Year: 1862




tion fanatics? I proposed an amendment
to the bill submitting the measure to them
to be decided by their votes. 1t fell as
matter of course.


would have gone so far as to have
waived the very grave constitutional ques-
ton, whether under the terms of the
deeds of cession of the District, by the
States of Virginia and Maryland, for tire
purposes of National Capitol, slavery
in it could be abolished without their con-
sent? if the people of the District had
determined to rid themselves of the un-
natural and repulsive institution.


Again, L am opposed to the appropria-
ton Of money out of the national treasury
to day for the freedom of slaves, either in
the District or any of the States where it
exists. assume that every loyal man is
in favor Of maintaining the national cred.
it. If so, to meet the interest on the i'm.
m cnso debt already incurred, and that
which must be unavoidably added to it,
will give us taxation to our hearts content
without putting on the additional burthen
Of the emancipation Of slaves. Secession
aud abolition together have already made
half the business men of the north bank
rupt, and put endless exactions upon the
pcop'e in the way Of exercises and taxes;
and assuming that the war were to end in
six months, (as it may unless fanaticism
should make it interminablo,) twenty gen.
erations of peace and prosperity will not
conceal it. 1t is enough in either event
without the addition of millions for eman-
cipation-


Another objection to the bill is, that the
owner of slaves is compelled to accept the
amount awarded by commissioners, which
shall in no one case exceed three hundred
dollars, and which might not be a fourth
of the value OF the slave. No mans prop
erty should be taken from him by compul-
sorry process in violation Of the great mag
na c'tarta principle of our constitution, the
right Of trial by jury. And that the
slaves shall be competent witness as to
the loyalty of his master, is feature
which strikes the mind with astonishment
and alarm.


; The foregoing reasons, particularly, in.
duced me to cast my vote against the bill.
: Under the same state of facts [ would do
the same thing again. 1t is among the
possibilities that was wrong, but | have
an abiding conviction that q very large
majority of the people whom represent
= will ratify and approve the vote. 1t may
, and will probably create a gulf between
, me and very many who cast their votes
, for ne, but while they may thus differ
with me, they cannot impugn my motives,
| or alleged that l have by word, action or
implication deceived them.


At one time | entertained the opinion
that the conservative Union men OF all
parties could have moved on in harmony,
. at least until the fact bee anne manifest
that we still had a national existence. -
, And | en- tertained this up to the time that
Congress decided upon the abolition mea-
sure. 1t is very apparent now that union
and harmony cannot exist. A very con-
siderable number of conservative Re-
publicans in Congress voted for the abo-
|, lition bill with extreme reluctance. They
yielded to what they supposed were the
imperative demands of party; and now an
entering wedge is made by the passage Of
the District Bill, which will lead to more
and more sectional, fanatical legislation,
until all hope is ended, and parties must
necessarily assume their old Positions
This indeed is fixed fact.


1t seems to me that while ca mon are
booming upon fields of sanguinary war,
almost under the caves of the Capitol; and
while the bodies of mutilated, bleeding,
dying soldiers are borne along the avenues,
that the wounds of the living should be
dressed, and the bodies of the dead be
inferred, in the absence of abolition har-
rangues and songs of emancipation. The
solemn cortege should be spared the trea-
sonable outbursts of such demened and
crazy fanatics as Wendell Phillips and his
kindred followers.


The District bill is already succeeded
by projects of law on the files of Congress
to allow negroes to be employed in the
mail service Of the United States to give
them the right of suffrage in the District;
to allow them to enter the jury box, and
to hold office The next step will be com
pulsory abolition in the States by de-
cree of Congress.


And is this the mode and manner of