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1 William Slade, Speech of Mr. Slade, of Vermont, on the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the District of Columbia: Delivered in the House of Representatives of the U.S., December 20, 1837 1 (1837)

handle is hein.slavery/spmsldvt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SPEECH OF MR. SLAOE9 OF VERt1NfONT, O. T1I0 ABOLITION OF SLAVERY ANt) THE SLAVE TRADE IN TIJE'DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF TIE U. a. DECEIBER 20, 1837. TO WI-HIC IS ADDED THE INTENDED CONCLUSION OF THE SEECII, SUPPRESSED BY RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE. The'question being on the motion iade by Mr. SLADE, Sir, I am astonished at this. I am amazed that a on the 18th of December, to refer to a select coin- question so deeply affectingthe honor of this nation, and mittee the memorial of Isaiah Stokes, and two hun- so strongly identified with the great principles of human dred and ninety-two other men, and Rachel Frank, fieedom, should be thus smothered by us; and espe- and three hundred and four other women, of Stacks- cially, when it is pressed upon our consideration in res- boro and its vicinity, o the State of Vermont. pray- pecthl memorials frotn the people who sent us here. ing for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in We sometimes talk about the sacred right of petition. the District of Coluombia: But what is it worth, if petitions and petioners may be Mr. SLADE said, that, as the memorial which he had thus disposed of? We may keep up the form of re- had the honor to present, contained merely a prayer for ceiving petitions; but it will be, to all practical purposes, the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the Dis- a mere mockery-a studied and cruel contempt of trict of Columbia, unaccompanied b9 argumentts in the interests and feelings of the people. its support, lie felt called on, as the representative of the Whose government is this ? And who are we? uiemorialists. to state, in their behalf, the grounds on Are we servants ? or are we masters ? Sir, the people, which he understood the prayer of the memorial to be of whom these petitioners form a part, made this gov- founded. eminent. It is theirs-not ours. They have constitu- Mr. S. said he approached this subject with great he- ted us their servants; and the powers with which we sitation and embarrassment. He felt admonished by are invested are given us for the due administration of every thing he saw around him, that it was exceedin- their government-in adjtLsting the poswers of which, Iy unpleasant to a large portion of the house. He had they have expressly reserved to themselves the right to seen at the present session, as on former occasions, a lay before us their petitions-that is, the right of telling manifest determination to suppress all debate upon it. us what they want. It had been treated as a prohibited subject-as one on And nov, shall we, the representatives and servants which it was unlawful to speak. Nothing would satis- of the people, tell them that their petitions shall not be fy a portion of the'ihouse, but silence-absolute silence so much as considered, or even read ? Can there be, both on the part of the people and their representa- in principle, a greater outrage on their rights than this ? trives. Not listen to and csider t1 reqnests of the pebplc It was not so, Mr. S. said, on other subjects. Our and that, too, with the constitution in our hands, ad cessions ar. opened by the appointment of numerous professions of regard for the people's rights continually committees, to whom are assigned various duties, cor- or our lips ? responding with the vast range of subjects within the Sir, we ought to stand confounded when we look at competency of our legislalion. The people send their this. I speak plainly, lint I speak truly. The whole petitions; their representatives rise in their places, from course ofor proceedings, touching the subject of slave- day to day, and present them. They are listened to r, durn the present congress, thus far, and duringthe and referred; and, thereupon, quietly pass to the up- wihole of the last, bears me out iii what I say. 1 propnate committees for examination. fearlessly appeal to this house, and to this nati6n, tor its But, atnong all the matters that concern the people justice'and its truth. whom we represent, there is one thing they must not And wvhat a contrast is exhibited between our course? even pray for. They must not pray that 7,000 human on this great question of slavery, and that of the gov- beings, who are, by the laws of the United States, held ernment of Great Britain on the same subject. Long, aspromsrty in this district, over which Congress has arr oa, did the ph lanthropis s of that country urge upon exclusive right to legisie, shall Cease to be thus holden, par~ianent their earnestremonosrances against the con- and be taken and deemed as men and woren, to all in- tinuance of the slave trade, and, afterwards, their peti- tents and purposes. For this, they omust not pray. It tions for the abolition of slaverv: and they urged them is true, we receive their petitions; but the moment it until they were successful. tt when was it heard, is discovered that they touch this subject they are laid during the whole of this time, that the hunble petitions on the table, and nailed there, quicker than I can de- of his majesty's subjects were laid upon the table, in scribe the operation. It is wonderful to observe its ra- contempt of their prayer, and with a determination not piditv. As soon as it is announced that there is any to consider them? Never-no, never. Sir, the blush thing aboutslavery and the slave trade in a petition, up of honest and manly indignation would have mantled starts a gentlem-J, over the way, and before he gets the cheeks of every member of the British parliament on his feet, the speaker anticipates his motion and upon z suggestion of doing what has been repeatedly announces it; and, forthwith, the petition is on the ta- done here. ble, and the nail driven ! This process has been re- Mr. WiE here interposed, and said, if he had under- peated so often, that it has come to work with the pre- stood the gentleman from Vermont, he had intimated 6sion of machinery, that there lad been some preconcert or understanding

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