The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-02-24
SPEECH OF HON. J. A. GARFIELD,
OF OHIO,


Representatives.. Jdaudit ID 1865.
The House having under consideration
tho joint II, solution 10 amend the Cons.i-
tuition of the United Sla,ss SO us TO abolish
slavery,
Mr. Gar field said:
MIR SPEAKER We shall pcvor know why
slavery dies so bard in this Republic and
in this Hall ill We know Why sin has such
longevity aud Satan is immortal. With
marvellous tenaciiy Of txis ence, it has out.
lived the expectations OF its friends ard the
hopes of its enc,nies. 1t has been declared
here aud elsewhere to he in all the several
stages OF mortality, wounded, moribund
dead. Tho question was raised yesterday
by my colleague Mr.. Cox wbother it was
indeed dead. or in u troubied sleep.
know OF no better illustration Of its condi.
zion than is found iu Sallusts admirable
history OF tho great corsprator, Cu'alins
who, when his final battle was fought and
lost. his army broken and scattered. was
toaLd far IN advance Of his own troops, ly.
ing among tho dead enemies OF Rome, ye,
breathing u little. but exhibiting in his
c0untenar co all that ferncity of spirit which
charnc o'zrd hls life. So. sir, this body OF
slavery lies before US among the dead enc
mics Of the Republic, mortality wounded.
mpotent in its ficudsh wickeduess, but
with its old ferociiy o: look. bearing the un-
mistakubIe marks Of It's internal origin.
Who does not repc pcmher that thirty years
agc--a shErt period IN the life of u nation
but little could be said with impuniiv in
,hcse Halls on the sui jcct Of slavery: How
well do gentlemen here remember tho bis.
tory OF thu. distinguished predecessor Of
mire, Joshua II. Glddlugs, lately gone to
bis'fcst. who. with his torlorn hope of filth.
fuf tncn. took his life in his hand and in the
name OF justice protested against the great
crime, nrd who stood bravely in his place
until his whilo iccks. Ike the plume Of
Henry of Navarro. marked where the battle
for freedom ragged 6ctccst!
We can hnadly realize that this is the
same people. and these the eame Halls
where now sea, cey man can be found
who will venture TO do more Than inilor out
an apology for slavery. protesting in tie
same breath that he has no love for the dy-
ing tyiaDt. None, l believe. but that man
OF more than supernal boldncts. from the
city of New York, (Mr. Fernando Wood. }
has ventrued. this season, to raise his voice
in favor of slavery. Tor its own sake. HI
still seus in its features the r, Il, ction OF
beauty and divinity. and only no How
art thou fallen from heaven. o, Lucifer, con
o! The morning How art thou cut down
to the ground, which tidst weaken the ma.
tions J. Many mighty men have been slain
by thee many proud ores have BUNDLED
themselves at thy feet All along tho coast
of our political sea these victims of slavery
lie like stranded wrecks. broken on the
hcadlands of freedom. How lately did it's
advocates, with impious boldDess, maintain
il as Code own. to be venerated and cher.
ished as divine! 1t was another and higher
form Of civilization. II was the holy evan.
gel OF America. dispensing its mercics TO u
benighted race, and destined to bear count
less blessings to the wilderness Of the West.
In it's mad arrogance 1t lifted its hand to
strike down the fabric of the Union. and
since that fatal day IL has been ''iugiive
und vagabond upon the earth" Like the
spirit that Jesus cast out. it has, since then
been "soekiug rest and finding none"
II has sought in all the corners of the
Republic to find some hiding place in WHICH
TO shelter itself from the death it 60 richly
dCsCrveF.
1t sought an asylum in tho un.rndden
territories of tho Wes', but, with whip OF
scorpions indignant frocmen drove il thence
| do not believe that loyal man can now
I Q found who would consent that il should
entcr them. 1t has no hope of harbor
there. l; found no protection or favor in
the hearts or conscieHces of the freCmen Of
the Republic. and fled for it's last hope Of
safety behind the shield of the CONSTITUTION.
Wo purpose to follow il there, and drive it
thence as Satan was txileG from heaven
But now. in the hour of it's mortal agony, in
this Hall. it has found defender.
My gallant colleague, (Mr. Pepdleton,)
for l recognize him as a gallant and able
man. plants himself at the door Of his dar.
;rpg.and bids defiance to all assaiiauts He
has followed slavery in it's fight until il
has reached the great temple where liberty
is enshrined--the Constitution Of the United
Staies-and there. in that last retreat. de-
clares that DO hand shall strike it. 1t re
minds me of thnt celebrated passage in the
great Latin poet, in which the serpenrs of
the I0nian SEA. when they mad DESTROYED
LAGOON and his sons. fled to the heights of
the Trcja citadel, and coied their slimy
lengths around the tuiolar goddess, and
wore covered by tho orb of her shield, So.
under the guidance of my colleague. (Mr.
Pendlelon.) slavery. gorged with the blood
Of ten thousand freemen has C irnbed to the
high citadel of American nationality. and
coiIed itself securely. as he believes. around
the feet of tho statue of justice and under
tho shield of the Constitution of the
United States. We desire 10 follow it even
there, and kill It beside the very altar of
liberty. lis blood can never make atone.
ment for The least of its crimes.
But the gentleman has gone further. He
is not content that tho snaky sorceress shall
be merely under the protection of the Con-
s,ituton. In bis view, by a strange meta.
morphosis, slavery becomes an invisible es
sence, and takes up it's abode in the very
grain and fiber of the Constitution, and
whom we would strike it he says, II cannot