Year: 1860

uhpopular, Tor IL goes against the
hearts and consciences of the great
masses of the North, and nothing short


If the Almighty Power changing their
hearts can make them eager to execute
this law. In the South, where the feel
-ng is different, when slaves are brought
here from the coast of Africa, in vio-


alton of the law against piracy, these
very magistrates cannot inhict the
punishment due. We would have Just


IS much ground to accuse the South of
perjury because the victims of the yacht
Wanderer are not released, and her
officers punished, as they have to ac-
cuse MS because we do not execute
swiftly enough law more odioas and
repugnant to U.S. The next charge of
the Senator is that of passing Personal
Liberty bills. There is no foundation
under the heavens for this charge against
Ohio. Ohio never passed law in vio-
'ation of the Constitution of the United
States, and she never has been derelict
to her duty in this particular. Does
the Senator suppose that any sovereign
State of this Union is going to relin-
quish all her rights over her citizens
because there is certain provision in
the Constitution by which certain class
may be taken out of her limits? That
would be to abandon to any ruthless and
unprincipled man whatever he might
choose to claim Cannota State prevent
the kidnapping of her citizens because
you have right to claim slave? The
Constitution says that any person owing
service to any other State shall be given
up, but it does not state the means by
which this shall be ascertained / ap-
peal to the Senator from Georgia if he
believes that the framer of the Constitu-
tion would have consented to provis-
ion that deprived the States utterly of
the power to protect her own citizens?
No, sir. But it is frequently said that
the Constitution would not have been
framed if this had not been provided for


But so far from this being the case, it
was mere after thought


The Constitution was formed in all it's
important particulars before any man
thought of this provision, and it was
placed there with no idea that State
should surrender any power to protect
her own citizens. If that Convention
was jealous of any one thing more than
another, twas the lights of the States, and
they battled inch by inch, against every
principle that looked to the surrender
of any State power. They never in
tended to give any power to any person to
claim anybody they chose. 1t was only
to claim the fugitive from labor; and
when that has been ascertained, no
State has resisted the law. But the
Senator says that Ohio, among the rest,
has committed kind of perjury, by
passing Personal Liberty bills. Mr..
Wade referred to the law of Ohio, to
prevent slaveholding, and read the last
section, as follows: ...a


"Nothing in the preceding section of
this act shall apply to any act done by
any person under the authority of the
Constitution of the United States, or any
law of the United States made in pursu-
ance thereof Es


And, continued Mr. W., now, I ask
the Senator if he was upon the bench,
and if fugitive Was brought before him
under this law, if he would have any
difficulty in surrendering him? Let me
say to you who hold the doctrine of
State Rights, you endanger the liberty
of your own States when you contend
against the power of the States to pass
laws protecting their own citizens. No
asperity of language, no frowning coun-
tenance or denunciation shall ever in
duce Ohio to forget what is due to her
sovereignty and to the protection of her
own citizens-never, never, sir! And
she takes no broader stand on this sub
ject than 1 hope in God every other
State in the Union takes. Then, the
Senator was wrong and uncandid to say
our constituents were perjured, when
they have taken every precaution to pro-
tect citizens of States holding a species
of property we utterly repudiate. Ohio
is never forgetful of her rights. She
sends no Senators here to denounce the
sovereignties of other States.


1 But when her rights are assailed, her
ambassadors would be unfaithful to their
trust if they did not hurl back any such
imputation. The third count of this in
dictment was, that we intended to pro-
hibit and limit slavery in the vast terri,
tories of the United States. Sir, to that
charge | confess it is true We do in
tend it, sir. If 1 understand the objects
and purposes of the Republican party


it was brought into power on this very
subject. When the General Govern.
ment had broken all the pledges to free.
dom in our Territories, the Republican
party rose to oppose this unconstitu


tional aggression. Had there been nc
violation of the Missouri Compromise
very probably there would have been
no Republican party here. We intend
to defend the Territories of this country
against the pollution of slavery. There
we stand, and there is our platform, ano
there we shall stand forever. But the
Senator claims the right to carry slaves
into the Territories because the decision
of the Court gives him that right Now
no man has more respect for the decis


ions of the Courts, when within then
proper judicial limits, than I have, and
no one knows better how essential it Is
that these should be lived up to. But
lust as much as I revere an honest Court
keeping within its jurisdiction and re.
straining itself from any political con
nection, 30, sir, in exact proportion dc
[ abhor and scout one from the corrupt
Judge who, for any purposes, will reach
over the case before him and endeavor te
advance political cause by any decision
he may pretend to make. The moment
the Court transcends it's authority fol
the purpose of affecting any political
cause, its decision is impertinent, and
with the Courts of Georgia, I say [ hold
it in bitter enough contempt, and il
there ever was decision on Gods eartt
that would warrant any private man Of