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Whig Defence Of Slaveholding

Whig Defence Of Slaveholding image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
April
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The traneiUoQ from the delence of a ölavebolder to a defence of Slavery is a very eusy and natural one for Whigs. The Michigan Stafe Journal does not dttíy oar aliegation that Mr. CJay'n slaves are governod by tbe cartwhip. Il contains nearly two columns in justification of slavery. Ás a specimen, we üubjoin the following: "We are not sorry that Mr. Clny living a he does in Keniucky, is a slavebolder - we dare nol regret th the 50 black people on his plantution have a kind and benevoienl naaster, instead of a haren and cruel one. - We dare say tliey are far better treatcd than the majoriry or you, flonnng nbolitlonists and "democrats ,' treat your hired 6ervents. It is a common practico for many of these zealous friends ofother people's servants to impose an amount of drugery on their hired girls, that ihc niisiress of a Southern planter' s house wou ld hü ashamed to impuse upon her témale slaves. Mr. Clay, we are told "robs his laborers of iheir wages'' All fiidge. Mr. Clay labored with all his mighl to prevent the establishment of slavery in Kentecky. He failed - Under t he organic law of the State,over which hehas no controal, he finds some 200,000 people owing service to otbers, and those others to the said 200 000 black people, food, clothing, shelter and care in sickness andinfancy and oíd age. Their mutual relations are fixnd by law . Some 50 of these people prefer Mr. Clay to any other man for their master. Theyare proud f o be hia people.- They bave au interest in the farm; perhaps thay cali it 'Massa Clay's farm,' bul they are stue of their phare of na produce. If Cuffie works for Clay at the plow'or the spade, Clay works for Cuffie in some other way, and, they araservants of one another.'The editor then proceeds to ehow that the relatioii of master and slave i? often a christinn relation, ond circumstances frequently arise whicli render it "a christian duty of a good man lo purchase a slave." Our paper is fuiJ, and we have no space for comment on this out-and-out defencc of Slavery, and its barefacedness renders it the less neceesary. W'ill the assertion go down with the moral and religieus readers of that paper that in certain circumstances the relation of master and slave, 'is a far more Chrisiian relalion than that of emplorer and hireling," and that the allegalion ihat Mr. Clay robs his laborers of their wages ie "All Füdgb," thus jiistifying his course as a slaveholder? We think not. It will receive their reprobation. - It may not be iraproper to state that this justification of elavery is attributed to Mr. Corselius, from whom belter things might be expected. The Whig Editor who advocates buying and slaveholding as right in itself and as a christian duty, should have all the credit which such doctrines can proeme foi him. He is, of course, according to his own principies, a slaveholc'er at hcart, and under different circumstances, could have no scruples in owning property in hia fellow men. - We suspect, however, that if he himself was compelled to work for life on 'Massa Clay 's farm," in abject ignorance, under whip government, without wages, as Mr. Clay'e laves are, he would not cry out, "AUFudgeP' when freecom, education, and wages were ofiercd him.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News