Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-28
,,,N lot tho shareholders catch

,bo;r own slaves, We will not 60 one step be-
yond tho law of 1893. The lax gave no pro
cosc hut allowed the Shareholder TO eaten his
sl,ve Il he could. and permitted tue slave 10
cSc,ns If he could. That law was signed oy
W.lhinrton. 1t was an enactment OF tnose
,,ho hsd framed the Constitution IN part: lha'
iov cave no process, authorized no officer &c
;ss,,e process, made it the duty ot no officer to
,rrest I slave; nor did it require Northern iher
n aid in such arrest, nor pay the expense 0
t,L;ny srch back to servitudc. The law Q
1850 is. in all these points, unconstitutional
Our feelings revolt ut these prov'S,"nS-"e WI
not carry them out; nor will We obey them.
therefore say that the iurtheSt extent TO VINO,
we will eo will be to restore tho law OF l'9o
We will not catch your slaves tor you +, !
humiliating, degrading to our natures. WI!
sir, let me ask the gentleman from 'ifS'"'
whether he would turn out, run after, at'
catch a slave for any other man under Heaven
Mr.. LErCHEH. Go on. .
Mn GIpplNGs. Win you answer WI
reply to any question p~ropounded to NE on III
imnortant subject. But as the gentleman 'rol
Vircinia does not answer, | will ask the CENT?
man from PENNSYLVANIA, Mr.. Wittc, whether Il
weuld run after, chase down, and catch Il sla'
for a Shareholder -,
M Lr1cuER. have moi surrendered III
floor to the gentleman. want hin TO 80 o'
When he concludes | intend 10 commeit y
the revelations which he has made ana ma
vet make before he concludes.
Nu G1pp1SGs. am commenting OH the III
point. We will live up to all our const'tntgh
al obligations there We stop. IT 20" ca'orlh'
vour slaves when they get away into Chem LOT
ern States, do it we will not c3for the pur'
vor NE will not appoint ofi!l not pay Tor
cotchinp Them. Tie :" Catch your slaves as
s,cL nhI;cat;on mot ask US 10 lay aside our
nnu I'm Int sod, our moral principles, our
SeeIinrs Of land sclf.rcspcct, 10 catch them
for ;! Chairman. I can just give m Illus
.tion. !. fugitive slave came 20 INC and asked
nv advice as q lawyer. It was when We were
under the old law ; and I did not hesitate to
advise and counsel those who call on me
Looking the man full in the face, | said 'Do
you believe, sir, that God created you with the
soul and feelings of a man That he endowed
you with the inalicnablc right 10 life, liberty.
and happiness ~ II do" was his prompt and
reply. 'llaTe YOU the manhood to us.
scrt and defend those rights =" vi have, said
"Then 10 it." vas my reply. 81 cannot
defend you but, were | in your place. | would
defend my libertv while | could WELD 4 wcap.
on" / do not hesitate 10 tell them that they
ire men that we shall not Stop them. Welet
them know that We can do nothing that
thcv arc left to their own manhood for protec.
ton.
| wish, Mr.. Chairman, 10 misunderstanding
this matter. We will not be catchpolcS for
Southern Shareholders. We will stand purified
rom the Institution. No law will, no law ctn,
compel Us to catch the slaves. There *, there
IAN be. no law whicl, will force Northern men,
and intelligent ircemcn, 10 turn out
md give chase after runaway slaves we
AVE had demonstration Of what say lately IN
Wisconsin,. There it was attempted 20 involve
in this slave catching policy. You
ave seen the result. Popular sentiment Is
opposed to it. Our feelings of humanity. our
principles Of Christianity forbid It; our consti-
rights arc opposed to it.
Mr.. LETcuER. The gentleman has gotlhToueh
With all my queries to him, AID he Is now
branching off on other subjects.
Mr.. Chairman, ! am very well satisfied that
rave the gentleman from Ohio Mir. GiDDlNG>I
he opportunity for the interruption which he
las made. He has stated, with that lranknesS
md candor which he has uniformly exhibited
when discussing this question, the sentiment
md purposes Of the North, 50 fur rs he
las been able to learn it. We all know
hat he is we'll posted up AS to tic Sentl-
nent Of the Northern people, rs to their pur-
POSES and objects, 50 far as any action. pre-
or future, connected with slavery is con
,erned. lie says they are for repeating the
fugitive slave law; that they are in favor of
the South 70 recover, As best they
the slaves who have runaway from their
,wners when they have reached a free State.
lie says, also, that he is for tina: sort OF lc-iS-
alton that will remove slavery from the DIS
riot Of Columbia, the navy yards, and a~iloiilrr
owned tx the United States. lie
avs that he is in favor Of preventing the inter
slsre trade, and for confining slavery 10
he States where it now exists; That he IS not
to allow slavery to 60 into any OF the
territories OF the United States; but that, IN
he contrary, he is determined, and the North are
etermined, to restore the Missouri compromise
and TO prohibit slavery forever from the
Of Kansas, even though the people
f that Territory may be unanimously in favor
{ its introduction.
Mr.. GlpplsGs. | ask the gentleman 10 allow
to correct him in one particular. Inc gen
speaks Of my proposing to prevent the
atcr-State slave trade. That is not precisely
NJ position. So far as the transportation Of
from one slave State to another inter
ally is concerned, | have nothing to do. 1t
: the coastwise slave trade upon the high seas
hat | propose to prevent. Congress have the
ight to make regulations for the navigation OF
he high seas, and ! desire that this shall he
ne Of them.
Mr.. LErcnEE. Very well; take it rs it is
stated, ana it presents 4 point which II Is
Utterly Impossible for the South TO yield. 1t
: pushing this interference TO an issue where
t would DC disgraceful for the South TO at
empt to shnn it, and she will not attempt to
hun il. 10 accedc TO the terms thus dictated
o her hv the North, is baScly 10 surrender al!
lailn 10 her property. and 10 admit that whcr-
il goes beyond the limits Of 4 slave State
md enters q free State, it becomes. in the lam
,uagc of the gentleman from Ohio. Sovereign
n the State to which it may flee for tlc time
,cing.
Mr.. Chairman, under such circumstances as
heSc, the gentleman from OHIO says he has no
dea that |. or any one who comes from the
South, would hc inclined to sever the bonds OF
he Union-that we have talked too much upon
hat suhiect--ard that we will submit hercat-
er AS We have always Submitted heretofore
IN other words, that there is not spirit enough
n the South-that there is not maEliness
in the Sout!i-to stand by Southern
lights, 10 uphold Southern interests, 10 protect
southern property, and 10 defend slavery
whenever it shall DO assaiied b. our enemies,
rom any quarter whatever! Sir. do North
I'm gentlemen entertain this opinion Of us?
Do they believe that we have been reduced to
20 abiect Il position that we have not the courage
o assert our rights, nor the power TO defend
our property: IL such is their opinion, then
heir conduct in eadeavoring to bring
bout \ dissolution of the Union, hy forcing
Ipon US the measures indicated tonight, is pre-
,isely what might have been expected -
they ought not to desire 4 longer cen
,ection with us. They will find. soon
NJ Or latcr ir these uucStinnS arn nrtSS.