The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-04-26


these United States. to be subjected to sio-
lence, outrage tar and feathers, burning i'm
P-isonment. and the galtowss Answer tha,
question | know the gentlemen sax that
self preservation IS the first law of nature;
but il vou cannot keep Slavery and allow
I Tree discussion, then l say. in Gods name.
before free discussion and all the rights of
+ tree citizens to be sacrificed 10 tina; No
lech of Slavery. thai Moloch must be in4t4o.
lated at the shrins of liberty. free sbeach,
tree discussion. and all those rights that clus
ter around an American citizen. Why, Mr.
+ Chairman, citizen of Rome, when the
scourye was already appraised. and shout To
+, tall upon him, if he uttered the cry, Il am a
.R%nan citizen, it arrested that seoasge-
I Well. SIR. Is not there more OF . charm is it
not preuder position to be an American
than to be a Roman citizen. And are we in
the nineteenth century, living under this Con-
stituuon. with free Institutions -ase our
persons and our rights TO be less sacred than
hey Were under the old Roman admnistra.
lion eighteen centuries ago aud more? That
is my response 10 the question Why l recon-
mended the circulation OF the Helper book
Now. what about John Brown ICries Of
J Let's have it, This affair of John Brown
brings us to the reality OF things This raid
contronts us with Slavery. aud makes us ask
IS slavehol1ing right? and if so, what nights
has 1t? When the curtain rose. and startled
the Nation with this tragedy. John Bsown
lay there like wounded lion with his head
upon his paws. saber cut on his brow. bay
onet gashes in his side, the blood oozng ont
aud HE itself apparently ebbing fast; around
were certain little specimens of the canine
species, snnffing and smelling, and finally
one of them yelped out: M Lion, was the
''old war-horse that pssured ON the Western
Reserve with you in this ex peditione" The
lion slowly raised his head, cast a disdainful
side glance upon the inquirer. growlea con-
iemptuous negative. and reposed his head
before. In regard to John Brown, you want
me- 10 curse him. | will not curse John
Brown. You want me to pour out execra-
ton upon the head of old Ossawatomie.--
Though all the slaveholdng Bslaks in the
country fill their houses with silver, and
proffer it, will not curse John Brown. DO
honestly condemn what he did; from my
stand point and with my convictions. | dis
approve of his action, that is true; but be-
iieve hat his purpose was a good one-that.
SO far AS his own motives before God are con-
oerned, they were honest and truthful; and
no one can deny that he stands head aud
shoulders above any other character that APP
peared on the stage in that tragedy from be-
ginning to end-from the time he entered the
armory there to the time when he strau
gled by Governor "Fussaton'' General
laughter He was not guilty of murder
treason. He did unquestionably violate the
statute against aiding slaves to escape but
no blood WAS shed. except by the panic strick-
en- multitude, till Stevens fired upon
while waving flag Of truce. The only
murder was that of Thompson. who was
snatched from the heroic protection of "A wo
man, and ridded with balls at the railroad
bridge. Despo;ism has seldom sacrificed
three nobier victims than Brown, Stephens
aud Hazlitt As remarked. Mr.. Chairman,
this brings US TO confront Slavery, aud ash.
what this 'aliban has upon earth? | say no
night. My honest convlction--and DO not
know why gentlemen need take offensp they
need not unless they choose-mv honest
conviction l., that all these saveholdin4 laws
have the same moral power and force tlia.
rules among pirates have for the distribution
OF their booty; that regulations amone rob.
bers have for the division of their spo 5; aad
although | DO not believe gentIemen have
behaved very handsomely to me, am going
to add, notwithstanding. that do not mean
to say that gentlemen who slaveholders
would be guilty of these particular things
that Is not the puint--i am talking about
this mater in the court of conscience. il the
court of right and wrong; and | insist that
any laws for enslaving men have Just the
same moral force as the arran cement among
robbers and pirates for distributing their
spos. want to know by what right YOU
cone aud make me q slave2 l waus 60
know BY what right you can say that nv child
shall be your slavel l want to know by
what right you say that the mother shall not
have her child given to herfrom God Though
, the martyrdom Of maternity? Hear tina.
soft exquisite warble of mothers love:
, Ere last a,s sun had LEFT the sky
briling sought mT lnii.n nest.
Add folded, ah. % lovingly,
n
Now where is the wretch who would dare to
: % up and take that fiattering and painting
!. birding from the bosom of its mother and
say. 1T is mine; l will sell it like a cali; will
sell it like pig?' What right has that
! mother to her babe? Was it because she
was Fanny Forester" the gifted author
: ess? it because she was the wife Of a
> venerable and venera:e missionary? No, it
9 was because she was It's MOTHER; and every
: slave mother has just good title to her
babe as Fanny Forester had to hers. No
!, laws can make it right to rob her. / saw. in
;, Gods name, my child is mine: and We. have
Il no right TO mine that slave father has not
4 to his child. Not particle. The same ar
8 gumsnt that proves my right to my personal
:, liberty proves the right Of every human be-
8 ing to his The argument tina. proves my
}. right 70 my children gives ths sametitie. the
! same sacred claim, to every father Th Y,
l. as /. get it from their God. aud no human .
d actment can aunul the claim. No SIR. neveri
II Therefore. every slave has right to his free
Q dom, in spite Of your slave laws. Every
!; slave has a right to run away. in spite Of your
!; slave laws. 1 tell y1u, Mr.. Chairman, and
Z tell you all, that IL were = slave, aud hal
II the power. and were is necessary to achieve
nv freedom, | would not hesitate % fill ur
's and bridge over the chasm that yawns be
= tween the hell of Slavery and the heaven O
Freedom with the carcasses Of the slain
IN Give me my freedom, Handso Uathrot
Il tie iha. mani Give him his liberty He i
entitled to il from his God. With these views
u dn ncaf think x.f a.r.,za l. L -