Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-03-20
(Continaed from first page. J

Fam thankful would hold up both hands
and say to our members in Congress- " Gen
tlemen, in the name ol hamanity, in the name
of our common country, | pray you from my
heart Of hearts, vote for the bill now before
you"
Mr.. Speaker, We are progressing gloriously
ThiSis the best age The the country has ever
seen the best year we have ever had the
growth Of liberty, virtue, and Of greatness and
glory, is more magnificent than ever before
These are golden bouFs. am comparatively
young man, yet ] can rememberer when a
clergymen of the gospel was dragged through
Washington street in the city OF Boston, in
the city Of the Puritans, with halter around
his neck, simply because lie dared to question
the moral right of slavery. | remember when
a company of ladies simply holding prayer
meeting for the fugitive slave, was broken up
by the broad cloth gentry of the same city
I remember when notice sent TO the pulpits of
Boston, craving christian sympathy for pant
ing fugitiyes who had refuge there, were
spurned and hiSsed at. | remember we'll when
Boston court house was environed with chains
IN obedience to slaveoCratS All this hard bv
Banker Hill You, aud we all remember a
dark catalogue of such events But now:oh !
how chunged ! Gerritt Smith, Wendell Phil
lips, Geo. 3. Cbeever aud Horace Greely, are
called upon 20 speak-and TO speak where ?
Why, sir, in Washington, in the Smithsonian
Institute, the nursery Of national science, the
great temple Of letters. Tney are called mp
on to come there and speak upon this very
identical subject but do they have hearers (?
Aye sir, the trouble is not to get hearers but
r-ntr for ko ei,rh4 n fha
city of Washington, Gcrritt Smith has lectured
within weekly the way, one Of the class
Of men who have told the world more truth
than the world has yet given them credit for :;
but payday comes in all such cases it comes
in a little while after, and it will surely come
in this case. 1t is only little while ago when
Charles Sumner, one of Cons noble men, stood
mp 10 the United States Senate and adyoca-
ted the principles Of freedom aud truth and
there came the representatives Of this accur>ed
aud damnable institution armed with bIud
Eeon and Smote him to the dust The blood
spots OF the almost martyr upon the floor of
the Senate Chamber will send up a lasting cry
for retribution against those liends in human
form who prompted and appIauied the deed
Escaping justice at7the hand of man, Brooks,
the immediate agent aud guilty miscreant, was
touched by the retributve finger Of the inyis-
ible and witheFed from the earth Sumner was
Kissed and scorned from social circles Now
ne stands almost the master man, if not the
Nestor among the Nestor3 of the United States
Senate. Old john Quincy Adams once pre-
sented petitions from bis constituency drawn
in the mildest language for the abolition Of sla
very 10 the District OF Columbia. If they had
prayed to Con in language so feeble their
prayers would hardly have gone higher than
their heads. But mild as the petitions were,
when the old sage presented them they raised
q howl around him if all PandemOmjCm had
broken loose. Now, sir, that same Congress
has bill before it to abolish slavery il the
District Of Columbia and no. only that, but
has bill before it forbidding the officers OF
our army TO return slaves to their masters
Congress is coming up tothe true line of action
Oh, we are progressing. But d few years ago
there was indescribabe, unearthly terror in the
word ab0l5ti0aiSt. In the north YOU had but
to call q man an ab0litOnist and every nerve
in his body quiVCred while his heart palpta-
rated. Thank GoD, that cloud SO full Of light
Cning and thunder has lost oil its electricity
aud is passing away. 1T will not be many
years before man will be as much ashamed
20 be called au Gntl-ab7lljloalst. as he would
to be called sheep thief. All have to say
touching this ms ter is this. | have always
guaranteed the Institutional rights OF South
erners nO1c ,,lcU hare none. This ! will say
about the abOlitionsm. that if TO give liusey-
wolsey for rags if to substitute joys for sorrows,
smiles for tears, and the comforts of home for
discovered and disioined domestic relations
if to give freedom for slavery makes q man an
aboitionist, put me down as one take the
responsibility.
One remark more and | make it in respect
70 my honOred friend, the Senator from Berks.
Mr.. CLMER lie remarked that he would
not discuss these resolutions if discussion came
up ncw; but he will probably change his mind
aud enter into this discussion. The other day
10 certain debate he made remark in an
swer to something l said, and did not reply
10 it then. take this occasion TO answer him,
because the subject is in keeping with and ger
name to that now under consideration The
Senator stated that the Constitution Of this
country was made by white men aud made fer
white men All right sir, he is properly IN,
derstood. The sunlight Of yOnder heavens was
made for white men the breath Of nature
that fans US and gives us vitality was made
for white men ; the refreshing elements that
bubbles up from the Iippling fountain and
and from the heart Of the earth TO quench our
thirst was made for white men. But was the
sunlight made for them onlg Was that nat
nral breath made for them exclusively was
the fountain that slakes the thirst and gives
physical energy made for them only | say
the sunlight, the breath of vitality and the
fountains OF water were made for humanity
and | say that liberty is Cons birthrght to
humanity. The men who drafted the ConSti-
tuition moulded the Declaration Of IDdepend
ence intended and did emoody that great prin.
ciple. They made the constitution and uttered
the declaration for hnmanitE Go atEaH with