The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-02-22
!. .MiissatdIalnapg... j.
Speech of Senator Garfield,

Speech OF senator Garneld,
oa The Bill q to prevent ths settiag on foot
of military expeditions in Ohio against
the Territory or people Of any Of these
United Stdtes"-othericise called the iSedGs
tire Bill.
Mr.. Cox moved the indefinite postponement
Of the bill and pending amendments. n
ME Jones hoped the motion would not be
pressed until gentlemen had expressed their
views against the bill He had heard no suf
6cient reason why it should not pass. He
thought it ought to pass, as he regarded it
necessary to satisfy the reasonable and con
servative men of the South that Ohio is ready
and willing to discharge her constitutional OBJ
LEGATIONS. 1t would be an assurance to such
men that Ohio is true to her pledges.
SPEECH OF MR.. GARFIELD OF PORTAGE.
Mr.. Garfield said In Legislating for Ohio
in her relation to other States. legislator
should act as be would for himself in the same
situation. Now every member would consider
such pledge as this bill eontains-as deeply
Insulting. He would make no such pledge
thus confsssing to the charge implied. He
asked for whom the bill was drafted For
Ohio or Virginia The gentleman from Del
aware admits that citizens of Ohio need no
such restraints as the bill imposes For what
is it proposed 7 To quiet the fears of Vir
ginia and other sister States it is said. Il
that be the purpose, this bill viii utterly fai
of efacingi it. Virginia does not fear Jehr
Brown and his dozen men. Her terrors are
the terrors of a conscience that tells her o
deep wrongs she has committed against human
rights. Her terrors are the alarms which he
own sins excited. and no legislation of onr
can reach them. But the gentle man frou
Delaware tells US he has heard no argumen
against the justice or sound principles of th'
bill. Then invite his attention to a fev
points. zsa4r9 s5. =rF rsas .ysss s.fi -sa.
lst 1t is no greater crime to disturb th'
peace of Virginia than Ohio. OLi o punishe
the intention to disturb her peace BY . fine o
Eve hundred dollars but this proposes II
punish the same crime against Virginia, viii
Incarceration in the States prison for ten years
Has the gentleman shown the justice Of thi
discrimination against citizens of Ohio ?
I'd, The language of the bill makes it a
Instrument of injustice and oppression. 1t
penalties are denounced against three classe
of offences. The first of these is the .begiu
ming and setting on foot of expediti ons int
any other States Now, how much is nece'
sary to begin an expedition | had suppos
ed that some act of martial character mus
be committed, bur the author of the bill ha
lately explained the aim of the measur
and interpreted the meaning of begin Thi
| provision at first seemed harmless-even al
tractive. The shape at first ,--T
!; ed e Seemed woman to the waist, nd fair, @
But ended foul IN many scaIy fold.
Voluminous I'd vast" ,a 70
: For now the author tells us it is n iutende
to reach such men as Jehu Brown so muc
as such men as Wendell Phillips and W. 10y
, Garrison. Not SO much to reach the doers I
the overt act, as those who are too cowardI
to make an invasion, but attempt by thei
eloquent eulogies and seducing words to incit
Others to the work This, sir, shows us tn
monster in its full proportions.
Il [Mr. Harrison interposed with an explaua
ton that exception was taken to point in hi
speech that was not fully reported. He ha
expressly disclaimed any design to infringe th
freedom of speech, and had explained that a
. overt act of insnrrection was necessary to ca
| for on of tba b;U
D Mr.. Garfield, Quoting Mr.. Harrison,) re
Piled: =a.. ..,i.s,.,--.s 5,jv zssss~
E shall set down naught in malice, nc
shall l .aught extenuate,' in reference to th
: gentleman. l appeal to every Senator on thi
e Roor, if the gentleman from Madison did nc
D use the very language l have attributed {
. him. He said-and several times repeated i
' and the official report SO states it-This bi
!. is designed to reach such men as Phillips an
J. VIM. Lloyd Garrison, who. by their sloquenc
!. incite insurreetiou, in which they have not tt
J. courage to engage Now, sir, it is, this pr
n seription of speech which makes it particular
c odious to me- and it only needs to be fairI
8 thrown before the country to receive meri
7 b.
e ed condemnation. The second clause of th
bill is equally vague as the nrst, and the thir
will aid those who desire to push forward Il
, execution of the odioas features of the Fug
tive Slave bill The gentleman refers to tt
. legislative visit Of our sister States, and th
% speeches made on that occasion, as inoonsi
tent with opposition to this bill.
said in my remarks at Louisville. as l SO
" now, that when the fiat of this Union got
forth, it becomes Ohio's law, her rule of chee
full duty. But, sir. when we are legislating f
Ohio in her relation to other States, let I
= discriminate in favor of our own citizens ratl
or than against them, and let US not aid th
!, tyrannical slave power by making il still easis
to enforce the odious provisions of q law (
at least dsubtful constitutionality in many
its provisions. The gentleman quotes wis
contemporary, who says that a majority is az
to be led by extremists. and he hopes this ni
% will be supported by conservative men of bot
parties. would remind the Senate that ii
q contemporary referred to is the Democratic o
gan of this State, and no treasure is moi
N pleasing to that organ than tho one now III
der consideration The biIl IA evidentlv in III