, 1862-04-01
EMANCIPATION IN TEE DESTRICT.


DASA l
Debate In the Senate on the bill to
Abolish Slavery In Washington.
wA.1uyoros, March q, 1852.
The bill for the abolition Of slavery Was
III: WILSON Rep., Mags:} proceeded to
controversy In Congress in 1853 as to the per- |
manent seat Of government. After a long |
struggle the Southern men trtumphed, and |
the Capital Tss ae, h5ed on the banks Of & the p
harbarous, inhuman, indecent, and vulgar |
Colonin1 slave laws Of Maryland and Virginia |
should become the laws Of the American Re-
public for the government OF the Capital, and
for two generations the Government recog-
evidence Of Slavery. In 1927 a law WAS
enacted in the District that colorcd per
Sons at large, without an owner, shon1d be
considered as slaves and committed to jail
Such legislation brought its OWL fruit Of in
and Somen, who were taken TO jail, and many
sold into perpetual servitude because, though
free, they could not pay the Jail fees. Thus
human btlDgs were sold into bondage in the
Capital Of the freest country in the world.
Justice to the wrougea and oppressed de-
tIine should be repudilted and condemned By
the Government Of the United States. The
black men fought side by side with the white
men in the battles Of the Revolution, aud men
Of this age ought to hasten to atone for the
great wrongs perpetrated on the colored race,
and make manhood presumptire evidence Of
freedom In 1901 Congress continued in
force the black code Of Maryland, among the
provisions Of which was that any Stare who
struck White person must have his cars crop
ped. In 1886 the Corporation Of Washington
enacted that every free eo1ored person must
exhibit to the Mayor satisfactory evidence
Of his title to freedom, and give bonds
for his good behavior. That Corporation
also passed another act that no meeting Of
colored persons shou1d be held AFTER 10 clock,
| and made it the duty of the police to dispcrse
such meetings. By another ordinance, they
lega'ized traffic in slaves for the sum Of $4O0.
| This was an ln1luman traffic in the Capital.
| If y slave broke street lamp he vas to be
| whipped on the bare back. Il he injured trees
or honses he was to be whipped-man and
womanl We're ever such degrading, inhnman
laws On the statute books Of any nation!
Drive Slavery from the District, and they
would disappear; yet, notwithstanding these
| expressions, the free negroes increased in the
District from 900 to 133,000, and have proper
churches, costing $75,0 GOO, and eight schools,
| children.
| 51r. KENNEDY ssaid there was a great
prejudice in Maryland among white men
| aSaAuSL hbIhl4- WILL EQtOltu klEus " A4
had great difficulty in restraining that feeling.
Mr.. HARLAN thought that the prejudice
was not among the 1aboring men, and could
be controlled By such distinguished men
as the Senators from Maryland and Delaware.
! Mr.. kES:SED1 said ono Of the worst riots
III Baltimore for many years arose from the
employment Of free negroes in the shfp gard.
tn the case OF emancipation, we must have
colonization. Or else scenes OF blood and Carl
age would follow: for the two races cannot
lire together. He feared from the character
Of the legislation proposed, his last hope for a
Mr., HARLAN said it appeared to be the
doctrine Of the Senator from Maryland that
the people would rise and massacre the whole
colorcd population. Heeould not believe the
people Of Maryland we're so low. If that were
the case they were worse than the ChIppewas
and Sioux, if they would murder those brought
up with them, though not taught in the same
churches.
Mr.. KENNEDY said they had slaves in Mary
land Who were taught and had churches. HI
lad himself 1nanumittcd 8 slave who taught
slaves.
D1r. HARLAN asked # the Senator lad any dis
position to murder him
Mr. KENNEDY said, No; not more thai
white men Of the Senator's section seemed
wiling to murder the people of Maryland.
Mr.: HARLAS thought that the people o
| Maryland and Delaware had no such disposi
! ton to murder as had been imputed to them
No such war Of determination eyer tool
place in any nation Of the world. All thl
great empires Of antiquity were composed o
people Of different races, and no such va
ever took place except among sayages. H
did not think these happy and contented Tic
groes, now working for nothing, were goin!
/ to turn round with their masters simply be
cause they were paid wages.
Mr.. SALISBURY (Dem., Del. )said he had Al
amendment to offer, Viz: That tue person
bod Eo1 TAD fIa
. according to their population If the gentle
men would adopt this amendment, they wouls
| show 4 noble philanthropy by taking h0m
these negroes to themselves. He had read il
: the newspapers that certain gentlemen VIII
{ went 10 Port Royal, we're so glad to see th
!: negroes that they embraced them and cal1c
them mothers and sisters!
Mr. HA1iLAS (Rvp., Iowa. said he dislike
these lllusionS about embracing negroes.
only serves to increase the prejudice agains
! the race, already tramplcd under foot Ii III
: matter werc investigated, it would bring til
; blush to some ct these gentlemen There wa
q gentleman. from the Scnate Of lis ow
Slate, who asked nE yesterday who We did no
marry tle greasy wenchcs. He knew to-da
. | If colored children Of Il man llte1y Senate
oftbe United states from izio being educated z;
! newspapers about those -sho went South t
take care Of those vito we're cast Oft by thci
masters and try to educate them. Those vii
: were willing to take the negroes to embrace
| as STATE Il by the Senator from, Delaware, rrcr
posed to he liberated were servants here, an
+ | the only difference will be, they will hereafte
) have pay for their service. H found whit
: and colored people here today laboripg sid
; by side.
c II any persons have the curiosity to look
they will tind in the record L mortgage, date
: 1855, in flyor Of Alfred Lec, q colored man {
, this city, for Sl2, ,000, By two United State
G Senators, to secure d loan for }2,o00. On
Of these Senators is nor in the Senate, an
, the other sleeps in his grave by the shore
1 Lake Michigan (Doug]as:l THIS bill deal
: justly with the master. If Congress shoul
I strike the bonds Of 1hc slave in the Distrit
J.. without any compensation, ID slight repair {
: tie wrongs and deeds Of cruelty perpetratc 6
/ i'll the Capital, it would stand justified i
the forum Of buttons, But tue Senator fro1
f Kentucky raises his warming voice agains
i The measure, and says, If the negroes al
: liberated, they will become criminals, and
S 11iLdrancc 10 society. The Senator had Il
: right to speak for the people OF the Distrie
The facts here proved are |ust contrary. IT,
: resistance Of the South to any measure
1 emancipation, and Kentucky would bccon
S La Fendce in defense Of her rights. He wou]
| tell that Senator that the day Of threats an
c menaces from the champions OF slavery ha
? passed By in the Senate and House Of Repr
sentatiyes. Freemen were not cowlrdl
i enough to shrink from the performance
c duty before doEmatic agowals what Southe1
: men and women would d.
J Speeches of Senators Wilkinson an
! Henderson.
= WAsu1Saros. March as
= SENATE.
+ The bill to abolish slavery in the District
! Columbia was taken up.
e Mr.. Wilkinson (Rep., Ninn.) said he #;
/. willing to conform his action to the prime
t. rles Of justice. The bill was opposed on Il
5 ground Of cxpediency, but believing, as |
IS did, that slavery was the great sin Of th
+ country, be could not place eNredieney IN tt
n scale against justice. We ought not to fefu:
Il 10 DO right for fear Of the consequences. e
/, believed with the hero OF New Orleans, th
!, it is always safe to do right. and should a1o
s 20 false motives Of cxpediency to interler
: I rounded here by Shareholders and traitors
: this District, daily plotting tue disruption
t the Government, and there was no securi
;. until the fieemcn Of the North came to tt
l. rescue. The reason was, this was slay
e holders rebellion, and the District WIS uud
r the influence Of Shareholders. The Scnat
If from Virginia {b1r. Wil1ey) the other day sa
j he spoke as a Border State nlau, and spoke tt
e sentiments Of the loyal men Of Virginia, al
IS begged the Senators to pause and consid
J. the position they occupied How many log
l. men Of NiTginia or Maryland came to the d
sr | tense Of the Capitals Not one.
+ Afr- Wiley (Un., Ta.} said that there y
j. good reason. Theirs was the first terrific
= which was invaded By the adversary, aud th
&c had to defend their wives and children. We