March
3, 1843, Broadside
Election Next Monday for Representative to Congress
The Farmer's, Fisherman's and Freeman's Candidate
HON. DANIEL P. KING of
Danvers.
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1843 - Certain resolves had come in from the
Legislature of Massachusetts, proposing an amendment of the Constitution, that
would base representation on free persons alone, thereby striking out the
element that gave preponderance to the Slave states, by virtue of the provision
counting three-fifths of the slaves.
Daniel King wrote, “Speaking of the resolves, I stated that the
petitions on which they were founded were signed by sixty thousand freemen of
Massachusetts. A Southern member, interrupting, put inquiries to this effect -
whether those petitions had not been signed, and the form of their heading
prepared, by a runaway slave from Virginia?
“I presume the petition was signed by freedmen only, for in
Massachusetts they have no slaves, but every man, created in the image of his
Maker,” I replied.
At this point, shouts of 'order', 'order', in loud and angry tones
resounded through the hall, but I did not hear them. I did not heed them.
Raising my voice to the full volume and height of which it was capable, in tones
distinctly audible above the uproar, my remarks concluded with the sentence,
'owes allegiance to Him alone.'
The Speaker declared me out of order. My colleagues told me that I
managed to shame down the excitement with a manly bearing., and thus I continued
my speech. I am hopeful the members of Congress will no longer think of me as a
youthful member with a modest, quiet and gentle bearing.”[1]
In May, King introduced and carried an amendment to the Navy
appropriation bill to prohibit spirit rations and to allow the substituting of
their value in money. He also introduced a resolution to complete the
breakwater at Sandy Bay in Rockport.[2]
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