Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-08-06
WHOLE NUMBER 1875.

that the word Seminole was an Indian
term which signifed runaway" or "fu.
gitive," and that the Seminole tribe con.
sisted largely Of the defendants Of ne.
groes who had competition slavery, and
had become free by entering the ever
glades of Florida, while it was . free
province Of spain, and that the war had
been begun and prosecuted for the pur-
pose of re-enslaving these "Exiles Of
Florida"
When the purpose Of this speech be-
came manifest, determined and repeated
efforts were made to prevent its delivery,
but Mr. Giddisgs had so carefully guard.
ed his line of thought, and so c. -.seiy con.
n, cted his points with the bill before the
House 'bat he was permitted TO proceed
with his speech. lie called attention TO
the fact that our army were employing
Spanish bloodhoInds in capturing these
iGgtives, and that the free people Of the
north were taxed TO pay for such barba.
rous implements of slavery and war.-
This speech was widely scattered through.
out the north, aaa made a profound sem
sation. Mr.. Giddings subsequently fol-
lowed out the history Of the Florida war
more fully, and has left Us the result of
his labors in a volume entitled the Ex-
lies of Florida, which is chapter of our
history, Of strange and thrilling interest.
The delivery of this speech was the res
toration of the freedom of debate, but it
cost Mr.. Giddings whatever influence he
may have hoped TO exercise with the in
coming administration Of General Har-
| ris On.
cannot omit from this brief review q
somewhat detailed account of the causes
which led 10 the censure of Mr. Giddings
in 1912, and to his conduct on that occa.
sion.
In the autumn of 1s41 the Creole, an
American slaveship, sailed from Rich
mond for New Orleans with cargo of
one hundred and thirty y-sik slaves. While
at sea the slaves rose upon the master
and crew and asserted their liberty. In
this struggle one of the slave dealers
was killed, and the slaves gained posses
sion of the vessel and entered the Brit
ish port of Nassau, where their right to
freedom was recognized and protected.
This event created intense excitement
throughout the United States. The own
ers of the slaves called on the President
of the United States for compensation for
their slaves, and that officer (Mr. Ty'erl
espoused their cause. Mr.. Webster, then
Secretary of State, in letter addressed
to Edward Everett, United States Min
lister at London, ayowed the intention of
the government in the interest of the
owners, to demand indemniication for
the slaves. Mr.. Giddings, seeing the in.
fuence OF our government thus prostitu-
tel to the support of the slave trade,
brought the subject before Congress, on
the 2lst of March, 1912, in series of
resolutions declaring that as slavery was
an abridgment of natural right it could
have no force beyond the Jurisdiction
which created it; that when ship left
the waters of any State, the persons on
board ceased to be subject to the slave
laws of such State, and thenceforth came.
under the jurisdiction of the United States
which had no constitutional authority to
hold slaves; that the persons on board
the Creole, in resuming their natural
rights, violated no law of the United
States, incurred no legal penalty, and
were justly liable to no punishment and
that any attempt to re-ehslave them was
unauthorized by the Constitution and in
compatible with the national honor
These resolutions created an excitement
so intense that Mr.. Giddings was pre-
vailed upon temporarily to Withdraw
them, declaring his intention, however,
to present them on future OCCASION
Mr.. Bolts, of Virginia, thereapon intro
duced resolution declaring "tbe conduct
of Mr.. Giddings in offering the resolq.
tions to be altogether unwarranted and
unwarrantable, and deserving the severe
condemnation of the people of this coun-
try, and of this body in particular" The
previous question being ordered, Mr..
Giddings was denied the right of selfde-
fense, and the resolution was adopted by
a vote of l26 yeas TO 50 nays. Mr.. Gid.
dings instantly resigned his seat in Com
gress and went home, but, as you will
remember, be was reelected by larg-
er majority than eyer before, and return
ed TO his seat with instructions to main,
tain the doctrines he had asserted. He
resumed his seat on May 5th, after an
absence of less than six weeks after the
passage of the vote of censure.
| Shortly after his return, he made an elabo-
rate speech on proposition to reduce the
army, which was opposed on the ground that
a war might grow out of the Creole" affair,
in reply to Mr.. Caleb Cushing's declaration
that there was "a question of honor with the
British government growing ont of the Creole
question:" and that the arguments of Mr. Gid.
dings were British arguments and an approx,
imaton to treason" Mr. Giddings denied
that the government had or could have any
thing to do with that transaction E; it could not
honorably lead any encouragement to that
"execrable commerce in human fesh !" the
government was forbidden by every spirit of
morality, of national honor, to lend assistance
to those engaged in traffic in the bodies Of
men, women and children. He would rejoice
if every slave shipped from our slave breeding
States could regain his liberty, either by
strength of his owp arms, or by landing on
some British island. Instead of maintaining
an army to sustain this traffic, he would pass
lays 10 punish every man who made merchan-
disc of the image Of the Creator. He pro-
ceeded in very direct and conclusive argu',
ment, TO show that though slavery might be
maintained within the States under their local
laws, yet the operation of those laws was CON
6nad urtfl, hair l,nif cOull not extend