Year: 1860

point out any SpeciHc acts That the n or
thern people have done that are iniuriou,
TO your property, as something he take:
to be a dishonor and degradation
| think | feel as sensitive on that subject as
any other man, and if l know myself, / would
! be the last man who would advocate any law
or any act, that would humiIiate or dishenol
any section OF this country, or any individual
in it; but on the other hand, let me tell those
gentlemen l am exceedingly sensitive on that
same point, whatever they may think, and hac
rather sustain an injury than an insult or dis
honor, and | would be as unwilling to infiet il
upon others as l would be to submit to it my
self. / never do either the one or the other
if l know it. But l have already said thest
gentlemen who make these complaints have
for a long series of years had this Government
in their own hands. 1 may say these gentle
men who have raised upon this floor their bill
of indictment against US, have been the leader:
OF the dominant party for years therefore, il
there is anything in the legislation of the Fed
eral Government that is not right, you, and
not we, are responsible for it. We never yet
have been invested with power to control the
legislation of the country for an hour. know





ears that we have been unfaithful to your Flu
gitive Slave bill. The law is exceedingly o
dious to any free people, and deprives US of all


the aid guarantees of liberty that the Anglo
Saxon race have considered more sacred than
anything else.


Mr. Green said perhaps the action on this
law mad not injured anybody, but he complain
ed 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 galleries must be cleared
if the applause again was heard


| Mr.. Wade-Never mind, let them cheer the
Fugitive Slave Law if they please.


Mr.. Mason said he should insist on order il
the indignities to the Senate did not cease.
Mr.. Wade-This would be poor remedy
| for free man in humble circumstances to be
| taken under the provision of this bill to be
carrie d-where Where he came FROM
Then he might be carried into the market
| place anywhere in a Slave State, and what
chance has he? This man may be kidnapped
and carried into everlasting Slavery, and does
any man who has a regard for the sovereign
| rights of the State rise here and complain that
State could not make law to protect her
own people against invasion and seizure?
believe of all men those who have made fhc
most of the complaints are The last who would
rise here and deny the power of sovereign
State 10 pr t ct her own citizens against any
Federal Legislation whatever. These liberty
bills have been made, not with view to de-
grade The South, but with an honest view to
guard the rights of their own citizens from uu
lawful searches an1 SCI z1rps was exceeding
Is CAD to hear Senators on the other side say
that the repeal Of hese bills will not relieve
lie case from the difficulties and have heard
it everywhere that the people of the Free
States are unfaithlui III executing the Fug-
tive Slave Law. 1t has been said, under such
circumstances here that, although was sure
as to my own State, yet | could not rise to say
| cid not believe a word of what they were
saying. I never did and never could
until our enemies here rise in their pla-
ces, and with a magnanimity commend, have
said that this was not so.


My colleague Mr.. Pugh) with magnam-
nifty for which give my thanks, has stood
forth to testify that. in the State l in part
represent, Republican Judges, Courts and j u
ries, have fulfilled this repusive duty with per-
feet faithfulness, and so said the Senator from
Illinois (Mr. Douglas and So understand the
Senator from Indiana (Mr. Fitch to have
said. Therefore this calumny is removed from
US, so far as the statements Of our political
enemies can do it. | know our Courts feel
themselves bound to administer the laws just
as they find them. Let me say to gentlemen
of the Senate on the other side, where you
have lost one slave by the unfaiIhfulness of
| legislasive tribunals, we have had ten men
murdered by your mobs against law. I can
not take up a Southern paper but l read of
men who travel for business, but you wait
upon them by some committee and tell them
to return. And what is the cause? Why,
sir, you come from Ohio, and they don't in
quire what party belong to. Many of these
acs have been done under circumstance that
would disgrace savage. We have no secu-
rity in traveiing in nearly one-haf this Con
federacy- especially the Gulf States I don't
care what a mans character may be, and if he
never violated any law under heaven but if
he. comes from the North, and especially if he
has exercised his political rights and voted for
Lincoln instead of somebody else, it is an of
Tense punishable by indignity, by stripes, and
by death. And you, whose constituents are
guilty Of all tfese things can stand up and
accuse US of being unfhihfnl to the Constitu-
tien of the land I make the assertion here
that do not believe in the history of the
wcrld there ever was nation or a people
| where law so repugnant to the general feel
ing was ever executed with the same faithful
(, ness as has been this most repugnant Fug-
tive Slave Law You have law in South
Carolina by which you take the free citizens
OF Massachusetts, or any other maritime State
and lock them up in Jail under penalty. If
the poor man cannot pay the Jail fees, eternal
slavery stases him in the face. 1t is a mon
strous law, revolving to the best feelings of
humanity, and in conflict with the Constitu-
tion of the United States.


don't say this in way of recrimination.-
know the excitement pervading the conntry,
and l do not wish to add IA single coal to the
fame. Nevertheless, wish the whole truth
to appear. Then what is it? You have the
whole legislation OF the country; you own
4 the Cabinet and tbe Senate, and | may add


that you own the President OF the United
States, as much as you own the servants on
} your plantations. But l can't see why South


ern men rise up and complain of the action
of this government. have already shown ii
) is impossible to point out any acts of which
t the Republican perty have been guilty o
) which you can complain. Therefore L under
, stand that Senators who justify the overthrow
of this Government, who would break it into


its integral elements. do it on mere suspi
cion that the Republican party may somehow
affect their rights. Now, what doctrine dc


we hold detrimental to you? Are we the
settlers forth of any new doctrine under the
Constitution / tell you nay. There is nc
ntincinln held to-dav nv tha ,rroat BSAnnhlical