Page:The Barbarism of Slavery - Sumner - 1863.pdf/63

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saying: " If

it

this floor that

I should answer

And

came from another

quarter,

it

would not

be

upon

it"

then, during the present session, the Senator

from Mis-

who

speaks so often for Slavery, in a colloquy on this floor with the Senator from Vermont, [Mr. Collamer,] has maintained the Duel as a mode of settling personal sissippi,

[Mr. Davis,]

and vindicating what is called personal honor as if personal honor did not depend absolutely upon what a man "A gentleman," says the does, .and not what is done to him. " insult, an Senator, has the right to give if he feels himself bound from Vermont, he the Senator in reply to to answer for it;" and out and shooting another taking insult, of declared, that in case differences,

him might be



" satisfaction."

I do not dwell on this instance, nor on any of these instances,

make a single comment. These declarations have all in open Senate, without any check from the Chair. made been Of course, they are clear violations of the first principles of except to

Parliamentary Law, and tend directly to provoke a violation of the law of the land. All duels are prohibited by solemn act of (See Statutes at Large, vol. 5, page 318, February Congress.

In case of death, the surviving parties are declared to be punished by hard labor in the penitentiary; and, even where nothing has occurred beyond the challenge, all the parties to it, whether givers or receivers, are declared guilty of high crime and misdemeanor, also to be punished by hard labor in the penitentiary. Of course, every

20, 1839.)

guilty of felony,

menace of a duel

in Congress sets this

yet the Senators,

who

by

law

at defiance.

And

thus openly disregard a law sanctioned

the Constitution and

commended by

morality, presume to

complain on this floor because other Senators disregard the Fugitive Slave Bill, a statute which, according to the profound convictions of large numbers, is as unconstitutional as it is offensive to the moral sense. Let Senators who are so clamorous for "the enforcement of laws," begin by enforcing the statute

which declares the Duel to be a felony. At least, let the statute cease to be a dead letter in this Chamber. But this is too much to expect while Slavery prevails here, for the Duel is a part of

System of Violence which has its origin in Slavery. But it is when aroused by the Slave question in Congress that Slave-masters have most truly shown themselves; and here

that