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Humanity In Maryland

Humanity In Maryland image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
December
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Charles T. Torrey writes from his jai! n Baltimore the following instances of slaveholding oppression: "A colóred man, poor, free, of good character, belonging in Frederick county, Md., went into Pennsylvania yith a drove of cattle, and was gone more than the legal twènty days. On bis return, two misereante, utterly worthless in purse and character, but wfíh whílish faces, complained pf'him, got hiin in Jai], and in various ways contrived to run up the bilí oí üne and costs to over $70. For this he was sold as a slavefor Ufe, purchased by a slave-trader in this city, (Slatter, I think,) and sent to the far South. It was this summer. Another case: A certain Dr. D s, ot Hovard district, sent to this jail an oíd black man, his wife, a light mulatto woraan, and her f our little children, all whiLer than their mother! Twö of them, the.woman said, were her master's. The riusband said they all were. No doubt of it. They have since been sold to the slave- traders. Such oceurrences are by no means unusual here. Yet the Chiusttans of Baltimore never know any thing about them, when you ask; in truth, it would be incredible news to nine-tenths of the better sort of people of this city, that from two to four thousand slaves are every year sold, in their midst, including at least five hundred membersof the body of Christ, humble, pvayerful, ignorant, but sincere Christians. Such topics they do not inquiro into. :The righteous perisheth and no man" of them "layeth it to heart." Why? The victims are poor, black, or 'yellow,' and American slaves; victims of thegreat American slave-trade. But it is perfect tolly to rebuke the slave rade. The trader is the mere agent of the slaveholder. The great crime is to hold a man in slavery." We find the following sensible article in the Detroit Constitutional Democrat. - Read it: THE MILITIA SYSTEM. Pefitions are in circulation, intended for presentation to our State Legislature, at its npproaching session, askingof that "body to pass a law dispensing with all militia musters and company trainings; allowing the limits of divisions, brigades, regiments and companies ío be preserved, and officers for the same; in order that the militia of the State can be called out in case of war or public danger." - With the main object of these petitions, we most heartily concur - We have long viewed "the present militia system of this State as a useless tax on community, as well as demoralizing in its effecls; and productive of no good whatever" - Henee, the sooner it is abolished, or essentially modified, the better. - These musters are an idle waste of time. and prove totally unproductive of any real improvement in military tacties - the time and resources of the people are taxed most severely for the mere purpose of gratifyinga few idle and vain baboons in epaulettes in their fantastic displays; and while it is ever our desire to see the country protected from foreign aggression as well as intestine commotion, we believe the object may be attciined in a manner attended with less expense, and imposing Cewev burdens upon a community already led away from habits of industry, economy and Republican simplicity, by humbuggery and tornfoolery of every kind - In the first place, the public mind throyghout -the-world, has undergone a great and radical chrxnge on the subject of war - the cutting of throats, the butchering of masses of human .beings, and the dovastations and barbarities consequent upon conflicts between difi'erent Nations, merély to gratify the insatiaté ambition of men in power, or to settlc some point oí mere etiquette, are matters which are beginning to be-looked upon by patriots and philanthropists with feclings of horror and disgust - henee iheprobabilities of war with any foreign power are not seriously tobe anticiptited for a long time to come; and as to. intestine commotion, -;- an ebullition to be anticipated only in our densely populatèd tovn.s; whcre are to be found tlie hungry, irritable and scatteied fragments of all nations and classes, - we think ihat may bo eiïectuully guarded against by the organization of a limited number of independent volunteer companies, companies, composed of men fitted by disposition and habits for the purpose, and who might, properly enough, be paid for the time necessarily spent in obtaining a thorough knowledge of military tacties. - Wc say - let the merits of such an improvement be tesled by the rule of ó.xperience.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News