The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-12

teollnQs toward thcm tnan tnose Vi ply. Nhen
we returned for dinner we found our boarding
house in total confusion. Women and girls,
blacks and whites. master. mistress, and SER
wants, all had gone to hear Prcntiss and all
forgot that their boarders would want dinner
until he closed his rcmarks.' This sort OF
thing is not apt to happen nowadays.
Giddings had been in the House but few
weeks when lie madc his first anti-s'avery
speech. He was necessarily interrupted and
finally compelled by the rulings OF the Speak er
to take his seat. He had fairly entered. how
ever. upon the work of his lfe and although
for the moment the Southern men silenced
him by their camor they saw clearly that he
could not be subdued. His journal shows that
several leading Representatives. o! the
South cndeavored to Insult him while he was
in his seat. but he refused to have any al
tercation with them. Hcnccforth he was
to encounter tho wrath and scorn OF tho slave
barons and their Northern alics. and to fall
under tho han of social outlawry But this
only aroused In him tho spirit Of defiance.
and in tho end his bold and stcadfast course
secured TO- him the respect even of his enc
mics.
The Twenty-siXth Congress. to which Gid
dings was returned by his constituents. met In
December 1889. and the Harrison campaign
OF 1910 followed. The votes Of anti-slnvery
men throughout the country were divided at
this time but Giddings. like tho great body Of
the Wings gave his support to Harrison.
twas during tho Twenty sixth Congress that
GiddinGs made tho memorable speech DEM
onstrating that tho Florida war had been
waged by the Government to aid the slave
holders in tho capture Of runaway slaves and
for tho cnslavemcnt of Indians and negroes
WHO wore FREQ. lie showed TINT II largo num-
bnr pf lin IN frnr w p huI 1cI
prior to IL y. ntrrmnrried with the Scminolcs
or Southern Creek Inhinns. and that the Gov
ernmcnt by treaty in 1921 compelled the
Greeks to pay for these fugitives: that the
Greeks, surprising that they had thus ac-
CURED good tito to them from tho
United States. claimed the wives and
children OF tho Seminolcs. who. how
ever finally refused to remove to tho West.
preferr!ng to remain and light the whitos rath-
er than hazard the loss OF their wives and chill
drcn 10y becoming again incorporated with tho
Creeks: and. finally that the interests Of the
rcighborng shareholders required that the
Seminolcs should be compelled to emigrate.
which the United States undertook t. accom-
plish. Giddings further proved by Off
cial documents that $4,000. which right
fully belonged to the Indians. was paid
to tho Shareholders by the Government
as compensation for tho children of
fugitive slaves who would have been
born to their masters if their parents had re.
manned in servitude. This speech was en-
cecdinEly exasperating to southern Nom
bers and Giddings was frequently interrupted
by questions OF order aud incidental de-
bate Black Of Georgia assured tho Hous,
that II the member from Ohio should come
TO Georgia he would be hanged. and Thomp-
son Of South Carolina described GiddnGs as
the very ohscurest Of the obscure individuals
belonging to the Wing party" Gidlings re-
torted that the gentleman from South Caro-
lima did not possess the power TO designate
the position which other members should fill
in tho public mind. He added that he we'll I'M
derstood the insult offered. but he could not
resent it in tina manner common among South
ern gentlemen. as tho people OF the FREQ States
would not permit their public servants to prac-
tise that barbarous mode OF settling difficult
ties. and. il thoy would. his own conscience
would not permit it. But he would say to tho
gentleman. in the language Of a military vet
eran. who. after leading his men into a hun
dred battles happened to Offend young Of
iicer. who spat In his face: Could l as
easily wine the stain Of your blood from my
soul lwping the spittle from his face with
his handkerchief you should not live an
hour" There is no doubt that this speech OF
Giddings proved powerful agency in the
political education OF the Northern people.
Published in large editions and profusely
scattered over the country. it breathed new
life into tho anti-savcry cause BY revealing
the extent to which the machinery of the
Federal Government had been worked in tho
interests OF the Shareholders. 1t is to be noted
that when. on the day following this speech.
Mr.. Giddings called on Gen. Harrison then
President elect. he met with such evidence Of
displeasure that he never afterward repeated
the visit. although he had labored earnestly
for the Wing cause in the previous canvass.