Year: 1860

| u


have been an act of treason, aud nothing


less. Now, they who sit here the leader


of this modern revolution, are they in po


sition to complain of the action of thi


Government for years past Why, the!


have had more than two-tbirds of this Sen
ate for many years You that complain
represent but little more than one quartet


Of tie free people Of the U. s.; yet, yor
have prevailed for ten years past in The
Cabinet of tie President, and in the Su
preme Court of the U. S., and nearly every
department Of the Government. Those who
voted with you have dictated the policy o.
the Government. Is it not strange that
those who occupy this position como here
complaining that their rights had beer
stricken down? But what is the cause o
this great excitement which undoubtedly
prevails in portion Of our country? ? for,
if the newspapers are TO be credited, there
is a reign Of terror in the cities and large
towns of the South that looks very much
like the reign of terror in Paris during the
French Revolution. We hear Of Northern
men being sent back, or scourged and tarr-
ed and feathered, aud no inquiry made in
regard to the cause. l do not suppose the
regular Government, in times of excitement
like this, is really responsible for these out
breaks Of passion. If the States where these
outrages prevail were foreign government,
and if they were really authorized by the
constituted authorities, everybody knows,
if it were the strongest government in the
world, we would declare war in one day.
But what has caused this great excitement?
| will tell you what suppose it is / do
not so much blame the people Of the South,
because think they have been led to be.
Iieve that we, to-day the dominant party,
who are about to take the reins of Govern
ment, are their mortal foes, and stand rea-
dy 10 trample their Institutions under foot
They have been told SO by our enemies at
the North, and they would not hear US at
ALL Now, / wish to inquire candidly, hon
estly, and fairly, whether the Southern gem
tlemen who complain so much, have any
reasonable grounds for that complaint
mean when they are really informed as to
our position. The Northern democrats have
said we have Personal Liberty Bills in some
few of the Northern States, which would
somehow trench upon your rights to recap
ture runaway slaves-a position that in more
than two or three cases has not the least
foundation in fact. But if these laws are
really repugnant to the Constitution they
are utterly void, and the Courts would de-
clare them so at any moment. Therefore,
am glad to hear Senators on the other
side say they do not complain of those bills
Your men have given up this bone Of con.
tention, this matter of complaint, which
Northern men have set forth as grievance
more than any one else.


Mr.. Mason said that be said the repeal
Of these laws would furnish no satisfaction
to the Southern States. -.


Mr.. WADE--I understood the gentleman
to say he did not know as they had been
injured by them. These laws were not in
tended TO excite the South, or to put them
n any position of degradation, as the Sena-
tor supposes. Those laws against kidnap-
ping are as old as the common law itself. l
believe the State of Virginia has one o.
day as stringent in its provisions as any of
those Of which you complain And here
let me say, because the subject occurs to
me, that the Senator from Virginia seems
not so much to point out any specific acts
that the Northern people have done that are
injurious to your property, as something be
akeS to be dishonor and a degradation.
think feel as sensitive on that subject as
any other man, if know myself. l would
be the last man who would advocate any
aw, or any act, that would humilate or
lshonor any section of this country, or any
Individual in it but, on the other hand,
ct me tell those gentlemen | am exceeding
y sensitive on that same point, whatever
hey may think, and had rather sustain an
ninry than an insult or dishonor, and |
would be as unwilling to inaict it upon 9TH
RS as would be to submit to it myself |
never do either the one or the other, if |
Know it. But l have already said these
rentlemen, who make these complaints
lave for a long series of years had this
government in their own hands | may say
hat these gentlemen who have raised upon
his floor their bill of indictment against
ne. have been the leaders of the dominant
larty for years therefore, if there is any,
hing in the legislation of the Federal Gov.
ernment that is not right, you, and not we,
are responsible for it. We never yet have.
oeen invested with power to control the
legislation of the country for an hour. l.
Know the charges have been made and rung
n our ears that we have been unfaithful to
,our Fugitive Slave bill The law is ex-
,eedingly odOus to any free people, and de-
Drives us of all the old guarantees of liber-
ty that the Anglo,Saxon race have consid-
cred more sacred than anything else.


Mr.. GREEN said perhaps the action on
this law had not injured anybody. but he
complained of the public sentiment. He
Knew it was impossible to reclaim a slave
in nine cases out of ten, and they risked
their lives if they made the attempt. He
thought the law no more obnoxious than
any in case of scoundrels who rob and steal
Applause in the galleries.


The CHAIR said the gallaries must be
cleared if the applause again was heard.


Mr. WApE-Never- mind, let them cheer
he Fugitive Slave law If they please. VI


Mr.. MASON said he should insist on order
+ the indigUities of the Senate did not
cease.


Mr.. WADE-This would be q poor reme-
]y for free man in humble circumstances
o be taken under the provision Of this bill
o be carried, where Where he came
rom. Thep be might be carried into the