Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-07-13

who are able to purchase slaves. Theip
high price, the danger of losing them,
and the difficulty Of restraining them
from vicious practices, are strong in
ducemeDts for those who hire, to give
the preference to the labor OF freemen.
But TO rs who live by the labor oil our
own hands, and who constitute vast
majority of the people, what advantage
can possibly accrue from the introduce
ton OF slavery? What have we to gain ?
What have we not TO lose, by such a
measure
BY the introduction of slaves, labor
will become badge of ser, ilty--a
token OF disgrace. That money which
we now receive for our work, or obtain
for our produce, would then be sen, out
Of the state 10 purchase slaves. Few Of
us can ever expect to be able 10 become
Shareholders and even the weal,hiest
are liable 10 meet with reye; ses OF for.
tune, which may reduce them to level
with the poorest citizen. But laboring
man in slave state is exposed to the
| sneers, the scorn, and the contumely of
! the superciious slaveholde and treat.
ed with but little more respect thar a
slave. Slavery would therefore sink tho
| laboring man in the scale of society,
while he would derive no benefit from
that source. Though he held no slaves,
he would not be free from its attendant
evils. His hard-earned property would
be exposed to the depredations of pilfer-
ing slaves; he would be liable to do his
share OF patrol duty, and in case OF an
| insurrection, be would be called out to
suppress it. In slave states, slaves arc
usually punished with death when con-
ycted of stealing, and their value is made
up to the owner out OF the county trea-
sury. The man who holds no slaves,
|pays his proportion of this expense.
| AT this time, there is perhaps no part
OF the civilized world where the people
are more upon an equality than they are
| in Illinois. A man who is foolish
enough TO be proud, is sure to be de-
spised. This equality is the essence of
repuhlcanism. Wehave now no purse
proud nabobs to'turn up their noses at
their poorer eighbors-no naughty mas.
tiers OF hundred slaves, TO display their
superiority. Ii one citizen is little
more wealthy than his neighbours he as
sumes no additional importance on that
account. But introduce slavery, and
the case will be altered Odious aristo-
cratic distinctions will be established;
for arstocracy always attends upon slave
ry. A mans standing will be estimated
according to the number of his slaves.
He who diminlshes the strength Of the
state by introducing into its bosom a
large number OF domestic enemies. will
take the FIRST rank IN society while tho
useful, industrious, laborIng man, will
sink to mere CIPHER.
Ill fares the land, to fastening ills prey,
! Where wealth accommodates, and men decay.
Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade,
A breath can make them, as a breath has made,
But bold peasantry, their country's pride,
| When once destroyed can never be supplied"
Aud now, fellow citizens, is il not evil
dent that, by voting for slavery, or for
convention, which, under present cir
cumstances, is nearly the same thing,
we should seal our own degradation
| Would it not also cause the misery Of
future generations Let me bessech you
to pause and reflect, before you give that
! important vote which can never be re-
called The eyes of the world are upon
you, waiting, in awful suspense, the i'm
portant result. The voice of the people
of the slave states admonish US to shun
the rock on which their forefathers have
split. The voice of Jefferson, Wash.
ington, Henry, Tucker, Harper,
and numerous other worthless OF the
slave states, warn us OF the evils OF slave
Try, and entreat US to avoid them. Let
US listen to their admonItions, and not
voluntarily bring upon ourselves and
our posteriiy that disgrace and degrada-
ton which the roll of ages will be una
Bile to efface. A MECH ANIC.
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