The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1859-07-02
SATURDAY NIGHTS SPEECHES,

On last Saturday night in response to the in
vitatiOn of number of his personal and politica
friends, the Hon. D. G. Glenn delivered a mos
eloquent address to large audience of ladie
and gentlemen Of Yuzoo. 1t would be useless t.
attempt from memory to give the reader any ides
OF that splendid oratory which charactered this ia
common with all others of his speeches Indeed,
We shall be well pleased, if able, to give the sub
stance OF his mastery argument, without attempt
ing to clothe it in his own force and vigor
lie gave his views upon the subject of the
Fepeal Of the laws Of Congress probibitory of the
African slave trade, not as a party man, but as o
Southern gentleman, who held the honor of his
section in proper regard. He had no respect fol
men who were afraid to discuss the question fair.
~ and openly, but who passed their time in idle
attempts to prove the re-opening of the traffic to
be Democratic measure, and whose senseless
cries of -treason-comprised their sole
argument. He held such msn and their insane
rawlings in like contempt. He regarded the ques-
ton as one of vital Importance to the perpetuity
Of the institution of slavery, and thought il
should be discussed in the South quietly, fairly,
and with the sincere wish and effort to arrive at
the TRUTH and that it ought moi to be scrutinized
by eyes gangrened by party Jealousy and preju.
dice He candidly acknowledged the opinion
that, while there were Federal Statutes which
prohibited the importation of Africans into this
country no citizen of this country ought to engage
in the traffic. He thought snything bearing the
solemn sanction of the law should command re-
'pect from the citizen, Notwithstanding the obiec
tons which might be urged against the law itself
But the experience and study of any man would
prove, and the history of the world proved. that
where laws could not be executed without the
cooperation Of the people, any statute would be
dead letter which opposed itself against the
habits, the sense of justice, and the prtiudioes
OF the people. Therefore is it, and therefore will
II ever be, folly to expect one in one hundred
oouthern Juries to return the verdict guilty.
against an individual charged with violation of
the enactmsnts of the law of Congress against
the slave trade. This strong inclination of iuries
TO annul indictments Of this nature is natural
nnd conclusivey proves the injustice of such en-.
Hctments. Who're law is approved bv the Uood
'enSe Oh people, there is no difficulty in its ex-
ecutiOn; where it is unpOIatable, partial and
oppressive, 1t cannot be forced upon them unless
Oy military power, and where such power is re-
CURED, the law is never just. He would not
pretehd 10 say what would be his own course If
placed upon jury to try a fellow-beinp who ,sos
onargeu with what solemn statute of his coun-
Try had IN an instant changed from legal pro
oeeding into capital crime. As one of such n
Jury, he would be bound to believe that the nris.
oner was no more guilty Of crime than had bcen
MS own fathers, than were, daily, each and every
one OF MS feIloW-ctizens, those whom he respect.
ed and loved as friends as patriots, as sages no
more guilty OF crime than be himsM was. or tbon
ne expected his children to be after him. and vet
there would be staring him in the face solemn en-
hotment OF the highest authority of his country |
"hich made the act of the prisoner an offence SO
grave crime so dark as to merit death by the
nangman's rope-death by the same igpominious
means which bears the murderer and the felon 10
MS displsed and fearless grave. As che If suct
luiy ne could not but regard the Judge who charg
'u MIN TO md the prisoner guilty, rs offering an in
'ui' 10 the jury and himself and the judge who pro-
lOuhced the sentence of death upon such q pris. Il
'rSr as condemning Unfortunately by thai p
itterance, millions of the dead. And tbe Altar n
iey VINO advocated the condemnation of the pris u
'ner' ana who heaped invectives on his head. he !"
you'd be boundto look upon as a raynp mailman c.
" Venal parricide who slandered the asb., of .
us ancestors who invoked destruction on his g
amer and shame upon himself But there vos I"
nc STATUTE sanctifed by the calm approval of the
nfee branches of his government, which opposed L
lS y'eidlng to every dictate of justice. good
enSe ana reverence. What was the Juror to do il? :,
IL thought no Southern man could be considered
npre)udiced in such a case, and that no Southern
nan should be forced into the jury box to COM ;,
'lete the trial of such case.
lie did not believe the trainers of the constitu-
ION ever contemplated the possibility of a set of n
nc" proceeding deliberately to stutify themselves
y passing law declaring the slave trade piracy il
nu 'nat death should be the penalty of its viola
lon' Possibly Congress might have the powerun- c.
er 'ne constitution to make such law: he would n
ot undertake, unqualifedy, to deny that IT had h
nat right He certainly believed it ouqht mol TO C
ave that right, and would not have habit if those
mo bestowed it, had been fully aware of its i'm h
ortance, and could have foreseen it's use. He =
as not one Of those who regarded statesmen in. il
illibe because they CHANGED to live in the early 81
avs OF the Republic. No stronger proof of their a
ao'ilty to error could be required than the plain
'ot OF their declaring that traffic which had m
cen uniformly recognized and encouraged as a
gal' should, at the expiration of certain speci-
ed time, to-Wit: 1903, be a capital crime, and h
unstable with death. The law declaring the II
lave trade piracy, is an absurdity and a blet n
pom our statute books, and the sooner it is ri
rssed the better for the country It is dangerous
state rights and State sovereignty to give Con- IL
ress the power to prescribe how UGH of any kind b
property shall beintroduced into the States II
nould be question of State policy All restric ',
on should be taken of, and then, if any State F.
elieved she had enough labor and that more h,
ould be detrimental, let her pass law prohib- in
ory of the introduction of more, rs Mssissippi .,