Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-05-31
SPRDHApDRo
EDWARDsVILLE, MAY 81, 1928.


The editors of that paper, with view to
excuse their vituperation and abuse of u.s. and
those who concur with us, on the subject of
slavery, pretend that we have constantly
attacked them,' and ask .swhether the ca.
lumns of our paper, since the issuing of their
first number, have not been filled with the
most irritating and disingenuous remarks on
the course pursued by them 2'
The only ground which they have assumed
specifically to rely upon, in support OF this
charge,is certain remark of ours, upon the is
suing Of their first number, in which it was
intimated that the Republican, in its present
shape, and with its present objects, was the
offspring Of the convention question; from
which i might be inferred, that, with all due
tilial respect, it would, most probably, impE-
city obey the wishes and objects of its parents.
Will those editors deny, that one of the pri-
mary objects of their paper is to advocate the
calling of convention If not, how can thew
consider the imputation of that object to them,
as an "irritating and dsingenuous attack" OH
them, without betraying a want of confidence
in the policy and justice of the cause in which
they are engaged From the zeal with which
they advocate it; their confidence in its sue
cess their belief that opposition to it, is a
desperate effort in desperate cause - their
attempts to brow-beat and ntim idate the ME-
THODIST MINISTER'S into silence; and
denouncng the opposition OF these "NOisY
GENTLEMEN Gas they are contemptuously
termed by the Republican, as "proclaiming
war against the people !" one would reasona-
bly, have supposed that they would have been
the last, to have found fault with suggestion
that they were engaged in cause which they
profess to consider so beneficial TO the people
so truly republican, and so highly meritorious.
consciousness of the rectitude of their inten-
tons, and a reliance on the wisdom of their
purpose, we should suppose, would have been
sufficient to prevent their taking offence at am
article in our paper, which merely accorded
to them, that, which they consider, highly
praiseworthy, and as emitting them to the
enviable distinction of being considered the
champions of republicanisn, and the defen-
ders OF the people against the terrible war
about to be waged against them, by those
6 noisy gentlemen" the .'iethodist Preachers.
These editors cannot be serious in alleging
this ground, as justification of their illiberal.
ty towards us. We should certainly not con.
slider it any reproach, nor indeed, the slightest
cause of offence, to US, if they had suggested
that our paper would oppose convention;
because we feel conscious that, in pursuing
that course, we obey the dictates of humanity
and justice, and advocate the best interests of
the state. We must, therefore, look for some
other motive for their alleging this objection
to our conduct in regard to them. None
seems so obviously to present itself, as that,
being tickled with the vanity of being very
witty, in their repartee upon us, on that occa.
sion they may have intended to bring their
wit again into review,lest they might, too soon,
lose the benefit of SO happy hit at us. With
their ambition to exhibit their high attainment,
IN this way, we have not the slightest inclina-
ton to find fault We do not differ with tbe
poet in any part of the following couplet.
" wit s feather, a KnaDe IS rod,
An honest man s the noblest work of God"
The attack Of the "teaMer," we shall a, a,
times regard with perfect Indifference but
the lash of the "rod," we shall repel with
becoming energy. 81 ~. -.saa
The only other complaint which those ed;.
tors can pretend to allege against us, besides
what has been extorted from us in necessary
is, that we differed with them
in opinion as to both the right and duty of the
ministers of religion to oppose the introduce
ton of slavery into this state. In this, we have
commended for nothing that we do not most
believe to be correct. Are
those gentlemen so intolcrant that no one
must dare to differ in opinion with them' We
defy them to point out any state in the Union.
in which such an attempt has ever been mad,,
to prevent the ministers of religion from aid
ing in the formation of constitution. We
have only objected in this respect, to prnci-
pies which no one before them has ever vet
ventured openly TO espouse in any countrp.i
where the semblance of free government has
prevailed.
Ii has been, and still is, our desire to avoid
personal alteration with these gentlemen,
yet, neither theirvery significant declaration, of
not being professors OF the doctrine of pas.
sive obedience and Observation-Disclosures their