The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-01-31

knowing full we'll that the moment
give his slaves the intimation that woul
protect them, they would flee from the
masters to my defense, should l be muc
short of an idiot, much short of fool,
were not to invite them away III
loyal States of this nation are now el
gagged in contest for its very sxistence
On the one side. we have arrayed the 10y
al old men. and middle-aged men Of tn
country. On the other side, We hav
the rebel owners of slaves arraying thei
young men and their slaves, On tn
other are some hundreds of thousands o
coiored people, native born on the soil Oh
which they live, who will leave their reb
ell masters the very moment they have al
intimation that they will receive the pro
lection Of the Constitution and Laws o
the United States, and yet we insane
~ continue this controversy not permit
ting these strong armed men to aid us and
save the lives Of our brothers aud our sons
But tie Senator from Kentucky said tina,
he thought on this subject with horror
when he reflected that massacres had oc
CURED of white people in some Of the
West India Islands. Mr.. President, op.
pressed people in every age. in asserting
their right to themselves have committed
acts of atrocity that civilized communities
could never Justify. 1t is no more com
mon to the African race than to the
Anglo Saxon or the Caucasian, of what.
ever country. / will ask him, with his
perfect knowledge of history, to compare
| the scenes of carnage and blood enacted
there with those enacted but few years
since in the streets of Paris, the capital of
one of the most enlightened and refined
nations that have existed. and which at
this time stands at the very head Of the
civilized nations of the world. The
proposition which was made to which /
was speaking, was proposition to allow
the commander of this division of the
army, to muster into the service of the
United S.ates, such loyal persons as might
present themselves, irrespective of coler.
What does that imply That they shall
be organized, that they shall be Offered,
that they shall be commanded, that they
shall be controlled by the laws Of the
United States and by the articles Of war.
took some pains to state on that ocea-
sion that ! would not advocate PROPOSE
ton 20 arm indiscriminately the mass of
the serrile population, even in the rebel
States, but that if arms were placed in
their hands they should be organized,
disciplined and placed under the ordinary
restraints of military rule. | have no
criticism to make in relation to the Sena.
tors eulogium of the peaceable condition
of his own slaves, other than this: Ii
they arc Of the character which he has
described, and have been ever ready to
stand by him and their masters in times
of pestilence and danger-lf that state
ment of the character of his own slave
household be correct, draw the ccnc!u-
sion that the alarm of the Senator is to-
tally without foundation. If they are
thus Christianized, are thus enlightened,
and viii stand by their masters through
every kind of calamity that can arise,
what will be the danger of placing them
| in an attitude not only to defend them
selves but their masters and their coun-
try2 But, sir, all this euiogium of the
character Of the houses and clothing of
the slaves, if it were Legitimate subject
of discussion at this time, / take it, might
be said with equal truth Of the Senator 9
horses and cattle, and oxen and mules
| I would ask him if he treats his slaves as
men? | would ask him if he treats them
rs men, possessing spirits immortal. that
are to live parallel with his own spiritual
existence, and if he gives them the means
of mental cultivation and moral develop
ment, or ii it be not in his own State,
with his sanction. psnitentiary offense
to teach these slaves to read tho words Of
Gody They are well housed, 30 are his
horses. They are welt clothed, so would
be his cattle. if necessary to their health
aud vigor. They are tenderly treated, SO
| is every other species of live property
that is under his control. The question,
however, with me, is net how this Chris
tan gentleman or the other may happen
to treat those over whom he may exercise
absolute control, but what is the system?
How may he with impunity treat those
human cattle, if he chose to treat them
with severity | will venture here to
throw in the remark, and risk it's being
successfully contradicted, that there is not
now in existence, and has not been in ex
istence since the dawning Of civilization,
system of slavery so bad as the one now
in existence in the United States. There
never has existed, and does not now exist.
a system Of human bondage on this whole
earth SO loathsome as the one that now
exists in the bosom Of this Christian Ma
ton. And defy successful contradic-
ton. do not say that Christian gentle.
men may not, regardless Of the law and
regardless Of the system, treat their slaves
humsnely. They do, know they do,
am proud to say that | know they do
But il is tribute to humanity and to the