, 1860-01-13
Senator Nnson on tho tservl,e s.atcs,,


Mr. N4sox.-fester,Iay, .ou,c remarks fell |
from Tue ia the course o. the debate On this |
question, in which / used word Which I'M.
derstood afterwards had been the subject Of
sons criticism by tue honorable Senator from
wisconsin, tAr. Doolittle, who was on the aoor.
no stoTes, spoke Of them rs "scryie States"
WAS not present in the Senate when the hon.
orabe Seuator who had the foor and who
kindly yielded to me, criticised the use Of the
term, and therefore do not know wha. view
be took Of it. uaed the term, 1fr. President,
-kEoMln11!!st- md deliberately >, with REV. to
draw what understand to be the true distinc-
tion between the States Of this Union where
there are s!aTes and those States where there
are no slayes. In common parlance, since this
unhappy question has arisen IN our country.
this see}io(nl division, in the attempt to dis.ip~
slaves and the States where there were 10
slavcs, they hare been called on the one side
slave Suites, md On the other side tho free
States.
Those anong whom, live have never taken
my exception to the designation Of that section
ol The country as the aiaTe Statcs-knowiug it
meant these States where there we're slaves
CO not know that the honorable Senator took
any exception to the term but TO not see that
any exception can be taken to the term "ser-
vile ~ applied u those States where there are
20 siaEe5- Certainly, in speaking Of the slave
N%N'-Ss sACf w AVs AAea44 5kA&t6 AuAk AlE uGt Is
free rs any ofthc States OF the confederation
quite rs free, il not freer; but they arc desgna-
ted as slave States, and no exception is taken to
the term. The other Statcs, sir, aze not The free
States. They might possibly be called serrans
Ssates-States where there Is class of their
population in bondaye and bond<men, although
. certalulv not in any offensive senSe-bondsu,cn
not slaves; men who arc subjected 10 tue will of
others-the servants. You hare ull got ser
rants, and your constituents have servants,
F7ena the necessity Of their condition, there is u
serEinE class in the so-e4i!ed free States as there
IS SET ty'ng class in the slave eS,ates-~ihose WHO
are subjected by contract to the u i'll Ct othrrs
They are servunts. and are u!ways called so
known so IN the legal acceptasion Ut tle term.
1t Is unnecessary To 20 into tic derivation Of
servants from the Latin word strrio. to serve
But, s1r. the "serrant States' wcu.d NOT cx.
acslF express tue idea, because, again, neecs-
sar'iy from their unhappy cunditlon-not in the
region Of country, take it for granted, which
the honosabse Senator from Wisconsin repre-
sent*, hut in other regions of the country where
| there are no sases-that very class Of servants
| are BY their masters made seryile. Sir, have
seen tfen-l dare say every Senator on this
| Ao0r has seen them-wearipg the masters liz
eEy. i haze seen il III this city-a class OF err
y3nss wearing the badge of servitute, Tie livery
Of their masters, ! degradation To = white man
! let saey consider that tic necessity Of their
position requires that on tie part Of the servant,
10 minister. suppose, to the pride Of l. mas
ter. That is the serr,le class. do not Know,
therefore, that We could properly expsrs, the
distinction that suhsisks between tue States
where there are slares anu the States where
there pre- no slaves, BY calling tue latter servant
| States; and there could be no term of oppro-
lrlu1a greater than to call a man u slave; acd
yet they speak Of NY State always as Stare
statc. because there une slaves shcrc. In 1tos G
staies where. unEoppi1y for then, they can have
no sl4res, they jet hare class Of servants who
! are not a. free those whom they serve
whose will Is subjected to that Of another by
contract. Now, sir, there is no degradation to
that class whatever, to speak OF then, as they
are 10 speak Of man as servant Of another
is nn term OF oppfobrium. Certainly. DO not
use it III taat sense. and do nor entertain it in
that sense. an tue servant Of smother iu 1ny
profession, when | engage TO do his busiue 81
as hfs attorney. l am NOT seryfle, for Do rot
wear the hud:;e Of serritudc.
ousy intended TO say 10 the honorable Scna-
tor, that 1neaut nothing ouensire-1 do not
know the 1ig>t iu which he received it; but I
do mean 20 say that in thosa States whete there
are no slaves, there il class Of servants ct ue-
csssity, aud IN s4'ss,c Of tlena they make those
servants know their position, think, by 4 higl,
degree OF offensive imposition upon them; By
requiring. them to appear in public sith the
badge OF sersltude-a thing that is unknown in
my State, and dare say unknown in tue States
Ola great 'lany i.cuorabi: Senators here, but
It has been seen morc than once. Il has been
seen in this city. ! hare seen it, mud all the
stua orh have seen i,-ccachmen and fuotmeu
ucatiug the badge Of strri,uir Us the livery oil
thc'S masters. That Is tie seryi!ity to wticl,
they arc reduced. and wl.ich is imposed upon
t1s1n- think if it was necessary clearly to te.
inc what WIS the true listiEv;ion in cl4ssss Lr.
tweea tire States where ihere are slaves and The
StateS where these are slares, the tern, "I1ee
ceftainly does not define il; because those who
! fJ1rF 1h.kf, wa S!1-! AZ.
urc :sS fsee rs acy Of you, it nat Ecer: aud yet
Tor harint7 got slaves aUlaugst us, ycu call u.
"slaFe Sta.es.' and We TO rnt ob;ec: to III.
term. do not object to it, cad never did hea.
u IN Objection to it. do not see, therefore
that proper objection can b. tukca to tile tc, ri
| applied By ME 10 designate the Stalcs where
there are no slaves. That is al! meant.
Mr. nonLlTTLE.-WiA the leare Of nv honor
abe friend from. lava, l will say word. lf,ht
honorable Senator frou, Virginia Ind been pres
ens ut The time made my run,arkS Yesterday
when rslerre. to the cissIIcr used BY him, Al,
| paed 70 fte Tree STATS Us they ure commonly
| Lcnnrl!nlted, Ec woul1 NOT hare found any &c
casion 10 refer tn nv remarks on 1he .;cun,
THAT had received it in anv extensive st1l+e: tn
l stated, at the time, that was not aw.,e o
tic sense i'll which the honorable gentleman
''sct tha. term. ! confess l was At :. loss tt
conee'Ee his 1neanEg. At one time. in TIL
hurry of the moment, i'll the heat of debate.
.til not know but tha. possibly mr. hozoral,e
friend might i1re s..tfrrtL to tlt I.motra:i,
1wrty in s1'f' Sta'+. u se1sb loon ttts. som.
fims. 1 Aa2s tho"1ht tAit t<r,n ey" "st,sik =
m!yat b. ari|it4 wi:aa good .1tat Of ,fo-.<; but
stu dns 10 chuose to receive tie term US ~
Piled in an offensive seuse, but expressly wair
cd it, putting the remark which / nude u,nr
tic ground that. Al Wisconsin, the State wh;cI
represent OH this floor, is tho youngest boru
child Of Virginia, il whatever sensc the honor
able Senator might have used the term, wou!.
never be proEoSe't to use anv epprobrinu:
cpitnet towards tie State Of Virginia. Thai
w:ls the substance OF my rcmask. as tie honor
able gentleman will see when he looks over The
report Of my speech.