Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-01-27
frsnlont 9u1rnal.
Abolition Of Slavery Speech Of Genera
CarfeIa.

Abolition Of slavery Speech Of General
Garfield.
The great question OF the abolition of slavery
70 the United States by an amendment of the
Constitution, vas the subject of debate an the
House Of Representatives on the 18th inst. Mr..
Rollins, Of Missouri addressed the House for
rnore.than two hours, and was followed by Gen.
Garfield. of Ohio, who dealt the peculiar insti.
tuition and its supporters, sledge-hammer
blows IN opening his argument he eloqueutly
said;
Mr.. Speaker we shall never know why sla-
very dies so hard in this Republic and in this
Hall tai we know why sin outlives disaster
and Satan is immortal. It's marvellous tenacity
Of existence has outlived the expectation of its
friends and the hopes of its enemies. 1t has
been declared here and elsewhere TO be in all
the stages of mortality. wounded, morIbund
dead. hequestion was raised by my colleague
mr. Oox1 yesterday, whether 1t was indeed
dead, or in q troubled sleep. Know OF no
better illustration of its condition than is found
in Sallust's admirable history of the great con
spirafor, Cataline, who, when his final battle
was fought and lost and his army broken and
scattered, was found fas in advance of has own
troops lying among the dead enemies of Rome,
vet breathing little, but exhibiting in his coun-
tenance all that ferocity of spirit which had
characterized his life. So sir, this body OF sla-
very lies before rs among the dead enemies OF
the Republic, mortally wounded, lmpotent 10
us fiepdish wickedness, but with its old feSOcl-
ty in its looks, bearing the unmlstakaOle marks
Of its internal origin.
Who does not remember that thirty years
ago. short period in the life Of a nation, but
little could be said with impunity in these Halls
on the subject of slavery3 How well do gen.
tlemen here remember the history of that dis
tinguished predecessor of mine, Joshua Il. Gid
dines lately gone TO bis rest, who with his for
-lorn hope Of faithful men took bis Life IN ms
hands, and in the name of justice protested
against the great crime, and who stood bravely
in his place until his white locks like the
nlume Of Henry of Navarro, marked where the
battle for freedom ragged ieTcest. We can hard
ly realize that this is thesame people, and these
the same Halls, where now scarcely man can
be found who VIII venture to do more than falt-
er out an apology for slavery, protesting at the
same time that he has no love for the dying ty-
rant None, believe, but that man OF more
than supernal boldness from the city OF New
York + Mr.. Fernando Wood has ventured this
session to raise his voice in favor of slavery for
its own sake. he still sees in its features the
reflection of divinity and beauty, and only he.
"How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer,
son of the morning: How art thou cut down
TO the ground, which didst weaken the nationsl
Many mighty men have been slain by thee;
many proud ones have humbled themselves at
thy feeti All along the coast of the political
sea they lie like stranded wrecks, broken on the
headlands of freedom. How lately did its ad-
vocates with impious boldness maintain it Is
Gods own, to be venerated and cherished as
divine. It was another and higher form Of civ
ilization. 1t was the holy evangel of America
dispensing its blessings to a benighted race,
destined to bear its blessings to the wilderness
of the West. In its mad arrogance it lifted its
hand to strike down the fabric of the Dnion,
and since that fatal day it has been a Fugitive
and a vagabond upon the earth; like the spirit
that Jesus cast out it has since then been ''seek
ing rest and finding none"
1t has sought in all the corners of the Repub-
lie to find soRe hiding-place in which to shelter
itself from the death it has so richly earned.-
1t sought an asylum in the untrodden territor
les of the West bnt with whip of scorpions,
indignant freemen drove it thence. l do not
believe a loyal man can now be found who will
consent that it should again enter them. 1t has
no hope of harbor there. 1t found no protee-
ton or favor In the hearts or consciences of the
freemen of the Republic, and has fed for its
last hope of safety to the shield of the Consti-
tuition. We propose to follow it there, and hurl
1t as Satan was exiled from heaven. But now
in the hour of its mortal agony it has found a
defender.
Nv gallant colleague, TMr Pendleton, for
recognize him IS a gallant and able man, plants
himself at the door of his darling and bids de-
fance to all assailants. He has followed slavery
in its fight until at last ne has reached the
great temple where liberty is enshrined-the
Constitution of the United States-and there,
in that last retreat no hand shall strike it. 1t
reminds me of that celebrated passage in the
great Latin poet, in which the serpents of the
Ionau sea, when they had destroyed LAGOON
and his sons, lied to the heights of the Trojan
citadel and coiled their slimy lengths around
the feet of the tutelar goddess, and were cover
ed by the orb of her shield. So under the
guidance Of my colleague Mr.. Pendleton1 sla-
very has found its way upward and upward,
until it has reached the high citadel of Ameri-
can nationality, and eOled ITSELF as be believes,
securely around the feet Of the statue of justice
aud under the shield of the Constitution of the
United States We desire to follow it even
there and kill it beside the very alter of liberty.
Its blood can never make atonemeDt for its
crimes.
But the gentleman has gone further He is
not content that the snaky soreeress shall be
merely so1der the protection of the Constitution.
In his hands, by a strange metamOrphosis, sla-
very becomes an invisible essence and takes up
its abode in the very grain and fibre of the
Constitution and when we go to strike 1t he
says, Il cannot point out any express form that
prohibits you from striking slavery; but find
it in the intent and meaning of the Constitu-
ton. go into the very grain of the Consiitu-
ton, under the service, out of sight, into the
very spirit and genius Of it, and in that invisi-
bic domain slavery is enshrined, and there is
no power in the Republic TO drive it thence"
General Garfield then discussed the position,
and replied TO the arguments of Mr.. Pendleton
and other supporters of slavery at some length,
closing as follows:
ask now what those gentlemen propose by
delaying the death day of slavery2 l wish
they might become SO jealous of their betrothed
that they would say of her even out of the
depths of their love, as did Othello the Moor;
s.Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men"
Has she not betrayed and slain men enough
Are they not strewp over a thousand battle
fields? Is not this Moloch of slavery gorged
with the bloody feast2 Gentlemen, you know
the day of its death is fast approaching. Moth
ing can stay it. The States are freeing them
selves one by one; and you know that in a few
weeks at furtherest another Congress will strike
the blow if you do not We ask you, then, in
the name Of justice, in the name of the Repub-
lie, hold not back the uplifted sword now drawn
10 strike the final blow; strike down; grant no
reprieve to the bioodiest Of malefactors.
! did not intend, Mr.. Speaker, ever to address
this House upon the subject of slavery. l had
almost promised myself that I might turn my
Thoughts to other and larger fields soon to open
before us; but when / saw the institution MAIN
tanned again and again in this House / could
not resist my inclination to strike one blow in
hope of Fastening its doom.