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Mr. Giddings' Speech

Mr. Giddings' Speech image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
May
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We commence, today, the publication of this valuable document. It is one of those productions which tell effectually upon the thinking part of community. He takes his positions, and substantiates each one by undeniable facts. Mr. Giddings deserves well of his country for bringing to light hidden enquiries of this Florida war. The Editor of the Emancipator, who was present, gives the folIowing account of its effect on the House: "This speech, which look nearly three hours in the delivery, was carried through by Mr. Giddings with the most perfect calmness and self-possession, although the House was all the time agitated like the waves of the sea. Every position was sustained by an appeal to the documents of the government, by volume and page, and the passages referred to, read and explained, so as to leave no room for mistake. The members gathered thick around him, some to sustain him by their countenance, and others to intimidate him by their frowns. Mr. Adams came across the hall, and stood for a while in the open area before the Speaker, and took a seat as near as possible to Mr. G., his whole countenance glowing with the interest he took in the proceeding. In giving tho above meagre sketch of some of the principle points of the speech, I have omitted to notice in their places the numerous interruptions to which he was subjected by the southern members. The Georgia men in particular, seemed to be in agony. Besides the instance of Mr. Warren, Mr. Habersham thrice rose to order. He first called him to order for relevancy. The chair ruled that the remarks were not irrelevant. Mr. G. went on, and soon Mr. H. called to order again, not only on the ground of irrelevancy, but because it was introducing a subject and cause of remark which was to compel the southern members, and particularly those from Georgia, to reply. The chair decided that this was not a sufficient reason why he should be stopped, because if he went on, gentlemen would wish to reply. Pretty soon he rose again, and begged Mr. G. to read his amendment. Mr. G. calmly replied that he should read it in proper time, of which he was the judge. Mr. Campbell, of S. C. called for the reading of the 21st rule - THE GAG - which was read. He then insisted that Mr. Giddings was violating the spirit and intention of that rule, which was designed to preclude all debate whatever, on the subject of slavery. The chair was of the opinion that the gentleman from Ohio had not as yet transcended the terms of the rule, but admonished him that slavery or abolition was not in order as a subject of discussion. - Mr. G. said he understood that very well, and should keep entirely within the rules of the House. Mr. Black, of Georgia, made some very violent remarks in interruption. Mr. Campbell insisted that it was a mere abolition speech, and destroyed the effect of the 21st rule, which was designed to preserve the peace and harmony of the House (!) The chair said he was not at liberty to impute any such motives to the gentleman from Ohio, in the face of his own avowal, that his sole object was to show the causes of the Florida war in order to effect its termination. - Mr. Campbell said, if the motive of the gentleman was not obvious to the chair, he had no more to say. The chairman said that whatever might be his private opinion on the matter, he was not at liberty, in that place, to ascribe any motives to gentlemen contrary to their own avowal. Campbell. Has not the gentleman assailed the institution of slavery? Chair. The gentleman from Ohio will be careful not to transcend the rules of the House. - He will proceed. And so it went on. - Numerous gentlemen went up to the chair, apparently to urge plans or means for arresting the speech, but none could avail, the gentleman from Ohio had examined his ground too carefully to make a mistake, and they were obliged to let him go through."