Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-04-12

HSir VIEWS and COuuuOt ave decided
unequivocally IN favor OF freedom. Have
not the people once said ins solemn con-
Yen,ion "thcre shall be nether slavery
nor involuntary servitude N Illinois. !"
Have they not repeatedly decided ii in
the choice OF their representative TO con-
gress +? We repeat the quesApn, does
majority of the PEOPLE desirs slavery !
II not then let them oppose a conven-
ton as the only safe m cans of preventing
il. The voice of The people may op-
pose convention, bat when this is once
gained, they may oppose the introduction
oil slavery IN vain The small counties
might carry it and thus the minority
might rule and ruin the state.
The introduction OF slavery would fix
a stain upon the character of Illinois
that ages could not wipe Off 1t is uni
yersally acknowledged to be a great
moral and political evil All the old
siaveholding states regret and mourn
over 1t as curse enlailed upon them by
Their ancestors. The evil is amongst
then and they know not how to get rid
oil IL The evil Is not amongst us and
we know how to ge, rid of it.
Wtuld slavery in the aggregate be
iessensd by Introducing it here! We
think not. 1t would open a much wider
field for The discharge Of the surplus
slave population of the south and thus
proions tic evil there. Itwould remove
one powerful slmulus to emancipation !;
Confihe slavery within limited bounda-
res, and Necessity, that great law of ma
tnre, would devise measures gradually
to emanclpale, and ctfec,uaily TO dis
charge from lhe country tina, portion oil
population hvtbe aid Of the colonizalio
society or some other means. Extend
It abroad and yon give scope for the un--
limited lncreaselpf slaves in the Union
By advertiog 10 the census Of the United
States Tor taicty Years past, it is found
that the slave population has Increased
N the Same proportion as they have been
removed 10 the new states. The oil
sta s,conllnne o enlarge in Numbers.
tht S@Des continually increasing uhoa
he 7vhltes wAiie tbe Dew ,aies are b :
coming overspread With them. O9en
lilinois Tor slavery, and you extend the
evil tnd spolong The fbme of It's cure.
Admin the individuals brought here to
be better led, and in TIM respect then.
suflerlnss miiigated, Wahe their mise
fabie situation IS relieved thus much, i
is enhanced eniold by the separa,ion Of
husband and wife, parents ana ohlldiren
and lbus calti0ss asunder all the hes OF
nature--by HE length and severity OF
our winters, the diiiicdIty of procuring
sufficient clAhing, aud their constant
exposure tn be transported 10 a New Or
leans market.
BuFhow would slavery affect the pros
periIy OF orr SIM | would.relard POI
pulalion. The owners OF large hbrdts
d slaves would not come here. Np,ther
the climate, productions of the couniry.
nor manners and custorns OF the people
would suit hem. Free population ofihe
laboring class would be #, ctisaiy
checked, h isthe anasoida'.'@ Wndcn
cy Of slavery 10 mark OK distinct Classes
in society and d,,aw lines with entire dis
tinci,on between the rich and poor, tho
inihicm AID absriDus c s,es An opu-
lent Shareholder is lotdlytyrant much
more so than a baron was inlhe fcudal
age. With The middle and lower class
es he has no connection, no feelings oil
reciprocity, 30 interest. The laborins
class would be degraded and despised.
and thrown on The verge Of slavery lhem
selves. Imernal Improvement would
be checked. Aliihe dreams Of wealth,
enterprise, and public improvement, now
50 of.eD repeated, and 10 eagcrly antiei-
pated BY the Slave party, would vanish
like visions Of The night, and the people
be compelled to take up with . POOR, nal
try. thiaiy hohuiated SLAVE state, loadea
with a mass oteviis laepurchase OF thcif
own folly. Domestic peace would b..
destroyed-tAe morals and manners o,
our children cop ag,inated by association
from childhood with Tie blac ks--aur state
sunk in political character--aur proper
ty prey 10 nightly depredatols-onr
children and our children's children
coming forward in their day and pouring
snsnemas upon our nouldering dust, for
eptailing upon them a curse which they
would find impossible to remove.
When once slave population is in
trodaced and haliisdavorable to slavery
are formed, majority ofthe state might
desire its expulsion, but would be unable
TO effect il. Ii is easy 10 prevent The