Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-08-07

ment in the South is antsavery now, t was antsaVery
before the organization Of which il recently formed
part was split in twain So it is that curses like chick
ems, viii come home to rOost"
rhe MN 90 suppress the slave Trade I'm the
DiatrIet of Columbia.
Our readers remember that few days ago the ERqi-
rr Arraigued Mr. Bell for having voted for the bill to
suppress the slave trade in the District of Columbia and
that it also made garbled quotations from Mr.. Bells
speech on the subject of slavery in the District The
question Of how Mr. Bell voted on that particular BILL is
matter Of small Importance so far the present can
vass is concerned.
Now the truth of history be the object of the present
enquiry the proper mode to attain would seem to be
to state the position of the question which this speech
was made-not garble but to quote with candid full
ness what was said and above ALL to give the UOes of
Mr. Bell on this question, in its several phases This
DONE the friends of the Union candidate have nothing to
fear from enquiry but cOurthe fullest When the Bill
for preventing the introduction Of slaves merchandise
into the Dsc; of Columbia brought forward as one
Of the concessions to be made BY the South for the sake
Of peace the existing law thus Maryland, by law
passed in 1884, had nterdeted the bringing Of slaves
from other States into her borders She had declared that
/ il should not be lawful "to import or bring
into this State BY land or water any negro,
muatto or slave TOR sale reside IA this State Nr
gina had early lin 592 declared similar policy Slaves
which shall be brought into this Commonwealth and kept
therein whole year. so long at different times as
shall amount to one year. shall be free" The object Of
both States check the increase Of slave population
The country composing the District was in 1900 ceded to
the United States that which cOmposes the District
by Maryland and the by Virginia, but which latter
hadbeeD retroceded at the time of the proposed
measure Congress- by act Of 1901 extended the laws
Of Mary land over that part eeded by Maryland and the
laws of Virginia that part eeded by Virginia The
consequence was that slaves by the law Of Maryland,
might be carried from Maryland only into the Maryland
part Of the District and from Virginia only into the Viz
gnia part of the District practice sanctioned by pos
tive act of Congress passed after the cessions were
made.
But this state of the law slaves could be carried
from the Maryland part the Virginia part Of the Dis
tric and UicsrTsa slave could not be carried from
Georgetown; to Alexandria and rice versa. This was
corrected by law in 1872 authorizing the carrying of
slaves from part Of the District the other but still
from Maryland only could slaves come into the Mary
land portion of the Territory, and from Virginia only
into the Virginia part of it Now the object Of the Bill
70 suppress the slave trade" in the District simply
20 restrict the introduction of slaves from Maryland in
to the District for traffic Virginia by retrOcession being
out of the question: and to prevent its being made
satrepoi for that purpose Ofte practical i'm
portanee in the actual state of the slave traffic at the
time but upon which mere question of feeling many
southern Statesmen were willing make concessions to
Northern citizens who necessarily brought BY their
participation in the government and public business
residents into the District The Bill it reported
by the committee and il finally passed. provided by
first section that 1t shall be lawful bring into
the District of Columbia any slave whatever for the pur
pose Of being sold for the purpose of being placed
in depot to be subsequently transferred to any new
STATE or place to be sold merchandise" and if in
roduced such slave was be free. The second section
authorized the corporation authorities break up such
depots This the naked character Of the Bill
ported but in its subsequent stages struggle made
engraft provisions for the security Of slave pro-
perty in the District, and penalties for enticiug
slaves to escape from their masters harbor-
ing or assisting them so to escape aud it was
n support Of these sauary amendments for all Of which
Mr. Bell voted along with the Senators from Virginia and
falling to get which, he voted in company with them
a,ains. the passage Of the bill ITSELF that the speech
WIS made from which the Enquirer selects its
cerp.s upon the amendment declaring any person La
Die 70 Indictment and Penitentiary confinement who
shall within the limits Of the District "entice induce
bv persuasion other means any slave slaves to run
away from his her or their owner, lawful possessor
or shall in auy manner aid abet assist any slave
slave in running away escaping from the owner or
lawful possessor Of such slave slaves shall harbor
any slave or slaves with intent assist him, her or them
TO escape from the service Of such owner possessOrs
The ayes and noes being called find % ayes to 90
noes, and among the ayes Barnwe, Badger, BELL,
Berrian Butler Davis of Miss, Dawson Dowaes, Foote
Hunter, King Mason, Morton, Pratt Rush, Sebastian
Soulc Turney, Underwood and luee.-lCong. Globe
app. Y. %, pLi2 p. 1921
Another amendment dependent on this having shared
the same fate the bill came up in its original form aud
passed BY vote on the yeas and nays and the 10 nays
(yeas 3S) are Atchison,. Badger Birnwel, BELL Ber
rien, Davis, of Miss, Dawson DOwnes, Hunter, King
Mangum Mason, Morton, Pratt Sebastian, Soule, Tdr
new aud Nulee.
With this exposition Of the actual record Of John
Bell on tins selected point of attack the Enquirer is
welcome to its quotations and all the effect they will
have on the minds Of the country, with the addition
however of some connected passages which are neces
slry 10 the sense.