The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-07-12
Speech of Mr.. Richardson, Of Illinois.

Speech OF Mr.. Richardson, OF Illinois.
DeIicered In the LOqcer House Of Congress, on Me
18Th Of Nay, 1862.
The House being in Committee Of the
Whole on the state Of the Union, Mr..
Richardson said;
Mr. Chairman; 7 desire this morning
to submit few remarks for the conside.
ration Of the House and the country. 1t
is not my purpose to discuss questions
pertaining TO the army already in the
field, which, it judiciously otficered and
managed, is able to crush out rebellion.
! shall direct my attention. therefore, to
the consideration of some of the many
new questions which are continually ari-
sing during the progress of this terrible
civil war.
Mr.. Chairman, there is manifest anxi-
ETY., an OverwpenieL '@vie,, / persistent
purpose upon the part of prominent mem
S'c,s Of the dominant party in this Gov
ernment, to place upon terms Of equality
and make participants with us in the
rights Of American citizenship an inferior
race. The negro race, which is incapable
of either comprehending or maintaining
@oF IogEo otsISs-;;::a,:ssI.,:: 'ssv WHOM G6er.
~ is Interpreted as licentiousness--is
sought to be exalted, even at the cost OF
the degradation Of our own flesh and
blood.
We all remember with what intense
satisfaction a recent order of the Secretary
of State, Mr.. Seward, one of the chief
clerks Of the President. was received in
certain quarters, because it declared that
no fugitive slave should be retained in
custody longer than thirty days, unless
" by special order Of competent civil au-
thority."
That | may do no injustice to the head
Sc--t1atsS1k ~, .S;s eSsts<>.,'.' ttSt;.3f };1t
ranted assumption of power, | quote the
official paper itself: .-,....
DEPARTMENT or STATE,
Washington, January %, 1862.
Sir: The President of the United States
being satisfied that the following instruc.
tions contravene no law in force in this
District, and that they can be executed
without waiting for Legislation by Con-
gresS, am directed by him to convey
them to you.
As marshal of the District Of Columbia,
you will not receive into custody any per.
sons claimed to be held to service or labor
within the District or elsewhere, and not
charged with any crime or niSdemeanor,
unless upon arrest or commitment, pursu-
ant to law, as fugitives from such service
or Labor; and you viii not retain any
such tugitives in custody beyond the pc
Iiod Of thirty days from their arrest and
commitment, unless by special order OF
competent civil authority.
You will forthwith cause publication to
be made Of this order, and at the expira-
tion of ten days therefrom you will apply
the same to all persons so claimed to be
held to service or labor, and now in your
custody.
This order has no relation to any arrests
made by military authority.
am, sir, your ob't servant,
WILLIAM II. SEWARD.
While Mr.. Seward was issuing this or
der for a general Jail delivery Of the ne
groes, he was also sending, under a usur-
patton Of power. and in violation of the
laws of the Constitution, hundreds OF
white men and women to fill the cells
of the prisons in this District and
throughout the loyal States. Against
many of these white men and white wo-
men thus incarcerated by this despotic
Secretary of State, no charge has ever
been made they are imprisoned without
the form or authority Of law, and thus the
personal liberty of the Caucasian is ruth.
leSsly violated while the African is most
tcnderly and carefully guarded, even to the
notification of State enactmentS and ma.
tonal statutes. Let rumor become cur.
rent that negro has been deprived OF
personal libertv-either in this District
or anywhere else-and there are dozens
Of Republican members on this floor Striv.
ing to obtain the attention of the House
while they may offer resolutions inquiring
by what law, by whom, when, and where,
these objects OF their undivided affectiORs
may have been arrested. But never yet
has any one of those philanthropic gen
tlcmcn made inquiry for the law or the
authority under which white American
citizens have been Kidnapped by the
State Department, dragged from their
homes, and left to pine and die, perchance,
in some Of the many bastiles which this
Administration has established.
1t is well known, sir, that if any white
citizen, perhaps father Or brother, desire
to visit relative or acquaintance in the
military service Of this Government, that
he is obliged to secure "pass" from
some competent authority; and to obtain
this, he is required upon his honor to de-
clare his loyalty and fidelity to the Gov
ernmcnt. But the negro goes and comes
within the lines of our Amy without a
pass, whether his destination be'towards
or from the enemy; the color of the black
man is his passport, and is received as
equivalent to the pledge of honor and 10y
atty upon the part of a white person.
In this District you have abolished
slavery. lou iiare abolished it hy cam-
pensation, by adding 81 ,0O0,00 to the
national debt, and tax Of $4,000 to be
paid annually, as interest upon this sum.
by taxes imposed upon the laboring white
people of these States. Not satisfied with
doing this much for your especial favorite,
you extend the freedom of this city and
the hospitality Of the Government to all
the runaway negroes in the country who
choose to visit the District Of Columbia.
You issue rations to them day after day,
and week after week, rations which must
be paid for through the sweat and toll Of
tax-ridden white people. You are thus
supporting in Incidence hundreds upon
hundreds of black men. How many and
at what cost am unable to state, because
when resolution, asking for this infor-
nation, was introduced by the honorable
gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Cox, it was
Immediately tabled by the Republican
majority on the other side of this House
These gentlemen dare not let this infor-
nation go to the country; they shrink
from the exposure which a truthful reply
to such inquiry would make. The reso-
luton ofMr. Cox also asked for the num-
Der of negroes employed as teamsters in
the army, and at what wages; but this