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Gov. Bagby's Message To The Legislature Of Alabama

Gov. Bagby's Message To The Legislature Of Alabama image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
September
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

J he following extract from this document 6hows how tho efforts of abolitionists are rogarded by tlio Southern patriarchs. It may serve as a Southern answer to the question 80 often asked at the Noith, "fFhat have y ou done?1' VVhen wc see regmarly organized focietics fór the avowed purpose nf itholishingslavcry, infesting considerable portions of our country, disseminating their pestilcntial doctrines in every direclion- when we seo American citizens, unmindful of all the obligations that ought to bind thotn to their country confedenuing with foreigners for the purpnse oCdisturbing rights ccured lo us by u compact vvhicli the Slates of the Union are parlies - when we see the halls of Congress flooded session lifter session, with pelitions usserting the light of Congress to ebolish slavery n the District of Colurnbia, (uo doubt uitli ihe view of extcnding the same principios to tho States, und to iuhii it the trullic in lae3 bctween the States, and importuning ihem to exerl ii) - when wo see the' question of aboliliou mude a test fur tho highest ofHcea in mnny of tho States - when llio Sinte Lsgiijlutuies ia their iiighest ropröfieiUiitivo capactty, ndopting resotions tlenouucitig siuvüiy us a politioal evil, and one thut ought io be alioüalicti - when we beluld the Lfgiülaturo of one Siaio, cnacting lawa giving to runuway laves ihe rigtu of trial by jury to decide upun the question of propeny in the said slave, and the trial to tako placo in thèj coninmnity wheie 6lavery is daily de- nounced as a curse, and slaveholdera de-! nounced as rnonster.s undtyrants; and tho! Governorofanoiher Siute rul'using to sur-j ronder persons charged with stealing! slavea when demanded by the proper au-! thority; when wc see thu two branches of; the Legislaturo of onoof the o'.dest States i in the Union pass a bilí through boih! houses of the General Assembly, legaliz -I ing inarriage bctween negroes and white! peojile, and tho country only saved frorn the disgracc by tho veto of the Governor,! when we buhuld, in various parta of thoiUnion, the professors ot' a puro and holyi religión, and the pretended disciplcs ófils divine and mmaculute Aulhor, declirring slavery a sin, which nehhcradmits of exlenuütion nor excuse, and thröwing iheir exortions into tho atream that throatens to overwhelmn us, by incitiug our slaves to acti of rebellion, insurrection and murder; it is time to awake from the slate of fancied security in which e have hitherto reposed. Acitherara the oxertions making in oiher countries calcutated to allay our apprehensious upon this subject. Within the present year, a convention, at which sotne Americana uriworthy of the name, were present as inembers, was holden in the metropolis of the British Empire, the ohject of which was the abolition oí negro slavery throughout the world. And the proceedings of ihis forcign convenlion, auning a fatal blow at tho righls and safe ty of one entiro section of the United States, has been heraiiiyd throiigh tho mail under the official frank of the représenlativesofa portion of the people ot' the United States. Pcrhaps it is iiot so remarkable that religious fanatics and pohtical zealots in England huddoring at the recollectioa of the horrors of tho Africau sluve-trade, which combined initspiactice the dreadful crimes of kidnapping, piracy and murder, and in which the Dulch Bind Engliüh were tho first, and bevond all compuriíon the greatest cffender?, ehould lio unxious to expíate their own sins by atleinpling to disturb tho relation of master and slaye in other ctuntrics; but it is greutly to bo regretled that auy portion of iho peo[)Io of this country should be so much under the iniluence of iheir ancient tyiiuinical mayters as to have fallen into the same unhappy óelusion.