Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-11-23
A Reminiscence of J Oshua K. Giddings

IL DIS III tiIo J 0dlS VI "IltGo HctG III
the Slavery agitation. Mr.. Giddings, d
magnificent giant, considerably above
six feet, tall and grandly proportioned,
with manly qualities to math his phys
ique, was at the zenith of his power as
an apostle of abolition.
He was announced to speak In a
Western Pennsylvania village, where
the prevalent sentiment was adverse to
his cause, and, had he been an ordinary
stump orator, his audience would have
hardly equaled corporal's guard. But
his fame as a champion had gone before
him, and multitudes wanted to hear
Joshua r. Gidduags, however mad they
might deem him on abolition. Never
theless, in casting about for means ad-
ditional to his fame, by which to draw
a crowd, the person who invited him to
speak hit upon the following incident in
his congressional career, then an event
of recent occurrence:
"Mr. Giddings was addressing the
House with his usual logic, when a GER
tain member became so engaged at his
remarks that, drawing knife, he start
ed across the Chamber, evidently intend
ing to punish the Ohio NJ. C. Mr.. Gid
dings saw him coming, but did not cease
speaking or evince the least sign of
backing down; but, quietly opening his
desk, he took out an enormous pistol
and laid it near. At this the beligerent
member seemed to consider prudence
the better part of valor, changed his
course, and was soon back in his seat
and the knife was put away.
Near the close Of his remarks Mr..
Giddings said: L would not have the
members of this House suppose that my
constituents send towards to represent
them here. Nevertheless. deem it my
duty to acknowledg that this venerable
horse pistol, which has prevented blood
shed on this floor to-day, is not loaded,
and has not been since my boyhood.'
In the form of hand-bills the above
was distributed by thousands, far and
wide, and, no doubt, tended greatly to-
intensity the desire among the Penn
sylvanians to see and hear the hero of
such bloodless victory. At any rate,
the building was packed with an inn
mense assembly. 1t took about all the
in town to officer the
meeting.
In due time Mr.. Giddings was intro
duced, and looked into the eyes of his
His presence was snperb,and
before he began his address lie had won,
at least, the most fixed and respectful
attention.
If he did not, at the last, win the con-
victions of his hearers and carry them
for his cause, it was not owing to his
lack of ability, but the strength of their
prejudices.
For an hour he was occupied with a
plain, candid line of argument, dealing
in the same general order of truths and
principles as were employed by the
fathers of the Republic. In after years, |
when the Whig party had disappeared |
from American politics, those who re-
called Mr.. Giddings's speech saw in it
the consummate forecast of the man, for
it was skillfully calculated to win
Wings from their old allegiance, and
thus preparing the fuse that ultimately
exploded that party.
To substantiate his statements of facts,
he quoted entirely from Horace Gree
ley's New York Tribune" as her persist
ed in calling it, youthful sheet, but an
unerring authority, then, as now, in all
the data of political and national histo-
ry. At the conclusion of his argument,
he cordially invited his audience to ask
questions, promising to answer in as
candid spirit as they were asked.
An interval of silence followed, and
when it began to appear that the older
men in the throng would let the chance
slip without question. the writer.
though only pupil of the village acad-
amy, presumed to address the eminent
Abolitionist
The following is fragment OF the col
oquy:
"If the extension of slave territory is
discontinued and no more room provided
or increase, will not slavery be suffoca-
ed in its present limits ?" iJ
Mr. Giddintfs replied:
"Snffoeation iSa slow way to die. The
lave states afford room for seven-fold
ucrease ere reaching population to