The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-12-28

they had never suffered my injury 10 the
best of his knowledge and belief, from these
bills and they cared nothing about thsm.--
The Senator fram Virginia Mr.. Nxson said
the same thiDg; and believe the Senator
from Mississippi, Mr.. Brown You all,
then, have given this bono Of contention,
this matter of complsint, which Northern
men have set forth as q grievance more
than anybody clse.
Mr. Mason. Will the Senator indulge mo
one moment?
! Mr.. Wade.--Certainly.
/ Mr.. Mason.-I know he does not intend to
misrepresent me or the other gentlemen here.
What said was, that the repeal Of those
laws would furnish no cause of satisfaction
to the Southern States. Our opinion Of
those laws we gave freely. We Aaid the re-
peal Of those laws would give no satisfae-
ton.
MIR. Wade.-Mr. President, do not intend
to misrerresent anything. ! understood
those gentlemen to suppose that they had
not been injured by them. understood the
gentleman from Virginia to believe that they
were enacted in spirit OF hostility to the
| institutions OF the South, and to object to
them, not because the acts themselves had
done them any hurt, but because they were
really stamp OF degradation upon Southern
men, or something like that do not quote
his words. The other Senators that referred
TO it probably intended to be understood 10
the same way. But they did aoquit these
laws Of having done them any injury to their
knowledge and belief.
do not believe that these laws were as
the gentlemen supposed, enacted with view
to ex6sperate the South, or to put tbom in q
position Of degradation. Why, sir, those
laws against kidnapping are rs old rs the
common law itself, as the Senator well
knows. To take a freeman and forcibly car.
~ him out OF the jurisdiction Of the State,
has ever been by all civilized countries, adj
judged to be = great crime, and in most OF
them, wherever have understood anything
about it, they have penal laws TO punish such
an odense. believe the State Of Virginia
has one to day as stringent in all it's provis.
ions rs any other Of which you complain
| have not looked over the statute beeks Of
the South, but DO not doubt there will be
found this species OF legislation on all your
| statute books.
Here let me say, because the subject 90
ours TO ms right here, the Senator from Vir-
ginia seemed not TO point out any specific
acts that the Northern people had done in
furious to your property, rs what be took TO
feel as sensitive on that subject rs any other
man. II l know myself. am the last man
that would be the advocate Of any Law or
any act that would humiiiatc or dishonor
| any section OF this country, or any individ-
ual in ii: and, on the other hand, let me tell
these gentlem 30 am exceedingly sensitve
on that same pc ut whatever they may think
aboutit. | would rather sustain an injury
| than an insult or dishonor; and | would be
AS unwilling to inhlct it upon others as
would be 10 submit TO it myself. will new
1 er u . either the ole or the other II know II.
/ l have already said that these gentlemen
who make these complaints have Tor lobg
series Of years had this government IN their
own keeping. They belong TO the dominant
ma lorily. may say that these same men
who Use up on this floor, and draw their bill
! of indictment against us have been the lead
ers Of that dominant party for many years
past. Therefore, il there Is anything in the
| legislation Of the Federal Goyernm ut that
10 not right, they, and not wc, are response
/ BILE for il; for We never have been invested
with the power 30 modify or control the leg
/ islaiion Of the country FOR almost an hour.
| know that charges have been made and
rung in our ears and reiterated over and over
again, that We have been unfaithful in the
execution lof your fugitive slave bill. Sir,
that law is exceedingly odous to any free
people. Ii deprivss US OF oil the old guar
antees of liberty that the Anglo Saxon race
everywhere have considered sacred more
sacred than anything else
MIR. Green.-Aill the Senator from Ohio
allow me 10 say n word?
Mr. Wade Certainly.
Mr.. Green.lt is simply this. Ii has been
said that the practical operation OF the so.
called liberty bills OF the North has not af.
fecte 60, body; but they do act a4eviience Of
public sentiment adverse 10 the execution
of the Federal Law TO reclaim our slaves
under the Constitution; and repeal OF those
laws would not be worth "A single straw while
the sentiment remains. know from practl
cal observation that in nine osses out Of ten
YOU cannot; and know more than that; you
forfeit your life whenever YOU make the at
tempt.
One word more when il il said that this
Fugitive Slave law 10 obnoxious TO the North,
aud runs counter 10 these old guarantees
concerning personal liberty, | say that the
recovery of fugitives from justice 10, under
the Constitution and under the law, just q
summary without trial by jury, and must oil
necessity be SO. Why is not the same DOM.
plant made about forgerers, and murderere
and scoundrels that stealp Not word oil
liberty bills in their behalf; but all for thu
negro. Applause in the galleries..
The Presiding Officer, Mr.. Foster in the
Chair. The Chair will feel called upon t.
enforce the order to clear the galleries If any
disturbance occurs hereafter.
Dir. Wsde.-Never mind, Mr.. President
let them cheer the Fugitive Slave law il they
please. have no objections TO it.
Mr.. Mason ask the Senator to allow mt
one instant. wish to say that il this is
order again occurs-if this indignity is agair
offered TO the Senate shall deem IL nv dut,
TO insist that the rules Of the Senate be en-
forced, and the galleries cleared.
Mr.. llale--Suppose We consider that threa
made for every day during the rest Of to,