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

| preston OF his feelings toward the Speaker
| for not appointing him in the first instance.
| Notwithstanding his acceptance OF this over
| ture. Giddings was not appointed. slight by
which he was inexpressibly pained. refer
enco to the matter has been found among his
papers. in which he says he longed to accom-
pany the remains OF his vcrerated friend to
| the grave. and speaks Of the act Of the Speaker
as " ono thing would forget If could
Mr.. Giddings continued to represent his dis
| trict at Washington until ~ the close OF the
| Thirty Nth Congress. In March. 1850 having
! failed for tho first time to obtain u rcnomina-
| tion-he withdrew from public life. He was
| delegate however. to the Republican COnven-
| ton Mt Chicago. and insisted on II rcassertion
| OF the truths Of the Declaration Of lndcpen-
| dcnce which had been embodied in the plat
| form OF 1856 AT first no member OF the Con-
vention came to his support. and his motion
was voted down. Thercupon Giddngs left
the Convention. remarking to George William
Curtis. who met him on his way out. II see
that am out of place here" accounting the
incident afterwnrd. Mr.. Curtis said: 1t
seemed to me that the original impulse OF the
party was leaving tho Convention In his por-
son. and begged him to remain. saying thnt
would renew tho motion in another form"
This was done. Mr. Curtis saying when he had
with difficulty obtained the floor. Il havo to
ask tho Convention whether they are prepared
to go upon the record before the country as
voting down the Declaration OF Independence?
rso simply to nsk gentlemen to think we'll
before upon tho FREQ praires Of tho West
in the summer of 1860 they dare to
vince and quail before the assertions
Of the men OF Philadelphia in 177D-bc-
fore they dare to shrink from repeating tho
words that those great men cnunciated.'
This speech took the Convention by storm and
n scene Of the widest excitement followed,
Tho amendment was unanimously adopted.
and Giddings returned to his seat, while ten
thousand voices swelled into roar so denfen-
ing that for several minutes every effort to re-
store order was in vain. Mr. Murat Halstend.
who was present. has recently recountcd the
incident: II was great scene. and as think
Of it every feature Of il comes wildly before
me. had very often seen Mr.. Giddings in
Congress. but never saw him when his
figure appeared so stately and his
snowy head so lofty as on this occa-
sion: and the play OF emotion over his
face was as frank as childs.' Gid
dings understood the significance OF rea firm
alton OF the principles Of the Declaration of In
dependence. By it the cowardly fear of aboli-
tionism was rebuked. and the trimmers and
timeservers were made to sec that their rank
In the party was to be one of subordination
Nv.
During the ten years succeeding the death |
OF John Quincy Adams. Mr.. Giddings was pre- |
eminently the leader Of the anti slavery forces |
in tho House Of Representatives. 1t was he |
who drafted and incorporated into the Repub-
Iican platform Of 1856 the resolution declaring |
the spread OF slavery over the national terri |
tory. and the admission Of new saveholding |
States. to be unconstitutional. In other words.
,vb oil
stituton were to be faithfully observed.
the Federal Government in all other respects
was bound to see to 1t that no man outside OF |
the slave States. and under its exclusive juris-
dtction. should no deprived OF life. liberty, or
property without due processes OF law. Such
was the fundamental principle which was to
DO the starting point OF organized political
action against slavery and the measure OF its
scope. and Won Hoist has recognized that
TO Giddings moro than to any other person.
belongs the credit Of having with full con-
seriousness made it tho constitutional basis Of
the entire warfare against the slave
power. and OF having applied 1t with
consistency never before attained to all Ques-
tons to which it was pertinent" On this
principle the Froe Soil party OF 1848 planted
itself. rs did tho Republican party eight years
afterward. On the lines indicated by this prin-
ciple the political battle OF slavery was to be
fought. and Giddings foresaw the victory of
the free States. and that it would be decisive
Time has indicated his sagacity. and his
present biographer is right in saying that II
any man can be singled out as the father OF
the Republican party II is he.
We have said that this biography. while In
the highest degree sympathetic and appreci-
alive. is discriminative. 1t is admitted that
Mr. Giddings was wholly wanting in genius.
Mr. Julian recognizes that he was deficient in
imagination and the graces Of rhetoric. Thore
are passages. no doubt. in his speeches which
his utterances are merely the compact state;
mcnts of man Of strong convictions and
impress others with his opinions. and
whose profourrdi earnestness made him
hi; Whole lie had beon Handicapped by
native diildence and love Of peace would have
lured him into the walks of private usefulness:
his soul soul and he prosecuted it with mnfaltering
fath and unH"snshaS,;9 zeal ne could not DO
sonseicnce com ma nded him. and he succeeded
ny the sdpg 81 Gre trd neral & hear
tho ardor Of eioausnco 70 Which GIIdings
occasionally attained in the white heat Of
oted ny Mr. juae rom speech d"ivers1
in tho House, Of REPRESENTATIVES nine. years
emancipation, On this occasion Giddngs Mt
tered words which now seem prophetic. The
champions of slavery then desired a war with
Spain for the ucluisit ion Of Cuba' and tho
moro complete ascendancy of their power
over the Government. Giddings reminded
them that in surh struggle the, enemy
Won id strike at Our weakest point. ana might
bring the war into this American Africa and
rear the standard Of freedom on our own soil"
war power Of til. Govern ment could interpose
i3r tho libeEation Of every s,aye II tho Union
when the slaves of the South shall rise in the
spirit Of freedom. actUated by he soul stirring
emotion that they are men, destined to i'm,
mortality. entitled to the lights which God
lnc IN fEnin Wnnn tho mnStorS shall |