Year: 1859

then do you propose TO give the negro the option Of
leaving or being sOlds II it is humanity to sell
him, strike cut that portion Of the bill which gives
him the option of being sold Here is a virtual
acknowledgement the part Of the trainers Of this
bill that the selling is regarded by themselves as
the punishment attached to the refusal neglect Of
the negro 90 into this involuntary exile Under the
provisions of the bill ycu will separate the mother
from her children. "Over tWenty-oDe and under
forty y-fve years many mothers will be included in
that category, and the child will be left behind
while the mother will lie sJpatriatsd,


There Is another thing we ought 20 consider and
reflect about. It is the most ignorant classes of
society which have the strongest local attachments
and that old negro song


"Oh, carry me back,


Oh, carry back,


To Old Yirginnys shore"


should be recollected when passing upon the
right of negroes in Tennessee. know an instance
in point that will make appeal to the hearts Of
gentlemen. An old negro citizen of Williamson
county, who had been down in Mississippi, came
back and preached q sermsn in the town Of Frank


lin within the past six months, in which he declared
that be would rather be hung in Williamson county
than live free man in Mississippi. No human
being imagine the local attachments negro
has to the old hOmeslesd-Ghe old master and the
family.


Are We afraid Of free negroesY Are we really
afraid of the influence they may have upon our
slaves Are we not prepared to defend ourselves
both from the negro state of subsection and
from the free negTOe. If not will the provisions of
this bill help US in our defence 1t is proposed 10
make this dangerous element in our population an
integral portion Of our households: is the danger
iessfned by this radical change in the condition of
the free negro? Will not these men once Free be
dangerous if deprived in this arbitrary manner Of
what we think is such inestimsbe blessings,
Will not their opportunity for tamperiug with the
slave and their disposition to iDjure those whom
yxuif ha bv-I
theSroposed change in their condition? Let us
ponder well these things. Do we have to deprive
men of their rights to make them do their duty |
rscollect when appeal was made in Virginia that
universal suffrage should prevail, that spoke out,
and said man should be given his rights first, and
then a Law passed TO make him do his duty; and say
this in reference the free negro: Gentlemen give
him bis rights sod then pass your laws compelling
him to &c his duty There is no general rule TO
govern legislators more safe than this, bat if be
does not do his duty punish him either by quitting
him in prison or by any other mode which is proper
We should pass laws to hang the free negro, go
back again to tbOse old laws, in the case of the
free man OF COLOR" which declared most crimes
capital offeucef, rather than take this step back
and By this bloody statute deprive men of
liberty, property, and all the rights they
have enjoyed, simply because say they are
u nuisance. No one denies the power Of the State
Of Tennessee to expatrIste any class of eil;zsrs
she may deem q nuisance Although dc not deny
tho power, ask where is the necessity? Is it IN
ca,ering to :he prcudices gotten u2 and fOs cred By
men for political purposes, growing stronger and
stronger every day, aud serving mJre and more to
scot OnaliZs US, that the country Will find rene
dy fer the various ills which sfict the body !
polite?


There is another objection which appeals to !
Southern men upon this subjeo Shall We put al |
dtional arguments in the mouths Of our enemies !
ct lhe NORTH? Already they say we are cruel. !
asv thew upiugftr and | ask Northarn man |
to come down South and see the family relations |
which exist between master auf servant, snd see |
how the master Is willing to defend the rights Of |
the slave with his blood; how the inferior l9oks
to his superior for that support ami protection, that
government and guidance, which all along the jour
pey life is the chief of his happiness ere
he recklessly intermediates TO alter his condition.


But there exceptions, and as have said !
they operate TO the prejudice of the stakeholder
for enemies are ever ready to such evidence
to our injury.


Sometimes you do you come across man, thing
in the shape o. man, who is cruel master. L
saw in paper of Nashville, and cut out before
was candidate fer office, paragraph in reference
to this very subj ect, and explaining the meaning
of what have to say just III this connection.
will read it. 1t is headed "A Heartess Mar" and
is from the Daily Gazette of December l6, 1858:


"a HsARTLEss MAN.-Ne hear that man, or
rather thing in the divine shape of man, lately
passed through this city, with drove Of negroes
destined for q southern market. In the lot there
we're several infants which he did not desire to tale
with him. because, as he said, they would injure
the sale of their mothers Some of these he dis
posed of here separating them, of course from their
parents "


Zone instance in particular of which we heard
fully satisfies he Is much brute to deserve
the title Of msn or the mercy of God"


Amen! say l.


'For the SUN Of fifty dollars be sold a lady in
- -
mother with the fendish remark that he would kill
it unless he could sell it. We appreciate the klud
motives Of the lady who bough: 1t; we are satisfied
that she will do as much possible towards sup
plying the place Of its natural mother"


l would like to know her name, and shake her by
the hand.


''But this in no way mitigates the great crime
which will in all time and eternity hang upon the
soul Of the inhuman brute who has sold it away
from the mother who bore it and loved it. How
imperfect would be the provisions for he hereafter
if there was no He'll"


Mr. Speaker, it would be pity il there was no
hell. But in my county l know of a case
another argument made by these swift witnesses TO
90 hurt. 1t is said by somebody that all passion
in excess is feminiDe think The facts am about 10
mention will prove this hypothesis trus-A woman
took three days hesrtessy 10 murder her slave.
She took three days 10 study out the most inhumsn
manner kill her servant and she did it, At the



torure-such am ashamed to relate, in cOnsumat-
ing her inhumsn butchery. using boiling water,
hanging, weapons, &c. Aud for this the mistress
had her trial before two magistrates, who upon
nominal bail released her Now Mr.. Speaker,
say it is by these swift witnesses here a. the South
that Ws are nhum4nly butchered and here is anoih-
er of these swift Witnesses who comes with this bill
and asks US to pass this inhumsu act depriving
men Of their liberty because declare they are
nuissnoss. l am willing, and il gentlemen will
amend their bil---for | am Of those who do not
fear appropriation whenever conceive it dss
full to my constituents for the general good Of the
State of tennessee will vote as large an sppro-
priation as any man TO eoonize these free persons
Of color In Central America, South America San
Domingo, Liberia, or any other place more suitable
IIut you must make the appropriation large enough
TO support them for Eve years after they get there
before will vote for it. For | say the white man
owes a duty TO the negro. We leave this
fact too much out Of consider alton. We d. indeed
The negro occupies towards the white man fam ly
relation if he is slave, and We are bound by every
biga AMI noble attribute OF our nature to protect
him What did Gov Wise once do on the floor Of |
the Congress Of the United States on this subject
John Quincy Adams was fond of bringing Abolition |
petitions upon the floor Of the House OF Represen-
tatives, snd It crested great excitement until the
2lst rule was passed land again repealed, Of which
We have heard SO much lately. On one occasion the
old man eloquent got upon the floor, and held in |
his hsaIa paper, which ne said TO the chsir, pur
ported to be from certain negro slaves Of Cupepper
county, Virginia, but he never got farther than |
that when perfect storm was raised. On this oc-
oasion resolution WAS introduced TO expel him at
once, and Northern aad Southern men were on the |
eve Of getting into personal conflict when some
nan more conservative thsn the rest concluded that
Gov. Wise could do something to calm the excite
ment, and he sent for being cut Of his ssat At
that time, and was brought into the House. A gen
tleman asked him publicly what ought to done |
with man who would introduce petite from |
certain slaves Of CuIpepPer county, Virgini, pray
ing TO be free Mr.. Wise calmly replied thas they |
have, most Of all others, the right of petition; that
right vas granted the weak, and he was in favor
Of hearing the petition read. When the agitation