Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-06-22
PHiLO JUSTITIA.
From the Baltimore American.

From the Baltimore American.
"DO JUSTLY AND LOVE MERCY"
Messrs. Edltors-The horrid prac-
tice of kidnapping having increased SO
rapidly in this and in some of the ad-
joining states, it has become the sacred
duty OF every man, who feels for the
happiness of the unfortunate sufferers,
to exert himself to prevent SO disagreed
bic practice.
Ii cannot fail to be source of regret
to every philanthrophic mind, to see al
most daily, negroes chained toge her
like oxen, driven through the country
by set OF men, who speculate on the
miseries of the human race, and whose
hearts are SO steeled to every generous
feeling Of humanity, as to witness. not
only with composure, but with an appa-
rant bru'al joy, the parting throes, the
throbblng heart, and the gushing tears Of
a husband and a wife, parent and
child, torn from each other by the fe-
Ions grasp, without any reasonable hope
OF meeting on the shores of mortality.
Such men should be Indignantly trowned
on by every man who possesses any
feelings of humanity instead of which,
we find them noticed by some of our
leading men, and invited to their houses.
The nigh prices offered for negroes, and
the encouragement given to these men,
hold out such a temptation for the aban-
donment OF principle, that crowds of
young men, and others, have iorsaken
more honorable pursuits, an turned
their attention to buying and stealing
free negroes.
pose that the great Creator--a God
OF stlce, can look down viii compla-
cency upon people so depraved as We
are who suffer such horrid practices to
exist among as? No. These sins cry
aloud to Heaven, and vengeance al
though it may appear tardy, is lowering
over our devoted heads. Sooner or la
ter it will dash US with thunderbolt OF
divine wrath from this land of freedom,
(if it may be so called) down to the
frightful regions Of despair ard horror.
1t is impossible that our liberties can be
preserved while such crying sins are
continually ascending the hill of the
Lord. 1t is astonishing to my mind how
men of all parties calling themselves Re-
publicans, can be so debauched as not
only to countenance this internal trade
but to aid it by selling negroes to these
insignificant animals, in the garb OF men.
To put stop to this worse than savage
practice, let the religious of every sect
unite--Let meetings be called in differ
cnt sections Of the country, and petitions
be sent on to the Legislatures of the
States to pass laws forbidding the trans
Portation OF negroes out OF the state I'M
der heavy corporal punishment; and
let them religiously determine to sup
port no man, whatever may be his poll
tics, who will not use every exertion to
have such laws enacted as will effectu.
ally prevent this traffic in human flesh.
Let there be an amalgamation of party
feelings and party politics cessation
OF religious controversy, and let all
those who love the most high God unite
together to pull down this strong hold OF
wickedness.
Some advocates OF the practice OF sell
ling negroes alledge, that they are sold
for crimes; but how often do we see the
most obedient servants, and even little
children, sold to fill the exhausted cof-
fers of a spendthrift or drunken master.
If servants disobey, let the criminal code
be SO amended as to punish them eXem
plarily; let free negroes be made TO
work for SUPPORT The evil of en-
couraging the slave trade is increasing
is there town on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, or in Delaware, which has not
been visited by negro buyers, and the
ears of whose inhabitants has been
assailed by the cries Of the oppressed I?
Can nothing be done to remedy this
evil l earnestly conjure the friends OF
humanity to take the,subject under con-
sidera,on, and if they can propose
better method to put a stop to the prac-