The Speech was published in the Albany Evening Journal Mar 20, 1860. I've compiled the best parts. I hope you like it.
In 1859 James Barnett was elected to legislature. In assembly on March 14, 1860 James gave a speech called "Personal Liberty for all men." The speech is about the Personal Liberty Bill. The goal of the bill was to nullify Fugitive Slave Act, which required people to turn any fugitive slave over to the law, even if the fugitive was found in a free state. The Personal Liberty Bill never passed.
James Barnett, a Religious Man
In his speech James talks about how the constitution is misinterpreted in regards to slavery. I think that all too often people look more to what would be appropriate constitutionally or based on public opinion than what God or one's own conscience would deem appropriate. One thing I like about James Barnett is his firm convictions and his desire to do what his conscience dictated and what God wanted him to do. He said, "I would respect constitutional law when it harmonizes with the divine law -with my convictions of justice and eternal right."
James speaks out against Fugitive Slave Act
He also speaks out against the fugitive slave act which allows men to enter into the free soil of New York to hunt down slaves like "human bloodhounds." He said, "...Do we owe any obedience to the Fugitive Slave Act? Can any man obey it without stifling his convictions of eternal right and justice?" He explains how barbarous the Fugitive slave act is. "By the provisions of that act the free citizens of this commonwealth, aye, sir, every man, woman, and child in this state, are commanded by the 'powers that be' in this land, to become 'slave hunters' -to stifle their convictions of right -to ignore their manhood -to shut out and suppress all the generous impulses of the human heart -to smother that sympathy which heaven has ordained in man, for his wronged and outraged and oppressed brother, and in their stead, to substitute the feelings of malevolence and hate; and on pain of fines and imprisonments, to refuse even the common offices of humanity in the way of food or shelter, or rest, to the famishing, panting, weary fugitive from oppression; as with imploring cries and uplifted hand, he begs of us for mercy. Sir, nothing more revolting -nothing more barbarous can be imagined."
James Barnett and the Underground Railroad
The community of Peterboro, NY as a whole, had part in the underground railroad. Some individuals were more involved than others. In his speech, James denies ever having anything to do with "enticing slaves to escape from their masters." I am not sure how much he participated in the underground railroad. He owned a mercantile business, so he must have had some means to be able to help. In his speech he made a statement that I consider bold and brave, where he admits that he would help fugitive slaves. This I believe he did, as I'm sure there were plenty of opportunities to do so in Peterboro. He said, "If a fugitive, in his manhood, whether from Austrian despotism, or from his southern prison house in America, comes to me in his flight, and is in need of food, and clothing, and shelter, and rest, and comfort, and protection, and means of further flight, so help me God, in my extremest peril, he shall have them all." To me James is confessing to do what all men and women on the underground railroad did for fugitive slaves: give food, clothing, shelter, rest, comfort, protection, and means of further flight.
James Barnett's compassion for the defenseless
James Barnett made logical, constitutionally based arguments against the Fugitive Slave Act, but he also made an appeal to the consciences of each man in assembly. He spoke of one of the provisions of the Personal Liberty which was to guarantee the right of trial by jury to fugitive slaves. "Now, sir, who is there here -what member on this floor, that will claim that any man made in the image of God -that any person however poor or degraded, be it even the most obscure and forsaken child on this continent, shall be denied this most precious constitutional guaranty?...Then let us pass this bill, sir, for the protection of the poor, the defenseless and him that hath no helper. -Until we are ready to give the utmost protection to the most defenseless, we can have no just sense of human rights, and are unworthy of that protection for ourselves which we deny to others."
"Shall human enactments shut up our bowels of mercies for the poor, and forbid the wellings of christian sympathy in the heart of man for his brother man? Impossible! -it cannot be. All such enactments must, and ever will be, but cobwebs, when coming in conflict with those irrepressible instincts planted by God in the breast of every man, which impels him to assert the principles and prerogatives of a higher law. Sir, man , everywhere the world over is destined for freedom. His march is irresistible. The only question is one of time. It must come. But wo! to that state or that nation who shall resist unto blood. If that day shall come, there must be a terrible reckoning for deep and damning wrong to this guilty nation."
"That state or that nation which refuses to protect the rights of the poorest of the poor, deserves itself to be enslaved -deserves itself to reap the bitter fruits of its own injustice; and as sure as 'God is just,' and as 'His justice shall not sleep forever,' this nation, unless repentant, will eve long reap those fruits."It seems to me that James Barnett feared and respected God and his laws more than the laws of men and the ideas of political parties. I wish I could believe that politicians of today made decisions based on principles of a higher divine law. I think they're more worried about what their political party might think than what their own conscience tells them to do. We need more men more men with "irrepressible instincts planted by God in their breast, which impels them to assert the principles and prerogatives of a higher law." We need more men like James Barnett.
Please take a minute to look at my other blogs.
Captain James Barnett (Jr.) 35th New York Volunteer Infantry
http://jamesbarnett.blogspot.com/
35th New York Volunteer Infantry Civil War
http://35thnewyorkinfantry.blogspot.com/
Biography of James Barnett (Sr.) -Father of Captain Barnett
http://senatorjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/
James Barnett (Sr.) Anti-Slavery, John Brown Meeting Peterboro, NY
http://johnbrownmeeting.blogspot.com/
James Barnett (Sr.) Battles for African American Man's Right to vote 1860 & 1867
http://africanamericansuffrage.blogspot.com/
James Barnett (Sr.) Speech -Prohibition of Alcohol
http://prohibitionofalcohol.blogspot.com/
Please e-mail me if you would like original copies of any of my references. Contact me if you have questions, suggestions, or more interest in something that I have posted at jamesbarnett1@hotmail.com
In 1859 James Barnett was elected to legislature. In assembly on March 14, 1860 James gave a speech called "Personal Liberty for all men." The speech is about the Personal Liberty Bill. The goal of the bill was to nullify Fugitive Slave Act, which required people to turn any fugitive slave over to the law, even if the fugitive was found in a free state. The Personal Liberty Bill never passed.
James Barnett, a Religious Man
In his speech James talks about how the constitution is misinterpreted in regards to slavery. I think that all too often people look more to what would be appropriate constitutionally or based on public opinion than what God or one's own conscience would deem appropriate. One thing I like about James Barnett is his firm convictions and his desire to do what his conscience dictated and what God wanted him to do. He said, "I would respect constitutional law when it harmonizes with the divine law -with my convictions of justice and eternal right."
James speaks out against Fugitive Slave Act
He also speaks out against the fugitive slave act which allows men to enter into the free soil of New York to hunt down slaves like "human bloodhounds." He said, "...Do we owe any obedience to the Fugitive Slave Act? Can any man obey it without stifling his convictions of eternal right and justice?" He explains how barbarous the Fugitive slave act is. "By the provisions of that act the free citizens of this commonwealth, aye, sir, every man, woman, and child in this state, are commanded by the 'powers that be' in this land, to become 'slave hunters' -to stifle their convictions of right -to ignore their manhood -to shut out and suppress all the generous impulses of the human heart -to smother that sympathy which heaven has ordained in man, for his wronged and outraged and oppressed brother, and in their stead, to substitute the feelings of malevolence and hate; and on pain of fines and imprisonments, to refuse even the common offices of humanity in the way of food or shelter, or rest, to the famishing, panting, weary fugitive from oppression; as with imploring cries and uplifted hand, he begs of us for mercy. Sir, nothing more revolting -nothing more barbarous can be imagined."
James Barnett and the Underground Railroad
The community of Peterboro, NY as a whole, had part in the underground railroad. Some individuals were more involved than others. In his speech, James denies ever having anything to do with "enticing slaves to escape from their masters." I am not sure how much he participated in the underground railroad. He owned a mercantile business, so he must have had some means to be able to help. In his speech he made a statement that I consider bold and brave, where he admits that he would help fugitive slaves. This I believe he did, as I'm sure there were plenty of opportunities to do so in Peterboro. He said, "If a fugitive, in his manhood, whether from Austrian despotism, or from his southern prison house in America, comes to me in his flight, and is in need of food, and clothing, and shelter, and rest, and comfort, and protection, and means of further flight, so help me God, in my extremest peril, he shall have them all." To me James is confessing to do what all men and women on the underground railroad did for fugitive slaves: give food, clothing, shelter, rest, comfort, protection, and means of further flight.
James Barnett's compassion for the defenseless
James Barnett made logical, constitutionally based arguments against the Fugitive Slave Act, but he also made an appeal to the consciences of each man in assembly. He spoke of one of the provisions of the Personal Liberty which was to guarantee the right of trial by jury to fugitive slaves. "Now, sir, who is there here -what member on this floor, that will claim that any man made in the image of God -that any person however poor or degraded, be it even the most obscure and forsaken child on this continent, shall be denied this most precious constitutional guaranty?...Then let us pass this bill, sir, for the protection of the poor, the defenseless and him that hath no helper. -Until we are ready to give the utmost protection to the most defenseless, we can have no just sense of human rights, and are unworthy of that protection for ourselves which we deny to others."
"Shall human enactments shut up our bowels of mercies for the poor, and forbid the wellings of christian sympathy in the heart of man for his brother man? Impossible! -it cannot be. All such enactments must, and ever will be, but cobwebs, when coming in conflict with those irrepressible instincts planted by God in the breast of every man, which impels him to assert the principles and prerogatives of a higher law. Sir, man , everywhere the world over is destined for freedom. His march is irresistible. The only question is one of time. It must come. But wo! to that state or that nation who shall resist unto blood. If that day shall come, there must be a terrible reckoning for deep and damning wrong to this guilty nation."
"That state or that nation which refuses to protect the rights of the poorest of the poor, deserves itself to be enslaved -deserves itself to reap the bitter fruits of its own injustice; and as sure as 'God is just,' and as 'His justice shall not sleep forever,' this nation, unless repentant, will eve long reap those fruits."It seems to me that James Barnett feared and respected God and his laws more than the laws of men and the ideas of political parties. I wish I could believe that politicians of today made decisions based on principles of a higher divine law. I think they're more worried about what their political party might think than what their own conscience tells them to do. We need more men more men with "irrepressible instincts planted by God in their breast, which impels them to assert the principles and prerogatives of a higher law." We need more men like James Barnett.
Please take a minute to look at my other blogs.
Captain James Barnett (Jr.) 35th New York Volunteer Infantry
http://jamesbarnett.blogspot.com/
35th New York Volunteer Infantry Civil War
http://35thnewyorkinfantry.blogspot.com/
Biography of James Barnett (Sr.) -Father of Captain Barnett
http://senatorjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/
James Barnett (Sr.) Anti-Slavery, John Brown Meeting Peterboro, NY
http://johnbrownmeeting.blogspot.com/
James Barnett (Sr.) Battles for African American Man's Right to vote 1860 & 1867
http://africanamericansuffrage.blogspot.com/
James Barnett (Sr.) Speech -Prohibition of Alcohol
http://prohibitionofalcohol.blogspot.com/
Please e-mail me if you would like original copies of any of my references. Contact me if you have questions, suggestions, or more interest in something that I have posted at jamesbarnett1@hotmail.com
