The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-04-11
saw fit to vote to abolish slavery in this

sincere; out virginia mas Deen so IoDg III LUG
habit of debating in this Senate and OF tel
ling Senator's what is reasonable and what
is right, and what they must do, that it
seems to me her Senators here are initiating
the action of those who occupied seats
here little while ago, and think that they
too, must tell us v hat we may do and what
we may not do. venture the assertion
that, without the protection OF Northern
troops neither, of the Border States here
represented, with. the exception, perhaps,
of Missouri, would have today single
square inch of territory in which they could
have maintained the authority of the Unit.
ed States. Even in what is called the loyal
portion of Virginia, there have been enact
ed scenes of brutality of which there is no
parallel in the annals of civilized warfare,
and seldom in the most barbarous savage
strife. I hold that slavery corrupts the
human heart, that it has corrupted the
hearts of the people of this District, and of
that State, and enabled them to commit
acts which could not have been committed
in free community. Mr.. w. then read an
account of the masracre of Union troops at
Guyandot, Virginia, in November, 1861,
where men and women aided in killing the
Union troops. But the Senator from Vir'
ginia, says that, if we pass this bill, we
shall fire the Southern heart. Sir, the
hearts of those engaged in this rebellion
are already full of the fire of hell. They
move forward with malignity such as news
er filled the hearts of men before. There is
no way to meet them but to crush them out
in the storm of battle, and that, Sir, is
what we Northern people propose to do.
MIR. w. then referred to the speech of the
Senator from Maryland (Mr. Kennedy,
who opposed this bill and said: eli it
passed, he should feel himself called upon
to submit to the people OF Maryland wheth
er the Government is keeping its pledges
with them" This sounded like the threats
that used to be heard in this chamber, and
if the Senator meant to submit the question
of obedience to this State, it was simply
the old doctrine of Secession, and no better
than treason. And the Senator from Ken
lucky (Mr. Davis) has been very jealous
in bis opposition to this bill, and l think in
his zeal be has gone far beyond what in bis
cooler moments be would have done. His
defense of Human Slavery is more offensive
in manner and argument than have list
ened to upon this floor, if perhaps we ex
cept the foolish fulminations of crazy Wig
fall The Senator from Kentucky contends
that the natural right of property in the
slave is just the same, and rests upon the
same authority, as in the case of hog or
horse, or piece of land:
Mr.. Davis. did not say natural tight
1 said the right of the people of this dis
trict, as to property, is the same in relation
to the slave or horse, or land. But l
distinctly said it was an artificial right, cre-
ated by law and the customs of the world.
Mr.. Wilkinson. shall not stop to enter
into an argument to show the fallacy. 1t is
enough for me to know that his theory is
opposed to every principle of justice, and
tramples into dust the loftiest and sublim-
est sentiments of the age. Nay, more, it is
an abborrent doctrine, which would compel
US to close our eyes to the cheering lessons
of Christianity forever, and to close the
door of our holy religion against millions of
our fellow men. MIR. w. quoted from Da-
vis's speech. 1t seems as if the Senator
was anxious to 90 out of the record to find
some way OF assaling the free sentiments of
the North, and to excite the prejudices of
bic people against those who are now there
shoulder to shoulder with them in defending
their soil against the vile traitors who would
have betrayed that noble State into the
hands of its enemies, and thousands Of the
best and noblest young men of the North
have enriched the soil of Kentucky with
their blood, and laid down their bodies to
rest forever beneath its soil. 1t seems as
if in his hatred Of the free sentiments of the
North, he was willing to arouse all the ma
lignant passions of his own people in order
to break the bonds Of sympathy which now
exist. And the Senator does not stop with
this bill. In his violent speeches he has
seen fit to rake up and animadvert upon
almost every proposition which has been
introduced, and he goes still further and
assumes to decide upon what the dominant
party intends to do in the future. Mr.. w.
quoted from MIR Davis speech in regard to
the Republican party going to abo ish s!a>
very 10 all the States.) Sir, what right has
that Senator to talk thus to me and North
ernn Senators on this floor? What right has
he to assume what we intend to do, and to
taunt US with it? I apprehend that when
the proper hour arrives, the Republicans of
this body will be frank enough to say what
they mean to do, and not leave it to the
Hon. Senator to conjecture and tell what
we are about to do. The Senator the other
day, in opposition to this bill and speaking
of the evils it would bring about, read us
the cause of lady in this city who owned
some slaves whom she hired out fer the
aggregate sum of about 5000 l have
been informed by gentleman of undoubted
responsibility that the same lady is vic
lent Secessionist. regard this measure as
emiuently just, Christian, and humane, and
tending to rear up here loyal population,
and to exclude treason. And for these rea-
sons hope it will pass.
The question was then taken on Mr..
Saulsburg's amendment, offered yesterday,
to distribute the slaves among the North
ern and Western States, which was disa-
greed to: Yeas, none Nays, IS Mr.. Saul.
sbury voting in the negative.
Mr.. Pomeroy (Rep, Kan) offered an
amendment that the Commissioners make
joint equitable settlement of accounts be
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