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

children followed in wagon. The slave
dealer was on horseback, armed with pis
tolls, bowie knife, and plantation whip
Mr.. Slade offered resolution rcoitinl
these facts, and directing a committee Il
inquire what legislation was necessary t
prevent a recurrence of such scenes: =.
Amid great excitement, the gag rule
was applied, and the resolutions wer'
laid on tie table and no debate was per
mitted.
On the I3th Of February, 1899, Mr..
Giddings made his first speech in Con-
gress. A bill was pending ia Commit
tee OF the Whole, to appropriate $50, 900
to build bridge across the Potomac in
to strike out the enacting clause, and de-
clared his opposition to any appropria.
ton Of public money for the benefit of
the people of that district, so long as
they maintained commerce in the bod.
les of their fellow Nien. They had lately
asked Congress TO exclude all the pc.
titions from the people of the free States
on the subject of this commerce, and he
declared himself unwilling to repay such
uIEulNb w DlS CDuSllIut1Nb O1 NdA-hE
them to baiid slave market.
The members had recently enjoyed an
opportunity to Judge of the barbarism of
this slave trade. While coming to the
capitol they had been compelled TO turn
aside, to make room for the passage Of a
herd of human chattels, chained, and on
their way to the slave market.
These remarks created great sensation,
aud MIR. Rives of Va, called Mr.. g. to
order. The chairman decided that he
was in order, and he attempted TO pro-
ceed, when Mr.. Glasscock of Georgia,
declared that if such arguments were to
be permitted, the Union would be dis
solved. Mr.. Giddings replied that the
inference TO be drawn from such threats
was that the Union was based on the
slave trade. Mr.. Giasscock answered with
an oath, you are -liarS The
chairman became alarmed at the increas-
ing excitement, declared Mr.. Giddings
out of order, and the House refused 10
u allow'him to proceed.
From that day forward, to the end Of
his life, Mr.. Giddings was hated by the
slave power, and assailed in the bitterest
manner, and though many northern
members secretly symrathized with his
speech, yet few ventured to give 1t
public Endorsement.
1t is impossible in the space of this
address to do justice to the Congressional
life of Mr.. Gildings, or to follow, ex-
cept in the most general way, the steps
by which he bravely pursued that stormy
career of twenty years duration, and
stamped his name and memory forever
on the records of civilization. must
content myself by referring briefly to a
few points which may aid in illustrating
the great work of his life.
He did not, and could not, at first
comprehend its magnitude. Most of the
violence and bIgotry he had seen ex-
hibted against freedom came from the
South and from the Democratic party.
The great campaign of 1910 inspired
him with the hope that the Wing party
with which he was identified would serve
the interests of freedom, aud mis- own in
fluence and usefulness as member OF
Congress depended in great measure
upon the unity of that party, and his
good standing as a member of it.
There was much anti-slavery feeling
throughout the country, but it had not
been so consolidated and organized as to
develop any practical plan of political
action. In his work on the "Causes of
the Rebellion" Mr.. Giddings has well
described the state of public feeling, and
his own situation at that time. After
stating that in the Twenty-sixth Con.
gress Q639-40) one more avowed advo'
cate of liberty had been added to the
House, thu. making three besides him.
self, he says "These four members
stood aloof from political parties when
ever subjects involving moral principle
were agitated or the rights of humanity
were in issue. Many northern Wings
sympathized with them, but the writer
is not aware that any other member was
wiling to vote against his party on any
question touching slavery. The author
was perhaps as strongly opposed to
slavery as either of the gentlemen re-
ferred to, and felt az deeply humiliated
by the despotisu to which members OF
Congress were subjected, but as yet he
had formed in his own mind no definite
cause of action for himself, further than
a general opposition TO slavery. There
were also i'll the country many abolition
societies. They urged the abolition of
slavery in general terms, but proposed
no definite plan of operations" +. 1874.
"Gen. Harrison had been elected by a
triumphant vote, and the prestige of the
Democratic party was somewhat I'M
paired"
''The Wing members of Congress had
professed disgust at the gag-rules under
which they were constrained to sit, and
the Wing Press of the country had con-
demned the suppression of debate as
well as prohibiting the right of petition,
and no one appeared to doubt that on
coming into power that party would
restore these natural and constitutional
prerogatives of the people"
During the winter OF ls40-4l the sug-
gestion was made by Mr.. Giddings, and
approved by Mr.. Adams and the two
other anti-slavery members, that in order
to regair. the freedom ofdebate they test
the extent TO which they would be per-
mitted to discuss collaterally questions
involving the institution of slavery.
Mr., Giddings volunteered TO make the
effort, lie made careful study of the
Florida war and it's causes. aud when,
on the 9th OF February, ls4l, bill was