The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-02-14
atd 400 .es SPEECH OF iioi if.. ..
Hon. "A. q. RIDDLE,
Delivered In the House of Representa-.
s.Ht siyos I.,,,s,a.v OTth- 1910 /.

bill for making appropriation for the sup
port of tho Military Academy tor tho on.
suing year, Mr.. Riddle said ........
! Mr.. RIDDLE. Mr.. Chairman. trust tho
committee will not think. from my effort "a
get TIC floor that supposed had anything
OF special value to say 10 its presence. The
time beyond which tho House refuses "a
permit itself to bo bored. will preclude nv
offering any remarks in rcply to any of the
able gentleman who have preceded mo, and
from whom | differ. II shalt succeed
however indtferently, in gotiiBg a few OF
my own crude notions bolOro this. body,
shall have accomplished all can hope for
on this occasion.
Tho one great question which to day pre-.
sents Tor solution TO the people of this coun.
| try, is tho disposition of the African race
among US Aud SO near docs this question
lie to the nations life. aud so intortwisted
is it with its vital fiber, that tho prosperity,
perhaps the existence. of tho country itself
depends upon its truo solution, do not
like this question, ] never did. I wish IL
was not hero, nor anywhere but il is upon
us, and wo may not avoid Il; we cannot
escape it. 1t is upon and in and about
every thing mixed with everything; or,
rather, it has i,sel! become every thing. We
need not stop TO complain of il, nor blano
anybody for il. We may DO indignant that
il SO blocks up the way of the nation. aud
prevents the development of our own pi oud
and beautiful race We may say the negro
is not worth all this clamor. or any part o:
it. That docs not get rid of him. And you
are TO remember hs did mt bring himself
aud this war hero. Negroes mover emigra,e
He was stolen and planted here against h s
wish ard out. OF tho ground which has
been cursed with his alien feet. has sprung
this informal question. A million Of armed
soldiers are debating it, IL is the argument
ofevery red field Of conf Ct Every norn.
ing a million of bayonets como prckinp
tbi ough thodulI cloud of night, 10 cross
and clash over it Ii nnst ho solved aud
settled IL must DO talked about; all that
everybody knows OF, or can }thluk about it
had better straightway DO sald--said as wcll
as men can say it; with good intent. aud
for good porposc. Let us sec it Ia all the
lights in which it can be exhibited and find,
If may be, a way out of il. The women
faced, lion bodied Memphan SphyDx pro-
pounded riddle to the passers by. and
those who failed to road it Alright wero put
to death. To day. like tho Sphvnx. pro-
pounds to us this question. and If we do not
those who would postpone this weightiost
matter, opght 10 remtmber that the sword
is already suspended over it, aud a down
ward sweep will settle il forever. 'i Ant F.
In addressing myself ia this grave matter,
| propose, at the hazard of tfasershg com.
mon ground, to say a fow things purely elo.
mentary concerning slavery. aud 'of the po.
iitical rotations of slaves to the Government
the power OF Congress ovor them. and tho
policy and no policy of dealing with them
in this emergency. I''79 t.'4
Slavery is war waged by tho mastor and
his allies against the slave and his ullies.
Tho African savage, overcoming his enemy.
continues the war against him, and. 10 its
progress, hearansfers him to the foreign
slave dealer, who thereby succeeds exactly
to this right by conquest. In due process.
tho slave merchant transfers his vanquished
eDemy to tiD Christian planter, who is thus
subrogated TO tho rights of tho conqucring
savage on the African sands and cd, nc
corGing to the later theology, "with the
preparation of tho Gospel of peace" he
places his feet in the malforined tracks Of
the heather, and, taking his knot,ed war.
club, ho carries forward the cowardiy con
test against the subdued wretch aud his pos.
terity forever, with the right, no other and
no better, than thus derived from the first
conquoror. Cargoes of these subdued and
bound enemies were. hundreds of years ago
brought and deposited in the ncbuious
matter out OF which was to be formed new
State; dropped in while il was in the milk.
so to speak and il hardened and solidiiicd and
took the form of civil po!ty with this thing
mixed in its germinul elements, and growing
up in aud with the States life.
Slavery. being war. must maintain itself
by tho constant exercise of the active Drin
cipcs o: war--aggression and conquest. II
couquers earth on which TO plant itself, and
sky to shelter il. II decomposes and recon
structs the very atmosphere. so as 10 impart
life and vigor to it's lungs, aud makes con
quest of the sentiment about it to procure
immunity and federation, If not support
Ia pursub of it's career il saws TO the as
piriug aud needy. Aid me in this war, give
mo the elements-oarth, sky, air and
strength--and my strength shall be yours"
And so men bowed down TO IL, and II grew
and all the men of the State bowed to il,
aud the State made laws for it, and SO made
itself the ally of the master in his war
against the slave; and other States grow
up, formed like that first State, and allies
OF the master in this war; and still other
othies, not hdsiHg tno Oouy OF slavery iH
them, but enacting laws subjecting slaves
and their kindred and descendants to great
disabilities, and thus to that extent making
themselves the allies of the master In his
war against these, his helpless enemies.
So, too, when all these Statos assembled
to construct their fundamental national law
land, in contemplation of Law. oil. old and
new, were so present--it was in terms there
in sct down that, so long'as this war in any
State should continue, tho masters enemy
shonid, for the purpose of tho war, be con-
fined 10 tho limits of that State. aud. ~ he
broke out, the master might pursue him
anywhere, and reeapture and return him to
tho old battle-ground; and so tho nation
became party 10 this war against the slave
So, TOO, evory enactment aiding the master
was but a treaty offensive and defensive
against the slave l know it has been
argued and urged. and believed, TOO, that
the treo States are IN no way Responsible
for the existence Of slavery in the slave
States. The Constitution of the United
States, aud the slave code said 10 be enacted
pursuant to its provisions, and all tho va
rious acts of the seyera! States imposing |
disabilities upon this race, are an Infamous 7
reiutatlou of this claim and furnish the |
exact measure of that responsibility.
The agRressions ofslaverv continued until,
in the nation as in the State 'it has do |