Monday, October 7, 2013

Fueling the Fire



Many argue that the two most controversial provisions in the Compromise of 1850 were the strengthened Fugitive Slave Act and popular sovereignty in the western territories.  Not surprisingly, both of these issues caused heated controversy almost immediately after the compromise. 

What do you make of Chase's argument about the Fugitive Slave Act?  Was it moral/emotional, or was he focused more on political logic?  

What is your personal reaction to the Jane Johnson piece?  What is interesting about the wording of the title?

Why is Sumner's piece so full of innuendo?  Why is Kansas a virgin, Butler a "chivalrous knight," and slavery a harlot?


p.s. Yes, I realize I scanned the Sumner piece with my handwriting all over it--apologies.

9 comments:

  1. I would like to make of Chase's argument about the Fugitive Slave Act as giving the understandable reasons why slavery existed. He focused more on political logic because he highlighted that people who support slavery or hold slaves because they are people who stand in the view of their sections. Slavery is more like a sectional problem, but as a whole country, it should not be a national issue because every section has its reasons why having slavery.
    My personal reaction to the Jane Johnson piece is that I see how different the two sides were and how a slave was desiring freedom but she was also telling herself that she couldn't. After she joined in freedom, she was treated totally different from what she was used to be treated before (of course much kinder), the wording of the title was actually kind of fun because the word "RESCUE" is actually refer to protect important people, but rescue a slave seems very strange at that period because a slave shouldn't be rescued because they are not "important people", I think that actually expressed the changing position of a slave after she embraced freedom.
    There are a lot of parts of innuendo in Sumner's piece because Sumner wanted to convince that Kansas should stay out of slavery and remain electoral franchise of it. I think he described Kansas a "virgin" because Kansas was a place where people could start a new life and it was clean, but the treaty definitely "harassed" Kansas just like raping a virgin. He described Butler a "chivalrous knight" because a knight like that always believe that what he did is moral, gracious, and correct. And he described slavery as "harlot" because slavey is the point that Butler wanted to push to stain Kansas the "virgin".

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  2. After reading about Salmon P. Chase and his opinions on slavery I believe he spoke with both emotion and political innuendo. Chase, having grown up in the North had Northern ideologies deep within himself. Chase believed that, “extreme care [was] [taken] to exclude these ideas from the constitution,” these ideas he refers to are slavery. The title of Jane Johnson’s piece, “The Rescue of a Slave,” seems wrong to me. She was not rescued, merely given the rights of freedom that she deserved because she was a human being. I believe that Kansas is called a virgin because it is territory that has not been conquered yet and it, “compell[ed] it to the hateful embrace of slavery.” Butler is referred to as the chivalrous knight because he thinks of himself as, “ a chivalrous knight, with sentiments of honor and courage.” Slavery is referred to as a harlot because, “though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight.”

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  3. Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873) was a U.S. senator, governor of Ohio and Supreme Court chief justice who served as the U.S. secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War (1861-65). A staunch abolitionist, Chase spent his early career as a lawyer and became known as “the attorney general for fugitive slaves” for his frequent defenses of runaway blacks. The title of Jane Johnson's piece, "The Rescue of a slave," seems wrong to me because she was not rescued and because she was not given the rights and freedom she deserved. She was a human being like everyone else. I believe that Kansas is called a virgin because he thinks of himself as a chivalrous knight. He thinks he has honor and courage. Finally slavery is referred to as a harlot because when I read the part Mocking the South Carolina senator's stance as a man of chivalry, the Massachusetts senator charged him with taking "a mistress . . . who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight—I mean," added Sumner, "the harlot, Slavery" this is what I picked up.

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  4. Solomon Chases argument argues that slavery should be decided by the people not by congress. He uses more political logic because he references to the constitution numerous times and says that no where in the constitution does it mention slave or slavery. I liked the story of Jane Johnson because she didn't listen to what her master said and told other colored people she was a slave and wanted to be free and just so happened to talk to the right person to make that happen. I thought the tittle was funny because she shouldn't have been rescued in the first place because she's a human being and deserves the same rights as another person. Kansas was referred to as virgin because it was a new territory whose population wasn't more pro or anti slavery. Butler was described as a chivalrous knight because he was a gentleman and always did what was morally right. Slavery was considered the harlot because Butler wanted virgin Kansas to remain a virgin and not be corrupted by the issue of slavery

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  5. After the readings, P. Chase seemed very biased because of his background. He grew up in the North, so he was raised with specific ideologies. He claimed that there was great thought when writing the constitution in order to keep the acknowledgement of slavery out. This was done because it is a very "touchy" subject with many opinions. And despite the founding fathers talking about freedom, they themselves owned slaved and probably did not want to give theirs up for they were useful. Jane Johnson's reception of freedoms was what she referred to as rescuing. She was not actually rescued by anyone, but she was given what she deserved so she considered that to be her savior. She was considered equal with everyone else, which was considered a rescuing for her time.

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  6. I believe that Salmon P. Chases arguments were provoked by emotional and moral callings. To back up or strengthen his argument he used political weapons. His number one weapon was the words of the Constitution. His arguments made sense in a way of arguing that slavery is not right no matter what the need for it, even if apart of our country needs it to "thrive" as he states on the first page, "instead of slavery being regarded as a curse, a reproach, a blight, an evil, a wrong, a sin, we are now told that it is the most stable foundation of our institutions." Jane Johnson's piece was interesting because it is a story about how a gentleman gave her her freedom, so that she can return the favor and grant him his freedom from jail. The title is ironic, due to the fact that the roles are reverse in a sense.

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  7. Salmon P. Chases argument were more rooted in political logic; Chase was able to use documents as fundamental as the Constitution of the United States to support his argument and show the lack of support slavery has from any other credible document. During this time the Constitution really was the law of the land and politicians tried to legislate accordingly so it would be crazy to have products as a result of opposite ideologies of the Constitution. It is so full of innuendo to draw more attention to the point being made. Kentucky is a virgin in respects to slavery and it being an unconquered territory. Butler was a chivalrous knight, representing what a true gentleman should be, a man of courage, honor, and and bravery, Slavery is a harlot, being the thing that corrupts the un-corrupted and could defile the virginity of a state like Kentucky.

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  8. After reading I believe that Chase's argument was mostly for a political idea. His speech was also very emotional and strong because he accounts for the fugitive slave act. Jane Johnson's piece "The Rescue of a Slave," was brave and worthy of her to go against her master and talked to the other "colored" people around her. She technically saved herself with the help of others, because she talked to the right person to help her become free. The title is interesting because it is sort of ironic, slaves are not meant to be rescued. Sumner's piece I think went against the norm, he spoke out in a more aggressive tone towards the people, but also related it to what people care about.

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  9. Salmon P. Chase was a pure breed Northerner which made him biased in his work because of his upbringing. Salmon was not very keen on the subject about slavery. He felt that individuals had right to decide whether or not slavery should be abolished and not the government. Jane Johnson was a slave and wanted to be free fro her master. Later on she eventually did become free. I think the title fits with the story because Jane was black she had to work harder to get the same equal rights a as a white man which should not be so because everyone no matter what race deserves the same right as themselves. Kansas was called a virgin state because it was new territory and it was not decided if it would be a slave state or not.

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