The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-01-25
Interesting Congressional History of
the Amistad Case.

Mr.. Giddings writes from Washington to
the Ashtabula Sentinel, giving an interesting
Congressional history of the famous shmis-
tad" case. says:
On the third day of the session, Senator
Mason obtained vote making the bill to
pay for the Amistad slaves, special order
for the next Tuesday; but has suffered it to
lie over until near the close ofthe fourth
week. l fear it will not come up at this
session. 1t has always passed the Senate
without discussion, but several senators
have looked into it, and are now prepared
to speak upon it.
HOW INGERsoLL BACKED DOWN.
1t is an interesting case. lt.came up in
the House of Representatives in 1914 for the
first time on motion to print extra copies
of the report of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, in favor of the claim 1t was nv
fortune to lead the debate in opposition to
the motion. Mr.. Adams designed to speak
on the same side, after the Chairman, Mr.
1ngersoll should have replied to me- The
morning hour only was allotted to the SUBJ
ject occupied the first morning. and when
! concluded Mr.. 1ngersoll obtained the floor,
and | well recolect that some excellent
friends were alarmed at the boldness with
which had attacked the report, saying that
Ingersoll was one of the abiest members of
the House, and would obliterate me when.
ever he should speak But had become
somewhat accustomed to such DELIBERATIONS.
and said to them had the most perfect con
fdence that Mr. Adams would furnish as
much cause for Ingersoll to fear, as Inger-
soil did for me to entertain apprehension.
MIR Adams felt deep interest in the sub
jact, and prepared for severe examination
Of it.
But when the next morning came, Inger-
soil saw the intention of Mr. Adams. and
quailed before it He backed down and
actually voted to lay his own motion on the
table. l escaped the eastigatioH which my
friends so much feared, because Ingersoll
dreaded the rod which Mr. Adams had pre-
pared for him. But the old patriot was dis
appointed. He desired to give an expose of
the case and after his return at the close of
the session, he published the speech he had
intended for his constituents; and now after
the labor of nearly fifteen years, members
of Congress have looked up to that speech,
in order to prepare for the discussion which,
| fear, will not take place.
THE LAST SPEECH OF THE OLD MAN ELOQUENT
-Four years after this transaction. the
Senate amended our civil and diplomatic
appropriation bil,by inserting fifty thousand
dollars to pay for these slaves Mr.. Adams
had been Frustrated by a paralytic shock.
He was so conscious of It's effects that he
would neither speak nor write for the public
eye. His friends had greatly desired a let
ter from him addressed to the public, or to
some friend as farewell memento but he
refused. His son, Hon. e. +. Adams come
with him to Washington His entrance in
the Hall, after the members had so long re-
garded him as dead, was most interesting
scene Southern Shareholders who had bit
terly opposed him in former times, now
wept at again seeing him All business was
suspended as he entered the Ii H. He was
feeble and pale. Holmes OF South Carolina,
taking him by the arR conducted him to his
seat and then addressed few words to the
House, eongratulating the members on once
more seeing their venerable associate in his
seat, the veteran Statesman responded in
few words, but his voice was too feeble to be
heard except by those nearest to him. He
continued to meet with us, but made no at
tempt to participate in any discussion until
the amendment OF the Senate providing for
the payment OF these slaves came up for
discussion
On that subject his feelings would not Der.
nit him to remain silent When he was an.
nounced as having the floor, the House was
instantly in the most perfect confusion.-
Members in all parts of the Hall left their
seats and gathered as near as possible to
catch the last words of the illustrous States.
man. All seemed conscious that it would
be his last speech. The reporters, unable
to hear him in their places, and unmindful
of the rules, rushed within the bar, paper
and pencil in hand, to sketch his last public
address,
That speech was devoted to the exposure
ofthe insulting claim approved and recon-
mended by Polk and Pierce, and twice by
buchanan, aud now passed upon the Senate
II was truly, the last speech of my venera.
bic friend. A few days afterwards we bore
his unconscious body from the Hall. He
fellin the place from which be had spoken.
lie died, as it were, opposing this claim
Z LOOK TO THE HOUSE,.
The amendment to the Senate bill was then
and as often as that BODY has
passed it, the House has defeated it. / have
spoken upon II three times, and Hon. u. G. |
Leach, Of Michigan. spoke upon il last wear.
These four speeches are all that have been
made against it since Mr.. Adams death
but the slave power appears determined to |
pass it To give it up would in truth be a |
surrender, or rather an admission, that they
cannot sustain their fundamental doctrine. |
for it involves the entire issue now pending
between the parties. ~ IA
We are o democratic nation. We are . |
civilized people We have d Fourth ofJuly., |
We have Constitution Of the United Statea. |
That Constitution 10 the admiration and envy |
of the world. Il promotes justice, secures lib |
artY and hinda the Staten indissnlnhlY to- |