Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-03-23

laurence County, Der. |, 1925.
A member of the Christian Conference on the
Wabash to Mr.. Roger of White county.
SIR No,w;bstandln you have been
very severe in 7oords, on the address o.
the Christian Conference, relative tc
slavery, still you agree with them thar ar
unlimited slavery is something TO be
dreaded. Then dear sir, if il is indeed
TO be dreaded, why do you abuse tn Con.
ference for praying to their Maker to
keep it out of the state? But you say
the design of the conventionists is only
to introduce limited slavery, in order
TO have The negroes gradually emanci-
pated. Why did they not make a law last
session to emancipate those already in
the state The Governor recommended
it; nearly all the anti-coDv enlionists
were in favor oft, two Of them reported
bill 10 that effect, but two thirds of,he
legislature were convenionisis, there
fore the bill was lost When we see the
conveniionis's utterly refuse % emanc.
pate the slaves that are already here,
how can we believe tina, their design is to
make this slave state in order to set
the negroes Tree? suppose there may
be some ofthe slave parry that would re-
all, but, in general, do MOI think they
are vesy fond of living neighbors to free
negroes. But, suppose we would adopt
your plan Of limited slavery, what
would be the situation OF our state twenty
or thirty years hence? 1t would be
swarmlng with old free negroes worn
out in the service of their former mas
tiers, without education or principle, and
destitute OF the means OF support; they
would be al once public charge and a
public nuisance, stroIIng about the coun-
try, and begging or pilierlng from house
to house. Far my own part would ra-
Their have them here free than in slavery
but cannot see any benefit it would be
to the state TO bring them here al all.
think, sir, you had better keep this part
of your plan secret from the convention
lists with whom am acquainted, because
if they can be made to believe that q
convention would be the means OF sur
rounding them with free negroes, have
no doubt but more than hall OF them
would turn against it. However, il j,
probable that many of the slave party in
this state will advocate your plan; some
will advocate it merely to gain votes for
a convention, while they despise the plan
in their hearts. have heard several OF
the leading conventionis,s say that they
want unlimited slavery, or none at all.
You. as well as many others OF the slave
or convention party, seem to have NOR
tai hatred against preachers and even
wish to debar Them from being mem
bers of the legislature. Now sir, think
to do his WOULD be unjust, ungenerous,
and anti.republican., 1t would be unjust,
because it would degrade preachers
from a common privilege of citizens Tor
no crime. 1t would be unsenerous be-
cause it would be depriving a large
number of your fellow citizens, from a
privilege that you would not like to be
debarred from yourselves. L slori-
~ Of the people wish to make repre-.
sentative of a preacher, it is anti-republi'
can to deprive them of their choice. Ii
is the same as to say 10 the independent
electors, gentlemen you shall not vote
as you please. Perhaps your strongest
argument why preachers should not &C
to the legislature, is, that they have
enough to do at home in attending &c
their congregations. But, sir, the same
objection may be brought with as much
force against mechanics, farmers, law
yers, or merchants, they have enough
to do in attending to their shops, then
farms, &c. 1t is a we'll known fact, thai
very few preachers, IN this state get any
salary for preaching; and if man see
proper to give part of bis time to the
public in preaching tor their good, | dc
not see why !, ought to deprive him o.
any post Of honor or profit in which he
could serve his country and make ar
honest living. 1t is generally acknow'
lodged tina, all our laws are, or ough, to
be, founded on the holy scriptures o.
course an extensive knowledge of those
sacred writings can by no means dis
qualify man for making laws. b.
studying the civil code the a,torne,
learns what law is; by searching the
holy scriptures, the preacher finds oul
what law ought to be, and think the
latter is as good qualification Tor law