The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-07-11

Here is still another. In the debate of the bill
ior the improvement of Rivers and Harbors. 20sl
July, 1854, Congressional GLOBE, vol 20, al
Pendix, page ll6S,) the Senator from Louisiana
MI. Benjamin, who 10 still member Of thi,
BODY, ardent tor Slavery, while protesting q
avoid personal alteration in the Senate. espe
ciaiiy with gentleman who processes the prin
cipies Of non.resistance, as he understood the
Senator from New York does" proceeded most
earnestly to repel an imagined imputation ON him
oy Mr. Seward, and wound up by SAYING: Ii i,
came from another quarter, ii could NOT be spor
Mis floor that should aascer It,"
And then, during the present session, the Sen.
asor from Mississippi, Mr.. Davis, who speaks
30 often for slavery. in a colloquy on this floor
with the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Collamer,
mas maintained the Duel "a a mode of settling
personal differences and vindicated what is called
personal honor; as if personal honor did not de.
pend absolutely upon what man does, and no,
what is done to him. "A gentleman" says the
Senator, "has the right to give an insult, II ht
Jeels himself bound to dasWer FOR is:" and in
reply to the Senator from Vermont, he declared,
that IN case of insult, taking another out and
shooting him might be " satisfaction"
l do not dwell on this instance, nor on any oi
these instances, except to make single com.
ment. These declarations have all been made IL,
open Senate, without any check from the Chair
VI course, they are clear violations Of the first
principles OF Parliamentary Law, and tend di.
rectiy 10 provoke a violation of the law of the
land All duels are prohibited by solemn act o,
congress. (See Statutes at Large, vol 5, page
5lS, February 20, 1897 In case OF death, the
q noe .ls- 4
be punished by hard labor in the penitentiary ;
and, even where nothing has occurred beyond
the challenge, all the parties to it whether gvers
or receivers, are declared guilty Of high crime
and mlsdemeanOr, also to be punished by hard
labor in the penitentiary. Of course, every men.
ace OF duel in Congress sets this law at def.
snce. And yet the Senators, who thus openly
disregard law sanctioned by the Constitution
and commended by morality, presume to com.
plain on this floor because other Senators disre-
gard the Fugitive Slave Bill, statute which, &C.
cordng to the profound convictions OF large
numbers, is "a unconstitutional as it is offensive
to the moral sense. Let Senators who are 60
clamerous for "the enforcement of laws" begin
by enforcing the statute which declares the Duel
to be felony. At least let the statute cease to
be dead letter in this Chamber. But this is
too much to expect while slavery prevails here,
for the Duel is part of that System of Violence
which has its origin in Slavery.
But it is when aroused by tho Slavo Qnastinr.
in Congress that slave.masters have most truly
shown themselves; and here again shall speal.
only of what has already passed into history.
Even in that earliest debate, in the First Con-
gress after the Constitution, on the memorial OF
Dr.. Franklin, simply calling upon Congress "to
step to the verge of its powers to discourage
every species of traffic in our fellow men," the
slave.masters became angry, indulged in sneers
at "the men in the gallery" being Quakers and
Abolitionists and, according to the faithful his
torian, Hldreth, poured out "torrents of abuse,
while one Of them began the charge so often
since directed against all anti-slavery men, by
declaring his astonishment that DR.. Franklin had
given countenance to an application which
called upon Congress, in explicit terms, to break
a solemn compact to which he had himself been
a party" when it was obvious that DR.. Franklin
had done no such thing. This great man was
soon summoned away by death, but not until he
had fastened upon this debate an undyine con.
by portraying, with his matchless
pen, a scene in the Divan at Algiers. where q
corsair slave dealer, insisting upon the enslave.
ment of White Christians, is made to repeat the
speech of an American slave.
master.
But these displays of violence have naturally
with the intensity of the discussion.
lmpelled to be severe, but with little apprec;a-
ton of the finer forms of debate they could not
be severe except by violating the rules of debate
not knowing that there is a serener power than
any found in personalities, and that all severity
which transcends the rules of debate, becomes
disgusting as the talk of Yahoos, and harms him
only who degrades himself to be its mouth-piece.
Ut course, on such occasions, the cause of elave.
ry, amidst all seeming triumphs, has lost, and
Truth has gained.
1t was against John Quincy Adams that this
violence was first directed in full force. To q
spOtless as snow, and to universal at
as a scholar, this illustrious citizen
added experience in all the eminent posts of the
Republic, which he had filed with an ability and
now admitted even BY his enemies,
and which impartial history cannot forget. Hav.
ing been President Of the United States, he en-
tered the House of Representatives at the period
when the slave question in its revival first began
to occupy the public attention. In aIl the com
pleteness OF his nature, he became the represen-
tative of human freedom. The first struggle
occurred on the right Of petition, which elave-
masters, with characteristic tyranny, sought TO
suppress. This was resisted by the venerable
patriot, and what he did was always done with
his whole heart. Then was poured upon him
abuse as from cart. Elave-masters, "foaming
out their shame" became conspicuous, not less
for an avOwal of sentiments at which civilization
blushed, than for an effrontery Of manner where
the accidental legislator was lost in the natural
overseer, and the lash of the plantation resounded
in the voice.
In an address to his constituents, 18th Sep.
tember, 1912, Mr.. Adams thus frankly describes
the treatment he had experienced:
''Inever take part in any debate upoo an impor
pack opens upon me Of personal invective in return
Language has word Of reproach and railing that
hurled at me"
And in the same speech he gives a glimpse oi
slave-masters:
"where the South csunot effec, Ler object ~ brow
beating, she wheedles"
On another occasion he said, with his accus.
toned power:
"Insult bullying and threat, characterize the slave
holders in Congress talk, tmidty and submission the
Representatives from the Free State, :"
Nor were the slave-masters contented with the
violence of words. True to the instincts ol
slavery, they threatened personal indignity o
every kind, and even assassination. And here
South Carolina naturally took the lead.
The Charleston Mercury, which always speaks
the true voice Of slavery, said in 1887:
"Public opinion in the South would now We are sure
sgation, the floor ef C0are, they forthwith
TO seize and drag from the Hall any Who dared Il
insult them, that eccentric old Snowman, John Quincy
Adams, has dared TO do
And At public dinner at Walterborough, il
South Carolina, on the 4th of July, 1912, tht