of certain doctrines by Daniel .
Tebster and others, that the rights of slave
Olders to their slaves was guaranteed by the
constitution. This Mr.. Giddings denied He
1ered resolutions having contrary bearing in
ongress, and was driven frum his seat by the
fuence of Webster, simply because he opposed
,ctrines which no man dare assert to day.-
ut Adams and VIM. B. Calhoun, and Briggs
ID Borden and others of Massachusetts, stood
! him, notwithstanding the storm, and despite Y
c wishes of Webster
That claim rested fourteen years in conse-
fence of the trouble caused at that time, but
-anklin Pierce brought it up again, and made
is people bear the expense of paying for those
ives of the Creole.
In Is4s he was a Wing, and the Wings as
med to be the defenders ofthe Wilmot pfoviso
r Winthrop, with whom he had had the bit
-est personal quarrel, had brought forward |
1T proviso as an appendage to the Oregon bill =
previous time. The Wings went into the
mpaign and elected Gen. Taylor, with the T.
ltform of the Wilmot proviso and non-inter-
ntion with Congress. But when Congress
sembled, the Wings held back some took one