, 1860-04-16
SLAVERY QUESTION.
SPEECH OF
ON. OWEN L0VEIoY
Ooitrcred in the House of xenra-
@enattves April 9Th, 1866.

Mr. LorEJoY said;
Mr: CHAIRMAN !: The House has been occu,
pee ior several days in the discussion Of the
subject Of polygamy. The Republican nartr. NJ
Whach am member, stands plsdgeA since 1s5l
10 tue determination, so.far as the Federal GOV.
eminent has the power, of the tvin relics al
..a n.aIoarasm, slavery and polygamr. They have
States, - ~As o'eo
Now. sir, as VIC anticipate a death blow has
been given to one Of these twins. propose to
pay my respects to the other. l want to ser
them both strangicd and 90 down together
as they both richly deserve.
Mr. ConB-i raae to question Of order.
question Of order. :
Mr. Conn., wns going to raise question oil
order upon the right Of the gentleman to dis
cnss the question Of the +ttwgia relics.'' under
the new rule we hare adopted. However. /
WI not interfere; the gentleman may 20 on
with his speech.
hr. LosE5or-l am entitled to the floor; l
40 not yield to the gentleman and will pro-
the gentlcman's permission, or without it.
Mt. S1ASToS-I wouid be glad to know what
is the understanding Of tho Chair. mud Of the
Chairnan Of the Committee of " ays and Means,
- to what il to be the course of discussion upoa
this bill, whether the twin relics" are in order
or not, or whether the discussion is to Lc co,l-
lined to the bill itself: The questions properly
involved IN the bill itself are sufficiently COM.
prehens're, in my Judgment, to command ,Le
entire attention Of the committee, aud l tlirk
we should confno the discussion strictly to It.
v hen wc are oil in the Committee Of the " hotc
on tue State Of tho Union upon the Presidents
Message, the gentleman from Illinois will l.c
strictly in order. hare no special iufete-,
about tho matter, except that, ii the question is
to be opened to this general discussion. j :u1
afraid the whole time will be taken up with it,
and the important subjects connected with The
bill Itself orerlookcd.
Mr.. SHEaAAS-I will state that as I nutlar-
stand it, the debate 1uay bc as general upon this
bill in its present condition, rs uuou tile rrcs;-
dents Message. 1t il within the power of the
House, however, at any time to make tie bill i.
special order, litter which, debate must b. cor
lined strictly to the question under const!cra-
ton. 1t it be the pleasure Of the House, PRO-
pose in the course OF about week to submit
that motion to the 1lonse.
The CuA1nNAS-Tbe Chair su,puses that ,eu~
cral debate is ia order upon this bill, the House
now being in the Committee Of the Whole on
the State Of the Union, ind no special order
pending.
Mr- LovEsoT-1 WAS about TO say, when in
terrupted, that I an aware that tie practical
question presented to this House and to tile coun-
try, is, whether slavery shall be extended bc-ord
its present limits; rs that is the only question
over which theY have exclusive jurisdiction,
And if slavery we're contented to remain restric-
ted. and find its future where it nos is. we might
perhaps 1orbear this discussion. But when ii il
proposed to extend what is termed an iustitu-
tlou-bus which II not m institution; which is
simply practice--thc question naturally artists.
what is the nature, That are the influences. and
what are the elements of this practice and
what will they prore 10 be il allowed expan-
sion?
I ant aware It has been stated upou this floor.
that the naordk Of slavery is settled; that its
ethics are no longer to be discussed; ti,at tbey
were settled ages ngo by the Stagisite ortreace.
and !ase been re affirmed and rc-cstablishel Dv
the ellAnticfeer Scion Of Ohio. il. rhetoric ptr.
geoux as sunsct's eloE- We are told ,Is:,t
where slavery will pay, slavehold,ng will ~.
Precisely upon the same principle we might sav
that where robbery will pay, robbery will 60
where adipose human flesh il cheaper ihan thai
Of becyea, cannibalism will 70, because it will
pay. Sir. than robbery, than piracy, than 20.
lygamy. slareho'ding il worse-mnrc cr;1nin,l
more injurious to man, and consequently more
offensive to Gcd.
Slavelol1ing has been justly designated rs the
anm Of af' riduny. ,pnt every crime pc,petfa
solve mud combine them all, and tl1e resultant
a'nas;am is s's,eholding. ltl.as the violence q!
robbery.
A MEunEn-You are joking.
Mr. LoyE5or-No, sir; nn speaking it,
dead earnest. before God, Gods own truth. Ii
has the violence Of robbery, the blood and cru
city Of pirasy; it l,us the offensive and brutal
trated in itself, with aggrarations that ncithc,
one Of tleec crimes ever knew or dreamed Of.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, the justification Of s'arc
~ is placed, 50 fur as ] know. mainly upc1
these grounds: tue inferiority Of the casla7ee
race; tie fac. that enslaving men imparts Chris
tianity aud civilization to them: and thirdly
the guarantees Of the Constitution These art
the three maiu arguments presented 10 justif,
s!arcEs. and consequently to justify its c1pati
sion. And, ty tlIa way, hold that tue extren,s
men, rs they are called, on this question, s1t
the unly men who l,nre the lpE:c of it. Ct.
right or the tire-eatcrs are right. If slavery l.
right in Virginia, it is right ID Kansas. lit i.
wrong in k1usas, it is wrong everywhere.
fow. sir. IN regura to the first point-tte in
ccde it as matter Of fact that il is inferior: Lu
daes it follow, therefore, that il is right to en-
slave q man simply because be is infericr
This, to me, is a most ebhnrrent doctrine. !
would place the weak everywhere at the mere,
Of the strong; it would place the poor et til,
mercr Of tho rich; it would place those Tia
arc deficient in intellect Ut the mercy Of ihos
that are gifted in mental endownents.
The principle Of cnslaripg human beings be
cause they are inferior is this: II d man is
cripple, trip him up il be is old aud weak, an
bowed with tue weight Of years, strike him. 70
he cannot strike back; II idsotic, take adyantas
Ct him, and if child, deceive lin. This, sis
this ia the doctrine Of Democrats and II,
doctrine Of devils rs we'll, and ther
is no place 10 the universe outside tlte fiv
points OF hell and tho Democratic party whey
the nYactice and preya?ence pf snrh tJncs sr;ro