Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-07-19
FOR THE SPECTATOR.

To the Peotie Of the STATE Ohio.

FOR THE SPECTATOR.
To the Peohie Of the STATE Ohio.
Not forty years have elapsed, since
your old mother Virginia, owned ever,
foot Of your territory. Sac sold it To
Uncle Sam for consideration, prodi.
giously inadequate, i, is thought, to the
value Of his purchase and how the old
bargain, has lately become matter oil
great surprize here in Illinois; espe-
cially when il is recollccted that in max
ing the bargain, she had some OF The
wisest men OF the nation acting for hel
men, who, for political sagacity and
dor of whose devotion to her interests,
was never questioned. 1t has ever been
thought by Uncle Sam, and by the Sis
ters of his family, that his daughter Vir-
ginia has a mighty knack at making po-
litical bargains, and in all their attempts
cessary to guard against circumvenlion.
II is, indeed, Strange. passing strange
that the old lady, SO remarkable for her
wisdom, should have made no stipula-
tons in this bargain, allowing to her and
her neighbors the right to take slaves
ly suspected by some of our knowing
ones, that in making this bargain she
entirely forgot all about slavery, tho she
knew all about its advantages, and that
it is impossible, with her eyes open, she
could have made bargain so little cal
culated to promote the best interests and
cherish the rising hopes Of her most pro-
missing child. Under an impression that
this might possibly be the case, have
lately been looking into this bargain as
it stands upon record, and find that so
far from forgetting The subject Of slavery,
Virginia certainly stipulated with Uncle
Sam, that neither he, nor any of the
members ofhis family, nor even herself,
nor any body else should ever be per
mitted to take slaves among you; and
this seems to have been an important
consideration with the contracting parties.
But it has lately been discovered in H.
linois, that Virginia must either have
been hoodwinked in this affair, or have
been wilfully guilty ofthe most manifest
injustice towards herself, her neighbors,
and the people of Ohio.-Considering
the deep wisdom and keen sighted pene-
tra,ion of those who acted for her, in this
matter, the iorr,er supposition is impos-
sible; and how so goodly mother, and
feeling so much maternal solicitude for
the welfare Of all her descendants, as
Virginia has always expressed, could
knowingly, have stipulated against your
enjoyment Of the blessings of slavery, can
only be imputed to some strange fit OF
political depravily which happened to
seize her at the lime. 1t is true, that in
spite of her total disregard to your best
interests, you have been wonderfully
prosperous; and we can not imagine,
here in Illinois, how you have attained
$50 goodly heritage in SO short a time,
without the aid and assistance of your
mothers slaves.-We are told that tho
you went out from the maternal mansion
and set up for yourself some ten years
after your sister Kentucky, you have out
stripped her in wealth, numbers, and
Improvement, and that in the short space
Of about twenty years, you have become
able TO occupy the fourth place in Uncle
Sans family.-It is even said, that as
to soil and situation, Kentucky possesses
equal if not superior advantages, and
tho she commenced. first and has work
ed all the slaves her mother would fur
nish her, and vast number OF her own
raising, you are getting before her in the
career of national greatness, and your
progress is marked by more evident in
dications of useful enterprise and rapid
Improvement. We have lately become
impressed with the idea that no people
can be rich or prosperous without slaves,
and with little sophistry we could east
" reason ourselves into the belief Of this
opinion, were it not for that vile thing
called experience, to which some of our
citizens are so uncandld as to appeal for
the REPUTATION Of all our reasoning. When
we woulI convince them that there can be
no riches or happiness without slaves,
they triumphantly direct our attention to
Ohio, and call upon Us very significant
" to behold the deep and broad stream
Of prosperity which has been flowing in
upon that people with uncommon velo-
city for the last twenty years, enrich
fnr and Grtilisipg % il proceeds; and