STRIKE, BUT HEAR": ATTEMPT TO DISCUSS THE FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL. Remarks in the Senate, on taking up the Reso- lution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to report a Bill PAGE 73 TRIBUTE TO ROBERT RANTOUL, JR. Speech in the Senate, on the Death of Hon. Robert Rantoul, Jr., August 9, 1852 AUTHORSHIP OF THE ORDINANCE OF FREEDOM IN THE NORTH- WEST TERRITORY. Letter to Hon. Edward Coles, August 23, 1852 83 FREEDOM NATIONAL, SLAVERY SECTIONAL. Speech in the Senate, on a Motion to repeal the Fugitive Slave Act, August 26, 1852 ANDREW J. DOWNING, THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER. Speech in the Senate, in Favor of an Allowance to the Widow of the late THE PARTY OF FREEDOM: ITS NECESSITY AND PRACTICABILITY. Speech at the State Convention of the Free-Soil Party of Massa- CIVIL SUPERINTENDENTS OF ARMORIES. Speech in the Senate, on the Proposition to change the Superintendents of Armories, Feb- AGAINST SECRECY IN PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE. Speech in the Senate, on the Proposition to limit the Secret Sessions of the POWERS OF THE STATE OVER THE MILITIA: EXEMPTIONS FOR POWERS OF THE STATE OVER THE MILITIA: COLORED COMPANIES. Speech in Convention to revise and amend the Constitution of THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM, AND ITS PROPER BASIS. Speech on the Proposition to amend the Basis of the House of Represen- tatives of Massachusetts, in the Convention to revise and amend BILLS OF RIGHTS: THEIR HISTORY AND POLICY. Speech on the Report from the Committee on the Bill of Rights, in the Conven- tion to revise and amend the Constitution of Massachusetts, July FINGER-POINT FROM PLYMOUTH ROCK. Speech at the Plymouth Festival in Commemoration of the Embarkation of the Pilgrims, 229 258 269 IRELAND AND IRISHMEN. Letter to à Committee of Irish-born Citi- 276 THE LANDMARK OF FREEDOM: No REPEAL OF THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE. Speech in the Senate, against the Repeal of the Missouri Prohibition of Slavery north of 36° 30' in the Nebraska 333 FINAL PROTEST, FOR HIMSELF AND THE CLERGY OF NEW ENG- LAND, AGAINST SLAVERY IN NEBRASKA AND KANSAS. Speech in the Senate, on the Night of the Final Passage of the Nebraska BOSTON PETITION FOR THE REPEAL OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT. Speech in the Senate, on the Boston Petition for the Re- REPLY TO ASSAILANTS: OATH TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION; WEAKNESS OF THE SOUTH FROM SLAVERY. Second Speech in the Senate on the Boston Petition for the Repeal of the Fugitive 353 355 368 424 NO PENSION FOR SERVICE IN SUPPORT OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT. Minority Report to the Senate of the United States, on the Bill granting to the Widow of James Batchelder a Provision for THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT TO BE DISOBEYED. mittee at Syracuse, New York, September 28, 1854 POSITION AND DUTIES OF THE MERCHANT, ILLUSTRATED BY THE LIFE OF GRANVILLE SHARP. Address before the Mercantile Library Association of Boston, on the Evening of November 13, 1854. WAGES OF SEAMEN IN CASE OF WRECK. Speech in the Senate, on introducing a Bill to secure Wages to Seamen in Case of Wreck, . 479 WELCOME TO KOSSUTH. SPEECH IN THE SENATE, DECEMBER 10, 1851. MR. SUMNER'S credentials as Senator were presented at the opening of the 32d Congress, December 1, 1851, when he took the oath of office. Among those who took the oath on the same day were Hon. Benjamin F. Wade, of Ohio, Hon. Hamilton Fish, of New York, and Hon. Stephen R. Mallory, of Florida, afterward Secretary of the Navy in the Rebel Government. The seat of the last was contested, and the question on his reception drew forth Mr. Clay, who was present for the last time in the Senate. Though living till June, he never again appeared in the Chamber. On the arrangement of the Committees, Mr. Sumner found himself at the bottom of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims and the Committee on Roads and Canals. On the first day of the session a joint resolution was announced by Mr. Foote, of Mississippi, providing for the reception and entertainment of Louis Kossuth, the recent head of the revolutionary government in Hungary. Governor Kossuth, having escaped from Hungary, had found refuge in Turkey, where he was received on board one of our ships of war. After an interesting visit in England, where he addressed large public audiences with singular power and eloquence, he arrived in New York. Interest in the cause which he so ably represented, and personal sympathy with the exile, quickened by his genius, found universal expression in the country; but there was a protracted debate in the Senate before the vote was taken. The debate proceeded on a resolution introduced by Mr. Seward, December 8th, as follows: "Resolved, &c., That the Congress of the United States, in the name and behalf of the people of the United States, give to Louis Kossuth a cordial welcome to the capital and to the country and that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to him by the President of the United States." On the same day, Mr. Shields, of Illinois, introduced a resolution in the following terms: VOL. III. 1 A "Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by the Chair to wait on Louis Kossuth, Governor of Hungary, and introduce him to the Senate." December 9th, Mr. Berrien, of Georgia, addressed the Senate at length in opposition to action by Congress, and, in closing his speech, moved the following amendment: "And be it further Resolved, That the welcome thus afforded to Louis Kossuth be extended to his associates who have landed on our shores; but while welcoming these Hungarian patriots to an asylum in our country, and to the protection which our laws do and always will afford to them, it is due to candor to declare that it is not the purpose of Congress to depart from the settled policy of this Government, which forbids all interference with the domestic concerns of other nations." The final question was not reached till December 12th, when the amendment of Mr. Berrien was rejected: yeas 15, nays 26. The question then recurred on the resolution of Mr. Seward, which was adopted : yeas 33, nays 6. The resolution passed the House of Representatives, and was signed by the President. On the 10th of December Mr. Sumner spoke. It was his first speech in the Senate. He rose to speak late in the afternoon of the day before, but gave way to an adjournment, which was moved by Mr. Rusk, of Texas. The next day, on motion of Mr. Seward, the Senate proceeded to the consideration of the resolution, when Mr. Sumner took the floor. The following characteristic letter from Mr. Choate, one of his predecessors as Senator from Massachusetts, illustrates the reception of the speech in the country, besides being a souvenir of friendly relations amidst political differences. "MY DEAR MR. SUMNER, "BOSTON, December 29, 1851. "I thank you for the copy of your beautiful speech, and for the mak ing of it. All men say it was a successful one, parliamentarily express ing it; and I am sure it is sound and safe, steering skilfully between cold-shoulderism and inhospitality, on the one side, and the splendid folly and wickedness of cooperation, on the other. Cover the Magyar with flowers, lave him with perfumes, serenade him with eloquence, and let him go home alone, if he will not live here. Such is all that is permitted to wise states, aspiring to the True Grandeur.' "I wish to Heaven you would write me de rebus Congressus. How does the Senate strike you? The best place this day on earth for reasoned and thoughtful, yet stimulant public speech. Think of that. "Most truly yours - in the Union, — "RUFUS CHOATE." |