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Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: The North And Sla...

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: The North And Sla... image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
December
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
Letter to the Editor
OCR Text

So ofien has the assertion been made by slaveholders, and so ofteu has it been roiteraled by their fricnds and apoiogists at the North, ' that the Free States have nothing to do with Slavery," that many lumest, well-meaning persons have been Ietf to believe ii true. Without inquiring iiilo the facls of the case, ihey have relied upon the bare assertions of interesled men - asserlions unsubstantiated by provf, or by the teachings of common sense. The fact, which cannot be denied, but which they appear never to have observcd - that slavery exercises a eontrolling inluence in our National aiïairs, is, of iíself, convirictng proof, that every man in the nation lias, or legally may have, something to do with it, inasrnuch as it has mach to do with him and his rights. It is not at al! probable that we live under a government, and that a government by the people, which sanctiuns the enslavement of a large number of the people, and ihe ussumption, by a smal! minority, of all the iionors and emoluments of office, and at the same time, prohibits the remaining lortion of the freemen of the nation, from nvestigatifig the cnuses, and ndupting neasures for the eradication of evils so imnalural and enormous. If we do live mder a government which tolérales ali hese i ni--] u i lies. and, at the same time commands us to suffer them in silence, ve are unvvorthy of the age in which we ive, and the name we bear, if we do not tnake a mighly etlort, to subslitute, by ome means, a righteous goverun:ent, for one so wicked and tyrannical. And we are no less unworthy, if we permit tliose evils to exist, not only unsanciioned by ' the Supreme Law of the Land," but in lirect violntion of its declared objects and ts plainest teachings. But in either case - whelher these enormities areUonal or unconstituuoMal-- vo are cnrr.inally negligent and inactive, if we do imt raake one grand, united, nnduntiring efTort for their eradication We owe il to ourselves as men - lo the wretclied slave as a brother in bonds - to his rnaster as a brother also, tiiough misguidcd and erring - to posterity as those who hnve a right to expect the blesstngs of Liberty" Trom our hands - and to God as the common pare.it of us all, and the Author of the Law which requires us to lovo our neighbor as ourselves. Thus it is unquestionably our dutv to do all that we constitutionally can, to desfroy Slnvery and the evils which grow out of t ; and if there are any defects or cotnproiriises in the Constïtution, which present an Insuperable bornee to ihc discharge our vvhole duties to our country nnd to the enslavcd, thea we should endeavor lo make such changos as the oigencies of the case may requirp. But to me it does not nppear that any sucli changes are necessary. I cannot helieve that the fuihers of this Ropubüc haveguarantecd to any instituiioii - es pncially to theinslitution of slavery - the support and protection of the who!o peo plo, nnd yet by coiistilutional enr.ctments, prohibitod n large mjority from taking any action for 'm, eradicalion. Hut thero aro certainly mnny things that wo can do, and thaSê yo should do with nil ouf might. Union of th people of the Free States ogninst slavory is ail ihat is neceb.snryto fifcUVe ts overthrow. I have belbre itiê a copy pf the " Truo A.merIcnn,J the org.m of ÜS$ Bftriiueky abolitioniste, whicb fully aubst.intiaic this assertion. The importanco of and necessxty for " combioed action on the partof the Freo States," is powerfully enforced. The assertion tfjnt "the North has nothing'to do with slavery," is declared tkfalse from begiuning to end " ; and "its currency" is truly said to "have been the cause of most of our interna! difficulties - as H is the cause noto of every evil which threatens tne stability of our Union." Afier asserling that " the aggresions of the South are so enormous and so oppresive as lo be no longer tolerable," the Editor continuos as follows : "The Slave Power has all the chief officors of ihe Government, s n possession of tho whole patronage of ihe Government. This might be borne; but when the influence of these oflices, and this patronage, is exerted to entend and perpetúate human servitude ; to put power into the hands of masters for this sole end ; and, in working out this end, to cripplc and limit the influence of the Pree States, by a violalion of the Constitution, and disregarding utterly the rights of humonity - we see not how human endurance can longer bear with it. The motive for combined action, then, on the part of the free Siatos, is as strong as ever influenceu society. It rehtesto their mrnediate weal, and tho perpetuily of the Union. Suppose by way of exaniple, the Represeniatives of the Cree States were as united and zealous in defending their rights as the South is watchful and untiring in upholding slavery - can one doubt as to the resul t ? Numerically, these free States have ihe powerlo Qo as they please, unchr the Constitulion. In energy, business ca pacity, procticaJ knowledge, tliey holü the pním. In the dril] work of the party, and ihescheming of politics, they are alone inferior. But this would be of no dioadvnnloge whatever, if the ïlepresentatives of the free Slnies were firm and united upon he leading principies of constiiutional freedom. And why are they nut thus uniied ? If they weresupported al home, if tiere the people thought and feit rightly on the subject of slavery and the public heart was usqnick lo feel its injuslice, as it would be ready to resent its insult?, these Kepresentatives would not quail when asaerting the right, any more than Southern members would dieam of attackingthem for doing it. And this condition of affnirs, nt Wnshington, vo9id remove foreter, from ihe polilical arena, slnvery, as a means of political action. Bul, if we turn from the political consideraron to the moral, and lonk fo the questi-in of omnncipation, we shall be equally well snlisfied, tbat Slavery canonly be üpbooted bï the extire and thoröugh uxion of the Free States again'stiT. This, ilicn, is our posttion. Government and the whole power of Government ia with the proslavery party. They possesa nenrly all the active political force of the nat ion, i.nd nol only scoff af, and scorn in the Halls of Congress, and in social life, those who venture lo oppose themj but aclually put them in a condition, in every particular, disagreeable if not disgraceful. Now, under iheso circumstances, there is left but one uliernntive. Eiifier the present tide, which is carrying uil of our instilution, except the forms, into a vortex pL which ilavery is the moving power, musl be stayed by the peoplc of the free Staies, or if left to i:s conrse, it wil] briug or., in no very long time, a sudden nnd total dissolution of the bond of our Union. Must be STAYED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE FREE States ! And liow 1 By the simplesi of nll proceases - by n direct and honest nction in defencs of freedom. Let the grent imjority of the people in these IVee State?, throw ofTall reserve'- force their poüticians, on every side, lo plant themselves on the constitutiun, nnd those principies which nre the root of nll free governtnent - and compel the press to êxert all íia intellectual and moral power, actively and stronglv, for freedom, and the prosl.nery tide will be rol led bnek, and the co-jntry saved. This would be the. resull of a hearty and wise co-operation of the freemen of the free States. Bui n widcr eood ■ vet soon would follow. -Unly let the slnvehoider lecl, ihe mo. ment he seis his fgot on the soil of Ohio, or New England, ïhat he cannot defend slavery without being diagraced ; or:ly let the Representuive in Congress knoict if he quails before southern nssumpüon, thnt lie will be despised, as weli as dishonored, and the batile is won. - Nothingcan prevent il. Itisassure as f ihe fiat were blnzoned with light upon the -ault of heaven. For ihen would come - -whai n]one can prevent distinion, if nut annrchy or military despol ism in iis worst form - the withering up of the cause of ol! danger, of ihe unmirigateo curse of the land - human slavery." Thu says tho True American. And this, let u bo remombored, is the language not of a Noribern " fanatic," as aboütionisU in the tree States aro sneeringly cnlled, but of a man ' born and brought up in ihe slave StaicG,u familiar wiih slavery as it is, and well aware of 'the remedy which is necded 10 eradicato the disease. And stiall not th;8 remeiiy be aoplied ? - What is the rftwicdy ? What is this presenptiun 1 Tho .True American answer i " direct and honcst uction in defence of fredom." The Orator, the Pulpit, ihe Presi-, the Ballot. These ure all ': direct, " nnd honest," and all powerfuh And not only are they diroct, honest, and poworful, hut thoy are in evcry sense of the term, legal. We Jjave botha moral and conatiiutional right to use ihen) all. Thfe right to labor for the emancipa.tioñ of the enslaved ja inalienable - t came from God, and man caönot tak il from us. Let us nevéf íameíy and ignably stir render this right. No ! Though we met with defent afier defeat ; though we ar surrounded on all sides by opposftion tb most bitter and persevering, Jet oar mott still be "onward." Our principies r liberal ; our canse Í3 just, Our warfaro is no ono of blood and carnarge ; it ia a conlicl belween Truih and Error, b- tween Liberty and Slavery. We shall conquer It cannot be otherwise. W havo only (o win the people of the free States to our views, and the work is done, Slaveholders now find their principal apologista among the people of the North, and when we rise up, as one man, and condemn the entire system, the charra will bo broken. The whole civilizad world will then stand arrayed against slavery, and f all il must. Southern chiralry cannot save it. The Constitutioo cannot save it. It cannot be saved.