Year: 1862

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g., 8. OTTUMWA, &c
payment Of wages. This is the only wrong
that viii have been inflicted on those, who
now own them. They now employ them,
and give them food and ralment and shelter
for their services, without reference to their
own wishes, coercing obedience with the
lash when fouad necessary. Afterwards
they will be compelled to consult the win
and wishes Of the, employed, and to pay
them probably stipulated wages, with which
the servant win provide his own supplies
No injury is inflicted on society, no change
is wrought on its organization, and no change
is made in the political condition Of the
emancipatcd. They win have acquired no
political rights or franchises. They will
have acquired simply the right to enjoy as
they choose the proceeds Of their own labor.
But If you confer this right on fifteen hum
drcd more negroes now slaves in the Dis
trict, we are gravely warned by Senator'S,
in most eloquent and pathetic strains, that
We will t!.us inaugurate war of extermina.
tion between the white and black race! Yes,
If you confer on these fifteen hundred poor
negroes the right now enjoyed by more than
eleven thousand of their cosored brethren
now living in the District, allow them to
collect and use the wages Of their own labor,
you will incite spirit Of Wholesale murder {!
Rather than pay them just compensation for
their services, their former masters, who
have lived on the''proceeds Of their unpaid
toll, will take dowh their rifles and shoot
them A war of determination is to arise
Sir, have understood that it was murder
now in this District to kill colored man !;
that so far from justifying the indiscrimina-
te murder of those poor people who are now
free, you regard it'as very grave offense
against society to shed his blood, and would
arrest, indict, try and hang the felon who
would perpctrate it in single case. m
quire If It is not also felony now in Mary
land : Inquire Of the Senator from Mary
land, who predicts ~ay Of determination
Immediately on the liberation Of the slaves
in this district. why it has not heretofore
commenced and if it would not be murder
to shoot or otherwise maliciously destroy


q a ~ =
the life Of fee negro of his own State, un-
der the laws Of Maryland as they now ex-
ist I?


Mr.. Kennedy. If the honorable Senator
desires an answer. will say in very few
words that there is now q bitter antipathy
between the laboring white people and the
free blacks, and that it has been so strong
heretofore in the State of Maryland, that we
have had great difficulty in restraining the
passage Of what We consider inhu,nan laws.
The antipathy IS very strong between the
two classes Of people, and do not know,
how far they might be excited to deeds Of
violence, if the proportion of free blacks that
now exits was greatly increased.


Mr.. Harlan. I am very much obliged to
the Senator for his explanation and yet
beg leave very respectfully to differ from
him in relation to the fact which he has sta
ted. 4 In my opinion. these feelings are not
excited by the laboring mes, ! see laboring
white men standing side by side with labor.
ing negroes in the District, seeking for jobs,
for employment-.rs. -, -.......


Mr.. Kennedy. The Senator will allow mo
to say right here that I employ both classes,
and one of the troubles that have is to re-
strain that very feeling. | speak from ex.,
perience. .


Mr.. Harlan. am inclined to think that
any improper results which might grow out
of this prejudice could be readily controlled
by that part Of the community enjoying high
social and official position, like the Senator
from Maryland and the Senator from Ken
tuc<y. and the Senator from Delaware, who
have spoken to-day. What is the inference
to be drawn by the less rejecting from this
statement made in this discussion. They
declare, ''if you liberate the slaves, allow
them to become fFse. the free white people
will rise and exterminate them;" and, is not
the inference legitimate that it would, in the
opinion Of the speaker, be proper for this to
done ? Is il not indirectly saying to every
laboring white man Of Maryland, 'you may
murder Unfortunately those that come in
contact with your interests, in competition
with you in the various avocations Of life ~
You say to them, "you win do so !" you say
to this entire population in this District,
"you will arise and spurder the free colored
people if wc set a few more free !" and this
statement thus far has not been accompanied
even with 80 much IS regret at the sup
posed existence Of such yindictiveness. Sir,
the shareholders of Maryland control it's leg
islat,on those that hold slaves in nearly all
the Slave States control the legislstea of
those States, and they control, to fearful
extent, the opinion of the masses and they
can as readily give to public opinion the
right IS the wrong direction they can as
readily conform II to the plain principles Of
q christianized humanity rs to degrade It to
the standard which co9trols the policy of