Year: 1862

now slaves in the District, we aae gravelv
warned by Senators, in most eloquent and
pathetic strains, that we will thus inaupu-
rate war OF determination between the
white and the black race! Yes, if you
confer on these fifteen hundred poor ne
groes the right now enjoyed by more than
eleven thousand of their colored breth-
rem now living in the District, allow them
10 collect and use the wages of their own
labor, you will incite spirit of wholesale


murder! Rather than pay them just com


pensation for their services, their former


masters. who have lived on the proceeds
of their unpaid toll, will take down their


rifles and shoot them A war of exter-


mination is TO arise ! Sir, have under
stood that it was murder now in this Dis
trlet to kill eolored man that so far
from justifying the indiscriminate murder


of those poor people who are now free,
you regard it as very grave ofiense
against society to shedh blood, and would
arrest, indict. try and hang the felon who


would perpetrate it in q single case. I
inquire if ii is not also felony now in


Maryland ? | inquire Of the Senator from


Maryland, who predicts war of extcr-
minntion Immediately on the liberation Of
the slaves in this District, why it has


not heretofore commenced; and lift would


not be murder to shoot or otherwise ma
liciously destroy the life Of free negro


of his own State under the laws of Mary
land as they now exist


Mr.. Kennedy. If the honorable SEN
ator desires an answer, ! will say in a very
few words that there is now bitter an
tipathy between the laboring white people
and the free blacks and that it has been
SO strong heretofore in the State of Mary
land that we have had great difficulty in
restraining the passage of what we con-
slider inhuman laws Tie antipathy is
very strong between the two cl ssas Of
people, and do not know how far they
might be excited if the number OF free
blacks that now exists WAS greatly in


creased.


Mr.. Harlan. am very much obliged
to the Senator for his explanation and
yet | beg leave very respectfully to differ
from him in relatiefr=to the fact which he
has stated. In my opinion, these feelings
are not excited by the laboring men. I
see lahnring white men standing side by
side with laboring negroes in the District
seeking for jobs, for employment
MIR. Kennedy. The Senator will allow


me to say right here that employ both


classes, and one Of the troubles that |


have is to restrain that very feeling.
speak from experience.


Mr.. Harlan. | am inclined to think
that any improper results which might
grow out of this prejudice could be rea-
Oily controlled by that part of the COM
munity enjoying high social and official
position, like the Senator from MARYLAND,
and the Senator from Kentucky, and the
Senator from Delaware, who have spoken
to-day. What is the inference to be
drawn by the less reflective from this
statement made in this discussion. They
declare, "if you liberate the slaves, allow
them to become free, 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 be done Is it not indirectly
saying to every laboring white man of Ma
ryland, ''you may murder indiscriminate-
Fly those that come in contact with your
Interests, in competition with you in the
various avocations Of life 2" You say


to them, you will do so;D you say to


this entire population in this District,
E.'you will arise and murder the free
colored people if we set few more free J"
and this statement thus far has not been
accompanied even with SO much as a
regret at the supposed existence Of such
vindietiveness. Sir, the shareholders Of


Maryland control its legislotion those
that hold slaves in nearly all the Slave
States control the legislation OF those
States, and they control, to fearful ex-
tent, tho opinion Of the masses and they
can as readily give to public opinion the
right as the wrong direction they can as
readily conform it to the plain principles


Of a christianized humanity as to degrade
| it to the standard which controls the poll
| cy Of communities in savage condition.


Why, sir, l know people not many


hundred miles from my own home that are


to-day engaged in the war Of extermina-


ton. The Chippewas and the Sioux never


meet each other on the plains, but to


murder and massacre each other. A war


Of determination with oil the yindictivoness


and atrocities common to savage life, is in
progress. They meet only to imbrue their


hands in thier brothers blood.


Mr.. Kennedy. Will the honorable Sem


ntor allow me to make tt him single


statement in further answer TO the ues-


tion be put just now


Mr. Harlan. Certainly.


Mr.. Kennedy. One Of the worst riots
we have had in Baltimore for many years,


arose from the fact that free negroes were
i EN- nnlnund Ia the shin. .rnrds ar call-nrr