Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-07-17
INSTANTANEOUS.
From tie Cincinnati Gazltte.

g Do men gather grapes from thons, or Sgs
| from thistles %
Reading in recent newspaper an AT
count of the proceedings at the publit
dinner given to Mr.. clay few day.
past, near Lexington, seemed to afford
strong case in illustration of the SCI
timent expressed in the above quotation.
This Mr. Clay, in 1912, was warm
advocate for the declaration of "
against Great Britain, the great ostel 81
BILE reason for which was the irnpressmnt
of our seamen by that power, andhot
only depriving the unfortunate victims of
personal liberty, but often competing
them to suffer and to inflict great bNily
injuries, often death itself, with al the
customary horrors and Affections con-
nected with battles. To him who feally
feels for the unfortunate and the oRress
cd, ~ him who is goatIud by 4 desire
Of distinction and of power, And who
views the feelings and the sensbiites of
his fellow men as the medium " which
to excite their passions, in peterborough
that excitement to arouse them b action,
a finer theme could not be found Hence
this parsonage, it may be well y recol-
lect, among other pretty things in his
war speech, repeated the we'll known
quotation from the galley slave:
'IIard, hard is my fate,
Once freedom enjoy'd,
Was as happy as happy could be'&c
A newspaper article is too limited to
admit all the reflections that arise on
contemplating the career OF this person
age, in that pursuit SO prolific in human
misery, in imposture and iniquity in the
elevation of block heads, ****sS* and
fools, of cold, unfeeling, calculating men,
who view mankind only as materials to
be employed and sacrificed in support
ing them in splendor through this life,
and in acquiring name, most usually
of short duration, equally useless to the
individual, as it is beneficial in its opera
ton and effects upon the welfare ct hui
man kind. The reader will probably
ask what this pursuist is /? 1t is 10 become,
South America, and what has been
termed its unfortunate inhabitants, has
afforded an excellent subject, well i'm.
proved. A deal Of fine speechifying
from this parsonage has been poured
forth. A mere reader, ignorant OF all
but what the speeches shcw, would very
naturally suppose that it was all the
OVERLOOKING of a heart and mind devoted
to the dissemination Of personal liberty,
ufeYuaI rights, Of human runnfort. But
oil this let Missouri and the extension OF
slavery tell. Let the cold and selfish
sentiments SO hardly and barefacedly adj
vanced on the point of property in slaves,
or rather i'll fellow men, by this person
age, tell. His speeches exhibit the SEN
iiments, and prove the value Of profess
sions. They shew how adroitly, accord
ing to the policy ofthe moment, states
man and an orator can talk about liberty
and right, either to cmancipate Que set
of men, in enc place, or to enslave and
extend the enslaving of men in Another,
in all probability really as indifferent to
which as the floor he stands Oh.
To excite the feelings Of his lrother
shareholders, in one of his speeches, he
asks, if they are willing that thenF selves
and sons shall brush their own SHOES, SC.
while their wives and daughters perform
domestic drudgery; (the speech is not
at hand, but the sentiment is quoted) and
plain indications are given that slaves
must be kept in order that such invalua-
bic personages may not be degraded by
doing drudgcry. Let the laborious and
productive reflect on such sentiments,
on such inconsistencies, and then decide
if the capacity to make fine speeches.
when connected with plain indications oil
disregard to human liberty, and con-
tempt of necessary labor, either mer.
its or should be elevated to place
and power by frcemen.
Let us suppose this parsonage and bis
family had been, or should be compelled
to live by laborious industry, or cease to
live altogether, would the sun shine lees
bright, the fields be less green, or the
earth less productive Can we suppose
that the royalists in Italy or South Amer
lea feel less the loss Of their RELATIVE
standing, by the progress Of revolu.iona
ryprincipals, u,an this parsonage and hi
friends would, if similar chang
should take place in their own state! d
they feel less the horrors of war, an
the change from being as masters sup
ported and pamperea by the labors :
fellow-men held in bondage, than thl
parsonage and his friends would to b
compelled by the emancipation OF the
own slaves, to labor for a living, to be
come poor, to be exposed to state
/. l.c..2 Ganta;nlx, not Hence. hn