The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-01-27
- From the Boston Traveller = 'r
"reminiscences of Twenty Years. Congress
Hs ional Experience.
By HON. JOSHUA r. R.ssG1DD1NGs.

i--ts.,- ..fst--,-a - $3.50 -
By HON. JOSHUA r. sGIDDINGs. sa
The fremont Temple was filed on
Tuesday evening, to hear the lecture OF
the course byHon. Joshua r. Giddings,
on the "reminiscences of twenty years
experience in Congress. The lower
floor of the hall was crowded, aud the
galleries largely occupied.-Mr. Gid
dings- on making his, appearance with
Hon. Henry Wilson, Joshua Quincy,
Jr, and others, was hailed with hearty
applause. .7.,'2 - Z "
Mr.. Giddings, when the applause had
subsidized, said he was under great en-
barrassment, 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 there
fore afraid that he had got into bad So
siety. He boarded in the same house
with Chas. F. Mitchell and Millard Fill
more. Mitchell afterwards forged a
check, and Millard Fillmore signed the
fugitive slave bill One for his misdeeds
was sent to the penitentiary, the other
was made President, and, (said Mr..
Gidding's), 1 alone have escaped.
Mr.. Giddings said his first vote in
Congress was against the Atherton gag
resolutions-so called from Charles G.
Atherton, who introduced them-or
Charles Gag Atherton, although they
were drawn up by John G. Calhoun al
caucus. Mr.. Giddings then described
the proceedings in the case of the
Georgia slaves, when the first fire OF
the Shareholders 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 eff.
feet; he voted for the previous ques-
ton with the friends of the bill, and
then voted against it. He said it was
a 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 Hamp-
shire delegation vote for the odious bill,
while John Campbell of South Caro-
lima and his compeers voted against it,
and it was defeated, receiving but thir-
ty-two votes out of two hundred.
Thirty days after his entrance into
Congress, a long train of chained
slaves was so near the capital that
members of Congress had to pass by
them to get to the House there were
men with immortal souls made the sub.
| ject of merchandise in a public street
in that city bearing the name of Wash.
ington the Father of his Country.
Resolutions were introduced on the
subject by a Northern member, Mr..
Slade, but were voted down. gIasH
Mr.. Giddings said that his first spe ech
was on the 18th of February, against
an appropriation to build a bridge
across the Potomac, because he would
never vote to build up city where the
slave market was established. Oh
course he was called to order by the
Speaker and dozen members by these
remarks. The next morning a Wash
ington paper stated that real estate had
fallen in Washington in consequence.
Mr.. G. then related copple OF duel
ing anecdotes. tcs.r,,s ,e-,f .sf-o
Then he referred to the Amistad slave
case, in which the, slaves were tried fol-
rising against the crew, and defended
by Mr.. Adams, while the pirates who
controlled the vessel were set at liberty
The slaves were sent back to Africa
and bill introduced into Congress tc
pay the owners $50, 1000 for these slaves
Mr.. Giddings spoke against it, and Mr.
Ingersoll got the floor and the House
adjourned. The next day it was said
that Charles J. Ingersoll, of Pennsyl
vania, would annihilate him, but he
knew. Ingersoll could not annihilate the
truth. Adams told Mr.. Giddings to
never mind, for if Ingersoll assailed
him he would be on his track. So the
next morning Mr.. Ingersoll suffered
the bill to be laid upon the table, no,
daring to lead where Mr.. Adams was
to follow.
Under Pierce. the Amistad question
was renewed. and Mr.. Ingersoll made
an unfounded and false report on the
matter, but the subject was forced tt
stand aside for the time.
Under Buchanan it was brought ur
again, but when they saw Seward and
his compeers prepared to bring the mat
ters before the country, the Southern
ers hesitated, and did not bring in 9
bill for appropriations. These repeated
checks proved what Northern firmnes.
could do. Yet this appropriation
would be pressed hereafter, and unles.
there was great revolution it might
yet be obtained
Next, Mr.. Giddings spoke of an in
stance of Southern chivalry shooting
at random, when, during knock down
Southerner pulled out pistol, ant
turning round without any certain ides
who to fire at, shot police officer, and
Con gress had to maintain him and his
family till he got well. The gallant
reputation of the chivilric Southernel
remained, though the powder and bal
were totally lost. =
The Northern members sometimes
made speeches under difficulties. On
one occasion bill concerning slavery
was up-it was in lS45-and Mr.. Gid
dings in his speech upon it made re
mark upon historical point incident
al to the case, when Mr.. Black, O
Georgia, came near him with a raised
cane, and said if he repeated it he would
knock him down Now he had neva,