Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-11-10


expense. if Congress refused to assist
him. He was the first man who APP
pears to have been excited TO indig-
nation by traffic. which TO this day
continues at our seat of Government
Miner. of Pennsylvania--honored
be his memory-next made an official
report in regard to this traffic. which
aroused the feelings of the Quakers
and other religious people, who began
to petition Congress; and that body
next became excited and adopted gag
rules. suppressing the right of peti-
tion in regard to this Slave-Trade, and
all other matters relating to Slavery
and prohibiting all debate on those
subjects.
This outrage aroused a large por.
tion of our people who were anxious
to maintain the constitutional right OF
petition and the freedom of debate, as
well as the rights of the Free States,
although they took but little interest
in the subject of humanity.
Among the prominent men of our
nation, John Quincy Adams stood
forth the leader among the advocates
for the right of petition. He denounc-
ed the gag rules, said they were vio-
lation of the Constitution, and called
on the people to stand forth in defense
of their rights. He did not. like some
statesmen of the present day, say cit
is law though unconstitutional, and
must be obeyed until repealed" He
declared the gag rules to he no law,
deserving no respect; he trampled up.
on them: he abhorred them. Through.
out all the Free States the people sym
pathised with him, and when he was
arraigned and tried for presenting 6
respectful petition of the people, the
whole population of our Free States
were deeply moved.
1t was the fortune Of your humble
speaker to mingle in those scenes.
was constrained to sit in the hall with
my lips sealed upon the great truths
on which our government was based
| then declared the doctrine which fol
two hundred years had been uttered
by all Christian writer's, that human
governments are limited in their legit.
innate powers to the support of human
rights; that they neither have, nor car
have, any just powers to rob the hum
blest individual who treads the earth
of the life or the liberty which God
has given him. Conscious of the cor.
rectness Of this position, and believing
that every act of any government which
attempts to invade this natural law. i.
despotic and void-that it should bt
so treated by officers and people, | did
what | could, in an humble way, tc
direct the public mind to the support
of those "self evident truths" and
when my fellow members passed q
vote of censure upon me for avowine
these doctrines. and drove me from
my seat in Congress, the public mind
became still more awakened, and The
people began to feel the importance Of
maintaining their own rights.
The annexation of Texas and wal
with Mexico. for the officially declar-
ed object of extending Slavery. excit
ed still deeper feeling. Eighty thou
sand human victims were then sacri
feed upon the altar of despotic power
Four thousand victims then fell on be
half of Slavery where one has died il
the recent outbreak at Iarper's Ferry
| do not say the guilt of those who
plunged our nation into that war wa:
greater or less than that of the invad
ers of Virginia. l leave that question
to the public and to posterity. | refer
to the fact in order to say that such ,
sacrifice of human life for the benefit
of Slavery, deeply moved the people
of the North. But men who are now
excited at the death of fifteen person.
could, with perfect coolness, view tn,
dead bodies of eighty thousand whC
fell in efforts TO extend Slavery.
Add to these causes the fact that
by law of Congress, our nationa
flag is prostituted to the protection o
coastwise Slave-'Trade. by which hu
man beings are purchased in the Dis
trict of Columbia and Northern Slave
States. and transferred to the barra
coons of New Orleans and other South
ern ports, and sold to the sugar ant
cotton plantations. where they ar
driven so severely that not less thar
twenty five thousand are annual,
murdered under this slow torture
Our people do not like to be involves
in the inhuman traffic, and are excite,
at being made the supporters of com
merce in human flesh.
Again. our people Of Northern Obi
have been deeply moved by the pas
sage and execution of what is callet
the Fugitive Slave Act Its passag
was effected by offensive means. Ii
the House of Representatives. Hon
Thomas l.. Clingman, of North Caro-
lima. in the presence of honest men
arrogantly proclaimed that if that ac
were not passed "before California wa
admitted, blood would flow in tina
Hall until there would not be mem
bers enough to form quorum for bu
siness."
Such insolence excited the contemp
of our people, but certain Norther
members turned pale. trembled an
voted for the bill, which is but tn
mandate of despotism." / desire m
audience to understand, and | presum
each individual does understand, tina
Legitimate governments are constitu
ted among men to secure the enjoymer
of life, liberty and happiness; and hav
no Just powers to rob the humbles
individual of those rights which Go