The Portland daily press., 1892-02-03

% Lhe EdaJ0r OF Lne FfeSS:
When speaking of the great anti
slavery leaders in the memorable contest
between freedom aud slavery in this
country, from 1885 to 1S61-we very
naturally cite Wendall Phillips and Will
liam Lloyd Garrison as first, and foremost
in the fight. And SO they were-the form
er the "silver tongued orator. and dis
tinguished platform speaker; the latter,
the bold, independent, defiant journalist.
These two men in their several spheres
were very successful in calling public
attention to the atrocities of American
slavery, at the same time creating a pub
lie sentiment against it,
Garrison was impractical, declaring the
American constitution covenant with
death and league with he'll" entirely
ignoring his rights of citizenship and
refusing to vote.
Phillips struck right and left at the
whole system, denouncing it as an out
law.
A third great anti-slavery leader to
which desire in this article to call spec
ial attention was the late Joshua Gid
dings of Ohio. The position he occupied
and his modes of argument against what
the old southerners used to call the ''pe-
culiar institution gave him wider and
more extended influence in his attempts
to command the attention and get the
ear of the American people. AS mem
Der of Congress, through the press, he
could speak to the whole country. He
recognized slavery as a state institution
over which the general government had
no legislative control. His views were
eminently practical, while they were free
from many of the extravagances and
wild theories of Garrison and Phillips as
to the relative powers OF the states and
the general government over the institu-
ton of slavery.
Mr.. Giddings was elected as a Wing
and became member of the National
House of Representative in 1888, from
the old 'sWestern Reserve in the state
of Ohio. His district was largely settled
by emigrants from New England, the
descendants of the Puritans, who had
inherited those lofty principles of free
dom which have ever distinguished that
sturdy race of men.
Mr.. Giddings although nominally a
Wing was like a great majority of his
constituents an anti-slavery man. Atthe
time he entered Congress, Martin Van
Buren, was President and the south was
master of the situation" Not only
was the slave olgarchy supported by
southern men but they had in large
numbers Democrats from the free states,
mere tools of the slave power, better
known in those days as dough faces"
MI. Giddings once told the writer that
it was six years after he entered Con-
gress before he was permitted to discuss
the question of slavery in the House, and
the first time he was allowed to do it was
when the chair was occupied by the late
Nathan Clifford, afterward Judge of the
Supreme Court of the United States.
He was bold and fearless debater.
For years after he entered Congress he
stood almost SOLITARY and alone" in his
open defiant arraignment of American
slavery.
Physically and mentally, Mr.. Giddings
was a giant His well developed, power
full frame standing erect, 'six feet FOUR
was a standing menace to the whole
drive of Shareholders in the House, many
of whom would have gladly taken his
life. The southern chivalry knew very
well that if they sent their s'hostile mes
sages'' inviting Mr.. Giddings to fight
them upon the field of honor he would
stamp them under his feet. And they
further knew, that as he went armed, if
they undertook street fight, the attack
ing party would be very likely to come
out ''second best.''
Mr.. Giddings courage was often put to
d severe test. / will give an instance.
In April, 1913 seventy or eighty slaves at
tempted to escape from the District OF
Columbia on board the schooner Pearl.
They were captured and with the captain
Dayton and mate (Sayres) were i'm
prisoned in the jail at Washington. MI.