24 in South Carolina, on the 4th of July, 1842, the following toast, afterwards preserved by Mr. Adams in one of his speeches, was drunk with unbounded applause: “ May we never want a Democrat to trip up the heels of a Federalist, or a hangman to prepare a halter for John Quincy Adams I [Nine cheers.] ” A Slave-master from South Carolina, Mr. Waddy Thompson, in debate in the House of Representatives, threatened the venerable patriot with the “penitentiary;” and another Slave-master, Mr. Marshall of JCentuckj, insisted that he should be “ silenced." Ominous word! full of suggestion to the bludgeon-bearers of Slavery. But the great representative of Freedom stood firm. Meanwhile Slavery assumed more and more the port of the giant Maul in the Pilgrim’s Progress, who continued with his club breaking the skulls of pilgrims, until he was slain by Mr. Great Heart, making way for the other pilgrims, Mr. Valiant for Truth, Mr. Standfast, and Mr. Honest. Next to John Quincy Adams, no person in Congress has been more conspicuous for long- continued and patriotic services against Slavery, than Joshua R. Giddings, of Ohio; nor have any such services received in higher degree that homage which is found in the personal and most vindictive assaults of Slavemasters. For nearly twenty years he sat in the House of Representatives, bearing his testimony always loftily, and. never shrinking, though exposed to the grossest brutality. In a recent public address at New York, he has himself recounted some of these instances. On^the presentation by him of resolution- affirming that Slavery was a local institution, and could not exist outside of the Slave States, and applying this principle to the case of the Creole, the House “ caught ” the South Carolina fever. A proposition censuring him was introduced by Slave masters, and pressed to a vote under the operation of the previous question without giving him a moment for explanation, or reply. This glaring outrage upon freedom of debate was redressed at once by the constituency of Mr. Giddings, who returned him again to his seat. From that time the rage of the Slave-masters against him was constant. Here is his own brief account: “ I will not speak of the time when Dawson, of Louisiana, drew a bowie-knife for my assassination. I was afterwards - speaking with regard to a certain transaction in which negroes were concerned in Georgia, when Mr. Black, of Georgia, raising his bludgeon,- and standing in front of my seat, said to me,1 If you repeat that language again, I will knock you down.’ It was a solemn moment for me. I had never been knocked down, and having some curiosity upon that subject, I repeated the language. Then Mr. Dawson, of Louisiana, the same who had drawn the bowie:knifo, placed his hand in his pocket and said, with an oath which I will not repeat, that he would shoot me, at the same time cocking the pistol, so that all around me could hear it click.” Listening to these horrors, ancient stories of Barbarism seem all outdone; and the “ viperbroth,” which was a favorite decoction in a barbarous age, seems to have become the daily drink of American Slave-masters. The blaspheming madness of the witches in Mad? <t beth, dancing round the cauldron, and drop- ilia ping into it “ sweltered venom sleeping got,” and every other “ charm of powerful trouble,” was all renewed. But Mr. Giddings, strong in avei ] the consciousness of right, knew the dignity of ] his position. He knew that it is honorable “ always to serve the cause of Liberty, and that ] it is a privilege to suffer for this cause. Re- « proach, contumely, violence even .unto death, jure are rewards, not punishments; and clearly the. ] indignities which you offer can excite no shame j “ except for their authors. P05 Besides these eminent instances, others may । 1 be mentioned, showing the personalities to I “ which Senators and Representatives have beetf^j exposed, when undertaking to speak for Free- 1 dom. And truth compels me to add, that there ma Sia ths foe sp< an vie toll ter wit the poi the pit is too much evidence that these have been aggravated by the circumstance that, where persons notoriously rejected an appeal to the Duel, such insults could be offered with impunity. Here is an instance. In 1848, Mr. Hale, thi Senator from New Hamp-hire, who still contin ues an honor to this body, introduced into ths Senate a bill for the protection of property ii the District of Columbia,, especially again^ mob-violence. In the course of the debate tha ensued, Mr. Foote, a Slave-master from Missis sippi, thus menaced him : “ I invite the Senator to the State of Mississippi, and wil tell him beforehand, in all honesty, that he could not go tet miles into the interior before he would grace one of the tall est trees of the forest with a rope around his neck, with th? ™. approbation of every virtuous and patriotic citizen, and thaL _ if necessary, I should myself assist in the operation." That this bloody threat may not seem to stand alone, I add two others. vo' Mr. Hammond, of South Carolina, now a Sen- ator, is reported as saying in the House of a“ Representatives: bai “ I warn the abolitionists, ignorant, infatuated barbarians as they are, that if chance shall throw any of them into our hands, they may expect a felon’s death I ” And in 1841, Mr. Payne, a Slave-master from Alabama, in the course of debate in the House of Representatives, alluding to the Abolitionists, among whom he insisted the Postmaster General ought to be included, declared that— “ He would put the brand of Cain upon them—yes, the mark of hell—and if they came to the South, he would hang them like dogs! ” Ch inc SCi vl un de - , « e And these words were applied to men whq . simply expressed the recorded sentiments of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin. aF Even during the present session of Congress, P 1 I find, in the Congressional Globe, the following interruptions of Mr. Lovejoy, when speaking on Slavery. I do not characterize them; but simply cite them : By Mr. Barksdale, of Mississippi: “ Order that black-hearted scoundrel and nigger-stealing thief to take his seat.” By Mr. Boyce, of South Carolina, addressing Mr. Lovejoy : “ Then behave yourself.” By Mr. G artbell, of Georgia, (in his seat:) ini sei Ca wl na thi an Tl WE SO
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