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Giddings, Joshua Reed : Privileges of Members of Congress. Speech of Mr. Giddings, of Ohio, On the Resolution of Mr. Palfrey to inquire whether the Members of Congress had been threatened by a lawless Mob. Delivered in the House of Representatives of the United States, April 25, 1848

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

Original publisher's beige paper wrappers. Text printed in black ink. No date, circa 1848. 5 3/4" x 9." Fifteen pages, complete. Pages are clean and intact except for light age toning throughout, small occasional spots of foxing or discoloration on rest of pamphlet, and moderate chipping and splitting along spine. A Very Good copy. A speech that was originally delivered before the United States House of Representatives on April 25, 1848 by Joshua Reed Giddings (1795-1864), an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1838-1859. He changed party affiliations over the course of his career. He was a Democratic-Republican, Whig, Free Soiler, member of the Opposition Party, and founding member of the Republican Party. Giddings was one of the leading abolitionists of his time. Most of this speech his forwarding of the abolitionist cause, but he also addresses the Pearl incident, the largest recorded nonviolent attempted escape by slaves in U.S. history, and its aftermath. On April 15, 1848, seventy-seven slaves had attempted to escape Washington, D.C. aboard a schooner, The Pearl. Two days later, The Pearl was captured on Chesapeake Bay. Most of the slaves were sold by their slaveholders to Southern slave markets as punishment. When The Pearl and the recaptured slaves were brought back to D.C., slave traders and other supporters of slavery convened in an angry mob, and riots broke out in D.C. for three days. The mob attempted to destroy the newspaper office of Gamaliel Bailey, the publisher of New Era, an anti-slavery newspaper located on 7th Street in D.C., but police held the mob off. Giddings gives his own account of the riots in D.C. He defends his political beliefs amid threats to his reputation and life and makes several arguments in favor of abolition. Giddings begins his address by ardently defending his reputation. For example, he counters that he did not say he wanted to unconstitutionally infringe upon Southern states' rights as had been charged by some of his Southern colleagues. Giddings then describes what happened when he visited a D.C. prison where some of the slaves from The Pearl were held. He says the angry mob had surrounded the prison but that he managed to escape without injury. He also describes the attack on Bailey's newspaper office. At the center of the speech is the resolution introduced by Congressman John Palfrey which began the inquiry into the D.C. riots and related threats to Congressmen. Several Southern Congressmen had expressed opposition to it. In one part of the speech, Giddings decries their behavior and references the Pearl incident, "This was done upon that principle of slaveholding ethics, which teaches that if the captain and crew of the schooner 'Pearl' had assisted slaves to escape from this District, it would be just and proper for slaveholders to destroy the newspaper press of this city, and threaten violence to members of this body." He proceeds to describe the plight of the slaves when they were recaptured and vehemently denounces Hope H. Slatter, a slave trader. Giddings also lambastes past censuring of his speech and argues that his freedom of speech was infringed upon. Giddings then clearly voices his hope that slaves will regain their basic rights and freedoms. Congressman John Gayle of Alabama interjects and says he does not use the lash on his slaves and that they fear abolitionists. However, Giddings contends that this is only evidence of how slavery twists the minds of slaves into loving bondage and fearing freedom. Giddings also criticizes Congressman Venable, a Presbyterian slaveholder, and says that slavery is incompatible with Christianity. Towards the end of his address, Giddings questions why Southern Congressmen uphold slavery when it opposes the Declaration of Independence and the political beliefs of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.. Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Soft cover

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