Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-10-04

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Slavery is an evil in a two fold sense.
AS moral evil 1t cannot be questioned.
How can man do as he would others
| should do to him, while he is enslaving
his fellow man, and demanding OF him
! his time, his labor, his life and even his
poslerlty IS subject to the within aud Ca
| price OF an easily offended master and
mat toe, without even dry morsel OF
thanks, on the side of the oppressor;
nay with scorn and derlsion is this &C
copied by him. Much might be said on
THIS head, but the bright rays oil truth
have shone TOO long on Illinois, to make
Ii Necessary.
But is it not political evil, also Is
not every man in pursuit of happiness
Herel would call the attention OF every
appropriated reader, while | would ask
him one questisn.) Which are the hap
plesl mem the citizens OF The free, or OF
the slave states? Every dispassionate
man must at once decide in favor OF the
Tree states. How true the saying, that
contented mind is continual feast. But
how do the continual fears OF the slave
states correspond with this Do we not
hear their mos, able statesmen say, we
are compelled to stand sentinel at our
own door ]? Yes this we well recoilect.
Is this expressive OF the happiness which
mankind are in pursuit of? | answer,
there is nothing more contradictory
What. men possessed OF houses and
| lands, aud yet afraid 10 leave them vi b
their fellow men Why this fear Is Il
because men are as the beasts, that ra-
wage the woods /? Nay, it is because the
rights OF man are violated and the OPP
pressor fears return of injury, received
from him. Where is then the happiness
of the slave states Many of them fear
70 stay at home, or go abroad, lest their
wives and children should be massacred.
And how res onably do they fear Mo
would not fear, under similar circum-
stances Not SO in the free states. Oh
no. We meet, we part, without even
the though; OF enslaving each other. We
lie down without molestlns thought to
disturb our peaceful SAUNDERS. Oh, ye
uiSo' ooio VI iioTl y iIoio idoi 'iio DC
nevoleut gift OF Heaven Oh, ye citizens
Of Illinois Hold fast this inestiInable
treasure. Protest against slavery, and
thus preserve the smiles Of Heaven, and
a good conscience.
But we believe slavery to be produc-
tive Of another evil, which Is that OF tx.
norance. How far do we see the free
surpass The slave states IN literature
How often do We see young men III The
slave states spending their money II
gaming ami sports OF every KIND; whlct
are only adap. I'd 10 ice, and ,Ae cul,iva
tlon OF every evil practice; whlle young
nen In the Tree states, WIN less thai
) halt their fortune, acqnire an education
which does honor to themselves, TO theil
parents, and Qualities them Tor useful
ness i'll society. Thus they become emil
nent and useful, while the others become
dissipated, in consequence of their idle
ress, (and | might say worse than idle.
ness) IN youth; whose end is disgrace
and ruin. These are they whose wealth
consists in nu.i Der of slaves.
| A few words to the laboring part Of
or voters, and we shall drop the sub.
Ject. Strange to think, yet it is true
mat some OF these tell US they will vote
for the introduction of slavery. Wher
bear this, | think thsy have been i'm
posed on by some smooth tongued con
ventionis, for if any of our class yellow
aborers) would reflect for moment
they would see that ii slavery is adm,tee
we cannot get employment; or il we do
II must be at very reduced price. For
if we admit slavery here, the number oi
hands will be increased, and consequent
" we must work for half price. And
this is not all we are 10 suffer greater
evil still. | was raised in slave state,
and we who are not able to hold or own
them, will be almost levelled with them.
This know from experience. Brother
laborers, suffer me 10 ask you one qnes-
ton: are you willing TO bear this Can
you consent to yield an equal stand
ing WI h other men in free state, tor the
prospect of being levelled with the ne
groes, il we admit them here /? For my
part | am shocked a! the idea. But what
else can we promise ourselves !? Rest as
snred that this is 10 be me inevi,aaie con-
sequence, for every cause mus produce
its effect; and as slavery is the wors OF
evils, It's effects must be the most hate
ful and destructive. Who then will ad-
vocate slavery IvW not. Let us agree
as the voice of one man to nip this dire
lul evil in the bud, and prevent if posi-