Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-03-07


lrelinquish that property TO the unhappy
subject, whenever be should be SO incli-
ned. They would then feel, that denying
ms principle was repugnant to every prin-
lciple OF humanity--an everlasting stigma
on our government---an act OF uneaua!led
IbarDarily-without color Of policy, or a
IPfesexs ii necessity 20 justify II.
| DIR, let gentlemenlpi.t If home to them
selves, that after providence has crowned
our exertious 10 The cause Of general Tree
dom, with success, AID led us On to indie
Ipendence through myriad Of dangers, and
10 defiance Of obstacle croWdiog thick up
on each other,we should not SO soon FORGET
tine principles upon which we fed TO arms,
land lose all sense Of dat ioterposition Of
Eheaven, by which alone We could have
been saved from the grasp Of arbitrary
Ipower. We may talk of liberty in our
public councils; and fancy thai we feel
reverence for her dictates-we may de-
iclaim, With all the yehemeDce of animated
rhetoric, against oppression, and flaiter
yourselves that we detest the ugly monster
but SO long as we continue 10 cherish the
poisonous weed Of partial slavery among
Jus, The world will doubt our sincerity. 10
the name Of heaven With what face can we
icall ourselves the friends Of equal freedom
and the Inherent rights OF our species, when
I'VE wantonly pass laws inimical 10 each
when we reject every opportunity of de-
lstroyiDg, by silent imperceptibie degrees,
the horrid fabric Of individual bondage
lreared by the mercenary hands Of those
from wbomthe sacred flame of liberty re-
lceived no devotion
| Sir, it is pitiabIe to reflect, TO what wild
Inconsistencies, TO what opposite extremes
I've are hurried, by the irailty Of our ma
lure. Long have been convinced, that
Inc generous sentiment ofwhich the human
iiieari is capable, no elevated passion OF the
isoul that digniies mankind, can obtain an
uniform and perfect dominion. To-day
We may be reused as one man, by won-
ideriul and uDaccountable sympathy against
Ithe lawless invader of the rights of his TEL
low creatures; to-morrow We may be gull
Ivy of the same oppression. which We rep
trobsted and resisted in another. Is it, Mr..
speaker, because the complexion Of these
devoted victims is not quite so delicate as
ours--is it, because their untutored minds
l(hambled and debased by the hereditary
Iyoke) appear less actiy and capaciou
THAN orr own---or, is il, because we have
Ibeen so habituated to their situation, as Il
Ibecome callous 10 the horrors Of it--that
we are determined, whether polite OF not
Ito keep them, till time shall be no more
on level with the bruies? For moth
ling says Montesquieu, $50 much assim.
Hates a man TO brate, as living amoBgs
lfreemen, himself slave!"
! Call not Maryland land Of liberty
do not pretend that she has chosen THU
country as an asylum-that here she has
lerected her temple, and consecrated hel
lshrine--when here also her unhalloweC
Ienemy holds his helIish pandRmonium, and
our rulers offer sacrifice at his polluted
affairs. The lily aud the bramble may
lgrow in social proximity liberty anc
slavery delight in separation.
! Sir, let us figure TO ourselves, for
, moment, one of these unhappy victims
more informed than the rest, pleading, a
the bar Of this house, the cause of himsel
aud his fellow sufferers-what would be
The language of this orator of naiure p
Thus my imagination tells me, he would
, address us:
Eve belong, by the policy Of the coun
TRY, TO our masters; and submit TO oul
rigorous destiny-we do not ask you tc
diyest them of their property; because We
) are conscious you have not the power
we do not intrest you to compel an eman.
5 cipation of us or our posterity, because
, Justice TO your fellow citizens forbids it,
we only supplicate you, not TO arrest the
: gentle arm of humanity, when it may bt
stretched forth in our behalf--not to wage
hostilities against that moral or religious
conviction, which may at any time incline
our masters to give freedom to as, or ouI
unoffending offspring-not to oppose lesis.
Ilative obstacles to the course of voluntary
. manumissiou. Thus shall you neither
violate the rights of your people, nor en-
f dagger the quiet Of the community, while
you vindicste your public councils from
1.-The imputa,ion Of cruelty, aud the stigma
of causeless, uuprovoked oppression. We
have never (would he argue) rebesled
against ourmasters--we have never thrown
ftyour country into ferment, by struggles
to regain the independence Of our fathers
I've have yielded our necks submissive
TO the yoke. and, without murmnr, ac-
Iquiesced 10 the. privation Of onr native
rights. We coujure you then, 10 the name
\ Of the common parent of mankind--reward
us not, for this long and patient acqnies.
cence, by shutting up the main avenues to
oar internationally Withholding from us