Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-04-10
Senator Harlan.


In the L. S. Senate, on the 25th ult.,
Mr.. Harlan gave Garrett Davis of
Kentucky, and Anthony Kennedy OF
Maryland, capital hagellation for
their atrocious statements that if the
slaves were cmancipated q war of ex.
termination would DC waged, and the
whites of the slavcholding States
would butcher them. After showing
Mr.. Kennedy that there arc already
so, 600 free negroes in Maryland whom
no one had thought Of butchering, he
proceeded to inform the two gentle
men that their constituents must be
lower down in the scale of humanity
than the Camanche Indians, for the
latter only assassinatc their enemies
and never harm their friends. Mr.
Davis grew FESTIVE and tried to cx-
plain that he did not approve of such
butchery, but that would be the re-
suit. Mr.. Harlan admitted that it
might be the result, if the teachings
of the gentlemen were accepted by
the people of the South. Common pco-
pie naturally shudder at the thought
of committing murder, but if they
were taught by their public men in
the Senate of the United States that
wholesale murder was necessary and
inevitable, they might possibly be led
even to that monstrous crime, the like
of which the world had never seen.
The question before the Senate on
this occasion was the release Of GER
tain persons held to service or labor
in the District Of Columbia" Mr..
Salisbury Of Delaware moved an
amendment, providing that the liberia
ted slaves be distributed pro rata in
the free States, and made a speech
urging the abolitionists TO take the
Triggers to their bosoms and fratcr-
nize with them.
Mr.. Harlan responded:
Mr.. President: regret, very much,
that Senator's depart SO far from the
proprieties, as l consider it, of this
Chamber, as to make the illusions
they do. 1t is done merely to stimu.
late q prejudice which exists against
race already trampled under foot. |
refer to the illusions to white people
embracing colorcd people as their
brethren, and the invitations by Scna-
tors to white men and white women
to marry colored people. Now, sir, if
we were to descend into an invcstiga-
ton of the facts on that subject, it
would bring the blush to the checks
of some of these gentlemen. | once
had occasion to direct the attention of
the Senate to an illustrious example
from the State of the Senator who in
quired if any of us would marry a
greasy old wench. 1t is history that
an illustrious citizen Of his State, who
once occupied officially the chair that
you, sir, now sit in, lived VIGOROUSLY
and publicly with negro wench, and
raised children by her.
Mr. SALISBURY. Does the Senator
refer to any citizen of Delaware?
Mr. HARLAN. refer to the Senator
from Kentucky, Mr.. Davis
Mr.. SALISBURY. | beg your pardon.
Mr.. HARLAN. referred to a gentle
man who held the second office in the
gift of the American people and |
never yet have heard a Senator on this
floor denounce the conduct and the
association of that illustrious citizen
of our country.
| know of a family of colorcd or mulat-
to children, the children too of a gen
tleman who very recently occupied
seat on the other side of the Chamber,
who are now at school in Ohio. Yes.
sir, the children of Senator who very
recently, not to exceed year since,
occupied q seat on this floor, Senator
from a slave State.
do not desire TO consume the time
of the Senate and Of the country in
calling attention to these facts it is
humiliating enough to know that they
exist but if Senators who represent
slaveholding States will perpetually
drag this subject to the attention of
the Senate and of the country, let
them take the logical consequences of
their own folly, and bear the shame
which an investigation of facts must
inflict on themselves aud their con-
stituents.