The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-02-03
Abolition IF Slavery Speech of Gen
Gai field.


ment Of the constitution. was the suhjrct
OF debate in he House OF Representatives.
on ,he I3th inst Mr.. Rollins, OF Missouri.
add ossod 'he House tor more than TWO
hours. and Was followed nv Gen Ga, field.
"i Ohio. ~p0 dealt tbe peculiar institution
aud ~ supporters, slodge .hammr, blows
IN op, ming his argument he ri0queullv said:
Mr.. Speaker. We shall uevc, .kuuw wbv
Slavery dies so had in this Republic and
ia this Halt III We know why sin outlives
disaster aud Satan is immortal It's mar.
velous lcnhcity of existouce has outlvod the
cxpec'aucns ot its friends and tho hopes of
US enemies II has been declared here and
e'scwR1fG 10 be in all ,hc stages nf mortal-
ity wounded, moribuud, dead The oucs.
tion was raised by my colleague mir Coxl
Yesterday. whether it was indeed dead or in
troubled sleep. know of no better Illus.
traiion OF its condition than lie found in Sal.
lust's admirable history of tho great con
spirator. Cs,a'ipe. who, when his Anal bat.
tie was fought and los' his army broken and
scattered, was found far IN advance OF his
own troops, lying among the dead enemies
Of Rome, yet breathing little, but exhibit.
ing 10 his coun,enauce all that ferocity Of
spirit which bad characteriz I'd his iifo So.
sit. this body of slavery lies before Us among
tho dead enemies Of the Republic, mortaIly
wounded, iDpotnnt in lis ficudsh wicked
ness. but with its old terOcity in its looks
bearing the unmis;akabIc marks of its in.
icrnal origin
who does not remember that thirty wears
ago, a short period in the life OF a nation.
but iitlo could be said with impunity in
these Halls on the sut jet of slavery: How
well gentlemen remo:nher :he history Of
that distinguished predecessor VI mine, J.
Giddnes, lately gone to bis rest, who.
with his forlorn hope OF faithful men, took
his life in his hand, and in the naue Of JUS
'lce protested against the gr, at crime, and
who stood bravcly in his place ill his white
locks, like the plume Of Henry of Navarro,
marked whore the battle Cor freedom ragged
tiercest. We can hardly realize'that this is
the same people. and these o same Halls.
whero now scarcely a man can be found who
will ven ure to do moro than falter 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 supernai toIdncss from he city OF N.
Y. Mr. Fernando Wood7 has veniured az
this session. to raise his voice in favor Of
slavery for its own sake. He still secs in
its features tho ref ctiop OF divinity and OF
beuuty-and only he. How art thou fallen
from heaven, o buci r, son al the morning!
How art thou cast 10 the ground, that didsl
weaken the nations! Many mighty men
have been stain by thee; aud many proud
ones have humbled themselves at thy feet
All along the coast of the political sea they
lie like stranded wrecks broken on the head
lands of free dom. How intey did its advo
Gates with impIous boidness maintain il as
Gods own. to be veBerated aid cherish cd
rs divine. 1t was another and higher. form
of civilization. 1t was the holy evangel of
America dispensing its blessings to be.
Dighttd race, destined to bear its blessincs
to the lderDpss of the West. In ils mac
arrogance it lifted its hand to strike dowr
;he fabric of the Union. and since that ia a
day it has been IA fugitive and a vagabont
on The eartb;' like tho spirit that Jesus cas-
out, il has since then been seeking rest auC
finding none.
1t has sought in all the corners Of tn,
Republic to find some hid,gplace in wbicl
/ TO shelter itself from tho death it has 81
richly earned. Ii sought an asylum in tn,
untrOdden territories Of the West. but " Il
IA whip OF scoi pions indignant treenen drov,
il thence. / do not believe a los al man Cal
| now be found who would consent that il
should again enter them. 1t has no hope
of harbOr there. 1t found no protection OF
favor in the hearts or conscieuces of the
Republic, aud has fled for its fast home OF
satetv to the shield of the Constitution. -
| We propose to follow it there and hurl il
as Satan was exiled from heaven But now
in the hour of its mortal agony it has found
a defender.
My gallant colleague. (Mr. Pendleton.
for l recognize him as gallant and abl'
man, plants himself at the door o: his dar
ling. and bids defiance to all assalants -
He has followed sIneery iD its flight, until a
last ho has reached the great temple wher'
liberty is enshrined-tbe Constitution o
the United Siates-and there, is that las
retreat no hand shall strike it, 1t remind
mo of that celebrated passage in the grea
Latin poet. in which the serpents of the 10
nian sea, when they had destroyed Laccool
and his sons fed to the nights of the Tro
gan citadel and coiicd their Shiny lepg tn
around the foot of the tutelar goddess, ant
were covered by the orb of her shield. s.
under the guidance of my colleague Mr.
Pendleton] slavery has found it's way up
ward, until it has reached the high citade
of American nationality, and coiled i,sel, a
he believes. securely around the strtue o
justice and under the shield of the Consti
tuition of the United States. We desire Il
follow it even there and kill it beside tn
very altar of liberty. Its blood can neve
, make atonement for its crimes.
But the gentleman has gone turther IL
is not conton, that the snakv sorceress shaI
be merely uada, the protection ot The Con
stituton. In MS hands ~ a strange meta
I morphoss. slavery becomes an invisible es
/, senoe ard takes up its abode iu the yer
= grain and fiber of the Constitution. an
when We 60 to strike it he saws. Il canno