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Clingman, Thomas Lanier : Speech of T. L. Clingman, of North Carolina, on the Political Aspect of the Slave Question. Delivered in the House of Representatives of the United States, December 22d, 1847

J. & G. S. Gideon, printers., Washington, D.C.

Original publisher's beige paper wrappers. Text printed in black ink. No date, circa 1847. 5 3/4" x 9." Sixteen pages, complete. Pages are clean and intact overall but have moderate age toning, a brown stain measuring about 3/4" x 5 1/2" in upper corner of fore-edge throughout, small spots of foxing throughout, a closed tear measuring about 1" from bottom edge (only affects a part of the publisher's or printer's information), and slight chipping and splitting along spine. One section on Page 7 has upturned printed text whose words should read, "domestic" and "constitution," respectively. A Good copy. A speech that was originally delivered before the United States House of Representatives on December 22, 1847 by Thomas Lanier Clingman (1812-1897), an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina from 1843-1845 and 1847-1858 and a U.S. Senator from North Carolina from 1858-1861. During his political career, Clingman was first elected as a Whig but later changed to a Democrat. He was a Confederate States general in the Civil War. Please note: Much of Clingman's speech contains racist arguments in which he tries to prove the superiority of the white race over people of color. Clingman's speech begins as a relatively measured analysis of constitutional law in which he examines whether or not the Constitution has the right to establish or ban slavery in U.S. territories. He appears to state, at first, that the Constitution has neither the right to establish nor to ban slavery in U.S. However, beginning on about Page 7, Clingman uses anecdotes and past legislation, such as the Missouri Compromise and 3/5 voting rule, as a way to defend his discriminatory beliefs about black people and other people of color. For example, he believes that "Providence" has given white people the duty to keep black people as slaves and references how various ancient civilizations and, more recently, the Thirteen Colonies, permitted slavery. Clingman argues that even Northerners would object to black people having the right to vote and portrays abolitionists as unintelligent fanatics. He also argues that black people have intellect so inferior they cannot handle freedom or the right to vote. He uses the emancipation of slaves in the West Indies as an anecdotal example to (erroneously) reason that black people are not fit to govern as well as a host of other examples of white conquest (including the British colonization of India and genocide of Indigenous Peoples in the U.S.). He ultimately states that his position is to side with the Southern states and the white race.. Book. Book Condition: Good. Binding: Soft cover

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