Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-28
FeIDAY MORNING, DEcEMBEltG -
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Ky TYLER, WISE j.
EeIpAY MORNING, DECEMBER es.
Tscuatnn Natter Oh Every Fase.
nn,r .1,,,c, ;,s,ay may be found the following
q .r,,S-p,oy-Sew ana other articles OF SeneFa' me
-, ne sr,,oxp rAu.-Edito!:sls, comnua'ea"on'' "a
~. g.. Ox THIN pAGE-Local aud state new, .e.
Srspkic despstchrs, marine news, &C. oH s"N'-
Poetry aaJ q variety OF news ITEMS
c,r. Forthcoming Message
~, worst and most alarming OF all NJ;
dam Rumor's reports, is that the Executive
VIRGINIA will in the event Of secession oein
forced upon us, recommend to Nirs'n'a
abandon the cotton States and take up h'
nu,rt,rs with the Northwestern States. III
congressional life of Gov. Letchcr is not Will
ou, facts and incidents, which, under the III
probability Of this report, arc very great 'oF
the same pamphlet which he distributed oS'
two wears ago, there is to be found a dlScuss's
ctwcen him and Mr.. Giddings, Of Ohlo,l in vino
acknowledging Mr. Giddings as the best repr
ss,,,a,ive Of the anti.slaycTy hostility o. u
North, to the institution Of slavery, he gives |
large portion of lis time to permit Mr.. vi
d;nrsso state the position Of the North' III
,;en REPLIES 10 him at length. We clip fro
the aforesaid pamphlet the following oeG;s9m II;
Nr, LErcurR. want the g%cntlem1hh ns 80.
70 the present issue. | want to-
WE MAY EXPECT NOW, So Mr.. Ger.
CURED :ese.o,o ~yuAtion that slavery was
Nh ".pp:H',r H.. that while the Federal
~ ncc!a'?u III IL jurisdiction over 1t, we
a State in: iii TO lend it no sanction. TO
GoVernnccdy lent an implied approval, no
Dissenting from il, but all apparently
tncci;ding with the view Of Mr.. Gerry. Now,
sir. say to Tie honorable gentleman from
Tirsinia, and to the House, that the irecmcn
o; the free States intend to carry out IN prac'
,ice this doctrine Of the Constitution and the
fathers of our Republic. We intend to sepa-
rate this Government and the people oil the
free States from all responsibility and all guilt
O: sustaining oppression, Of upho!dlng slavery,
and direct its action to the encouragement OF
liberty, virtue, and the elevation OF our race.
or people intent 10 beppTiif:d from tie cranes
aad mtguities Of Siarery End the stare TRUE.
While we leave the institution with the save
States, untouched by our legislation while
We guard all the States in the enjoyment OF
their privileges, we will protect our own rights
with equal aSsiduity.
Now, sir. in order To do thiS-for only rose
20 state to my friend what | understand to bc
the issues involved in the present conflict as to
slavery in the District Of Columbia, to which
that gentleman last alluGed-l will first reply,
tia VIC will secure TO the people here ''popu-
lar sovereignty" We will repeal the laws
which we have enacted, which now sustain
slavery and the slave trade here, and leave the
people of this District to maintain their 'popu-
lar Sovereignty Of which we heard SO much
from nv friend and his party at the last session
OF Congress. | mean all the people, black and
white. permitting each to be sovereign OF his
WA conduct, SO long as be interieres with the
r;rl:s of no other person. That we will not,
b. the law Of Congress, rivet the chains, nor
pu, hand-cutiS upon our fellow-mcn here; that
We will withdraw our power from the support
Of slavery, and leave the whole people OF this
District to enjoy their popular sovereignty.
do not think We shall ask the people OF the
District whether We may separate ourselves
from the SEAPORT of slavery here; we vii! 10
il Of our own emotion, our W. Judgment
We will not share the guilt nor the disgrace OF
unfolding the slave trade here, Of sustaining
the practice OF rearing boys and girls for the
market il. his city. We are not going to in
t.rt.re with slavery here; wc will cease 10 In
tcr,,rc with that Institution but We will en-
courage freedom, not slavery. We DO not
intend TO say that men here shall be free. God
aal nature have said that-and We will protect
the ric:Its which our Creator has conferred on
mankind.
And | further say to the gentleman, that, in
IN. naxt place, We will take good care 10 fol-
los. in tie footsteps Of Jefferson, and Of the
CONGRESS Of Isl, and exclude slavery from
every foot Of territory belonging 10 this Govern
mcn, by Law Of Congress.
say a-ain. | have had some experience
here. and expect to be 4 member Of the next
CoacrsSS; and DO expect, as | expect to live
and go, back here, to see the next Congress
bin. in Il bill, and pass it through this body,
that shall strike the chains from every slave
within the territory of tho Federal Government.
THIS. sir, is the great and principal issue on
which nearly vi! ,ncn Of all parties at the North
unite, which no party can withstand. Some
mar hesitate on other points, but this az one on
,rji,5 ne iBteEd to mite in all elections, md-
kim ;te test wih all candidates fer oIice, bW
n. xiii do itrithoHt excitement. Laughter.
With this, however, is connected another, the
exclusion of any slave State which may seek
admission into the Union. We will never give
10 another State the odious superiority over
ourselves of holding an Influence over the Tree
States proportioncd to the number OF their
slaves. allowing five Slaves to be equal to three
Of orr irccmen. The man pAo c0uh thus de-
c:-aIc tic fJtemen Of the North cN be regard
ri rs Il traitor to Northern honor end -N0rth.
<-, interests. We intend doing this, and
would respectfully say that no threats Of dis
solving tie Union will deter us. That
mode of frightening our people has been
too often and too long rcsorted to. 1t
has los, its prestige. It has ceased TO irighten
on. school girls. We hope 10 act like
statesmen, like men who have their country
and their conn,ry's good at heart, who labor
for freedom, for the happiness Of mankind
w. expect TO maintain the rights which we
ourselves hold under this Government. We
Intend that freedom, the liberty of man, shall
bc tho objects Of this Government, and not
slavery. Jnderstand-(or have been miSrc-
presented for twenty years. have never
thought Of interfering with the rights OF the
slave States: | have never maintained upon this
floor, hv the wayside, by the tireSide, nor have
| in hubble or private, intlmatcd that we pos.
ssss the mower 10 interfere with slavery in the
States. On the contrary, | repeat, that while
we protect the Constitution, and asSiduouSly
maintain i; in its full force, VIC will take care
to maintain the rights which it confcrs upon
the North. as well as tho privileges OF the South;
VIC will maintain tho rights of the free States,
ne we'll as those Of the slave States. On rights
in Ohio are equal to those of the other States.
we mean to WELD the Government for the pur-
nose Of maintaining the freedom of every foot
ofsoil Subjected TO the laws of Congress, and
nco;nst the extension Of tho slave pcwer by adj
hitting any new slave State. .
Tn, next point, Mr.. Chairman, is that Of
,rnh;l,i,inr the sale Of any human being under
t.ha nrocess issued from the Federal Courts
W. w;n not prostitute the process of tho Frde.
r.l Courts to the purpose Of selling men and
NV nj public auction. want my friend