The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-04-18
SPEECH
HON. WIN. BARKsDALE.

OF
HON. WIN. BARKSDALE,
OF MISSISSIPPI,
In tie House Of Representatives., Jan, 23, co
Mr.. Barksdale said
Mr.. Clerk: The House of Representatives
is presenting scene to the people of this coun.
try which has but one parallel in our history
For seven weeks we have been In session and
although vote after vote has been taken, nc
Speaker has been elected, and no organization
effected. There are three parties upon this
floor protesting to he animated by common
hostility to the Black Republican party, and
in my judgment, it is their solemn duty, for.
getting minor considerations, to unite together
for the purpose of defeating the candidate o
that party for the Speakership of this House
do not desire to examine infinitely the causes
which have prevented a union Of these parties
in the pending election. / must be permitted
y to say however, that while the Democratic
party is the only one here which embraces tht
Union in its organization it has, from the com
mencement Of this struggle to the presen
time, manifested a patriotic desire to unit
with all the elements Of opposition to the Re
publican party, and organize the House upor
just and national basis.
With this SIDE Of the House the spirit o
cancellation Itself has almost been exhausted
We presented candidate Mr.. Boeock who's
talents, ability, and experience eminently
qualify him for the discharge of the high du-
ties of the chair; yet, when it is ascertained
that he was not acceptable, he magnanimous-
ly withdrew from the contest and we said
then, and l repeat now, to our American
friends: select any one from our organization,
and the whole vote of the party would be con-
centrated upon him. Some have gone even
further, and voted for two members of the
American party-Messrs. BoteIer and May
nard. But, sir, we were told by the gentle
men from Tennessee, Mr.. Hatton, the other
day, that Mr.. Giimer, OF North Carolina,
could be elected. He is not acceptable to me-
as candidate for Speaker. have no per-
sonal objections to him, as his friends must be
aware, but do object to him from political
considerations which are perfectly satisfactory
to myself 1t is not reasonable that gentle
men of the American party, representing mi
norities in all the States from which they
come, and composed of but twenty three
members should select from their own ranks
a candidate, and force him upon party COM
posed Of ninety members, and stretching in
| its organization from one extremity of the
| Union to the other. Mr. Gilmer cannot he
elected without the aid of Black Republican
votes and | will support no one, who, by his
political course, has commended himself to the
confidence and favor Of any portion of that
party.
When the gentleman from Missouri Mr..
Clark offered his resolution declaring that no
| man who had signed and endorsed the Helper
book, recommending rebellion and murder in
| the South, was ft to be speaker Of this House,
so Ear from sympthizing with the movement,
Mr.. Gilmer interposed to shield these confede-
rates Of Helper from the just indignation Of
the country. And, sir, | desire to say, in this
connection, that have no feverish anxiety for
the organization of this House. Rather than
the candidates of the Black Republican party
should be elected rather than my constituents
and my State should be dishonored by the ele-
vation to that chair, once adorned by such il
lustrious statesmen as Macon, Clay, and Polk,
of any one Of the endorserS of the infamous
sentiments of Helper, repeat the language
of the eloquent gentleman from Alabama, Mr.
Pugh, a few days since, 'let discord reign
here forever" Now, sir, what is the true
cause of the non. organization of this House
Disguise it as gentlemen on the other side may
attempt to do it is the agitation of the slave
ry question which has caused its non-organiza-
ton, suspended the business Of the country,
fired the passions of the people, arnyed the
two sections in hostile attitude, and imperiled
the existence of the Union ITSELF
Ipropose, in the remarks l shall submit to
the House, to examine, as briefly as / can, in
to the origin, progress and present aspect Of
the slavery question in this country. When
the government was 'ormed, the several States
of the Confederacy were sovereign and indie
liant 1aII Ioff fha,n OIL
perhaps, the single exception OF Massachusetts,
and that State was largely engaged in the
slave trade. This government was ordained
in the language Of the Constitution, q have it
before me,) Sin order to form more perfect
Union, establish justice, insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defence, and
secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and
our posterity." And have these great ends
been attained Hasjustice been established Z?
Has domestic tranquility been secured ? Let
the answer be found in the existence of a sec
tional organization, based upon its hostility to
the institutions OF fifteen States of the Union,
upon the never-ending agitation of the slavery
question, in the legislation of eight northern
States multiplying the plain provisions of the
Constitution in relation to fugitive slaves, and
in efforts which portion of the northern peo-
pie are now making to incite our slaves to in
surrection and rebellion, and to kinde the fires
Of servile war in the southern States
There are three clauses in the Constitution
recognizing the right OF property in slaves
The first article provides that:
Representation and direct taxes shall be
apportioned among the several States which
may be included within this Union according
to their respective numbers which shall be de-
termined by adding to the whole number Of
free persons including those bound to service
for term of years, and excluding Indians not
taxed, three tfths of all other persons''
This clause aludes to the slave population;
| and by that article Of the Constitution this
day, twenty members hold seats upon this
| floor. Again, the ninth section Of the same
| article declares
3" That migration or importation Of such
persons as any Of the States now existing shall
| think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited
by Congress prior to the year 1908; but tax
| or duty may be imposed on such importation,
not exceeding ten dollars for each person"
Thus recognizing the right of property in
slaves and, whether it was intended by this
article to confer upon Congress the power, or
not, after 1903, to prohibit the African slave
trade-a question l am not now discussing
that power has not been exercised by Con-
gress, and the slave trade prohibited under the
most terrible penalties.
In the third section of the fourth article of
the Constitution, it is also provided that
No person held to service or labor in one
State under the laws thereof, escaping into
another, SHALL in consequence of any law or
regulation thereof be discharged from such
service or labor, but shall be delivered up on
the claim of the party to whom such service
or labor may be due"
And Mr.. Madison, the father of the Consti-
tuition, whose great intellect gave it life and
form and being, in his political writings re-
| peatediy aliudes to slaves as both persons and
property. And that august tribunal, the Su-
preine Court of the United States, has SOL
emnly declared that slaves are property. /
read from the decision of Chief Justice Taney
in the Dred Scott case
Now, as we have already said, in our car
lier part Of this opinion, upon different point,
the right of property in q slave is distinctly
and expressly affirmed in the Constitution.
The right to traffic in it like an ordinary arti
Gle Of merchandise and property, was guran-
tied to the citizens Of the United States, in eve.
ry State that might desire it for twenty years.
And the government in express terms is
pledged to protect in all future time, if the
Slaves escapes from his owner This is done
in plain words, too plain to be misundor-
Stood"
Thus has the highest judicial tribunal
known to the Constitution adjudicated this
question, and decided that slaves are not only
property, but that the government has no au-
thority to discriminate between that and any
other species OF property, and that it is enti-
tied to its protecting shield
The gentleman from Ohio, TMr. Corwiu, I
in speech which he delivered some time
since. declared that the purpose of the Repub-
lican party simply was to carry out the poll
cy Of the fathers OF the Republic--to re-
strict slavery within its present limits. Sir,
the rayerse Of this proposition is true. The
fathers Of the Republic threw around the in
stitution every possible safeguard. Under the
Constitution which have read, a fugitive
slave law was passed, during the sdministra-
ton of General Washington, which received
his signature, and which for years was faithful
ly and rightly enforced.
Mr. Corwin sought the floor.
Mr.. Barksdale. have no disposition to