She told me that she made me for the lat-
ter, and all my life long no one of that class
of men has failed to see in my acts that I was
answering her purpose, or had asked such a
foolish question as that asked by the member
from Prince George's. She further told me
to beware of men wise in their own conceit,
and that Solomon says there was more hope
for a fool than for him; that I could always
know them by their efforts to cry down their
superiors; they would preach State-rightism,
and they would be most ungrateful to those
on whom they were most dependent.
He charges me with having an unyielding
will of my own, and determined to have alt
things my own way. Sir, he never made a
greater mistake. I have no will of my own
in the matters before this Convention, except
that of an humble individual; but it is the
will and bidding of my constituents. They
have sent me here to do certain work for them.
It is a work that they have fully considered
and discussed for the last three years. They
have made up their minds what they deter-
mined to have done, and have sent me here
with positive orders to do it, and I will obey.
He claims to be my peer. He may be so
legally, but in fact, I deny it. My colleagues
and myself are here each representing nearly
18,000 white inhabitants of this State, while
he and his colleagues represent less than 2,500
each, and many of them of doubtful loyalty.
He my peer? No, sir !
His taunt upon the State that gave me birth,
(Massachusetts, ) was so fully answered by the
honorable gentleman from Cecil, (Mr, Scott,)
that I will leave it with him and his own con-
science to settle.
Now, sir, I would have gladly left him here
had he not attacked my private character by
calling me a "Mormon." That to me is the
most detestable of all names, always excepting
that of traitor. It is, in fact, calling me a
traitor to my family. With me, sir, my God
is first, my country next, and then my family
I am no traitor to either. Can the member
from Prince George's say as much? The last
census returns tell us that the community
in which he lives, the constituency which he
represents here, are largely more than one
half African slaves, held in bondage to the
few white ones, and by them denied the mar
riage or family rights that are enjoyed by a
tree people; and, sir, how far Mormonism is
practiced by him and his constituents I leave
their yellow skins to answer. Mother Nature
told me she had written it there, and I tell
him to go and read for himself.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. In the re
marks I submitted a few days ago, I expressly
stated to this Convention at the outset, that
any personal allusions I might make to any
gentleman upon the floor were not intended
as personal. I thought it was understood on
all sides that all the personal allusions I mad
on that occasion were entirely playful; and.
35 |
they would be understood by all sensible men
to be nothing but playful allusions. The
gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr. Abbott)
seems lo have become offended at some of my
remarks,
Mr, ABBOTT. Not at all; I beg pardon.
Mr. BERRY, continuing. He seems to have
become offended, and his ire has been so much
stirred up against me that he proposes to make
himself the Solomon to teach me wisdom.
Now. let me tell him that with all his accu-
mulated wisdom, his conclusions areas false
as hell itself, and many of his references to me
and my constituency are just as false. He
supposed that I desired to be a wit; and he
became very familiar with Pope in his carri-
cature of witticism. Let me tell the gentleman
I am not like him; I never aspire to be any-
thin"' but what I am; and what I am I dare
to be in the presence of that gentleman or any-
body else. He speaks of my representing a
county where the principal portion of the
population are negro slaves. They were ne-
gro slaves. That was the fact at the time
that census was taken; and it would be so
now if it had not been for the roguery that
has been practiced upon us by the party with
which the gentleman is connected.
The gentleman also spoke of the doubtful
loyalty of the people of my county. Let me
tell the gentleman that he does not know the
people of my county; and he studies human
nature very little to form the conclusions he
has as to himself. He knows as little about
my county as he does about human nature. I
tell him that if he or any other man says that
secession prevails in my county, his conclu-
sions are false; and I am here to defend that
county against all such aspersions.
I want the gentleman now to understand,
now and for all time to come, that if I pur-
posed offending any gentleman, which I do
nut purpose ever to do, unless it becomes ne-
cessary and is forced upon me, I will show
him in terms so unmistakable my intention
that be need not go very far to interpret
them.
I will leave the gentleman, folded in the
arms of wisdom, the Solomon of this Con-
vention. Let him look to Baltimore city,
where I think he will find about as many yel-
low skins as he finds at any other place. I do
not think he will find as many in Prince
George's county. I do not know how near
the location of the gentleman he may find a
great number. Their paternity I do not mean
to attribute to him.
I want the gentleman to understand me and
my position here. I would like to ask the
gentleman under what obligations I am to
him. He speaks as if he had the direction of
my life; as if he could control me, imprison
me, enslave me, while I was ungrateful for
the courtesies extended to me. I ask no favors
at his hands, or at the hands of any other
man. I dare do anything that doth become |
