Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-12-05

IthOu tuulillCb III dIlubHCOs lOu lOIRCl
the other side Of the picture: you have
Eeitber sorrow nor sympathy for the suf-
ferings of those who are inquilously com
PEELED to labor for the affluence Of 9th
ers, those who work without wages, who
toll without recOmpense, who spend their
lives in procuring for others the splen-
dor and wealth in which they do not par.
ticipate. You totally forget the suffer.
ings of the wretcbed blackmen, who are
deprived of their ALL without any COM
psusatiOn or redress. II you yourselves
all of you, or any Of you--were, with
out crime or offence committed by you,
handed over into perpetual Slavery-if
you werecompslled to work from sunrise
tOsuuset without wages supplied only with
such coarse food and raiment as would
keep you in working Order-i6 when
your 'Owner fell into debt. you wero sold
10 pay his debts, not your own; if il we're
made crime 10 teach you to read and
10 write-if you, we're liable 10 be sepa-
rated, in the distribution of assets, from
your wives and your chiJren--if you, a.
Cove all, we're 10 fall into the hands Of
brutal master--and you condescend 10
admit that there are some brutal masters
in America-if, among all the circum>
stances; Some friendly spirit of more
generous order we're desirous to give
liberty to you and your famiies--with
what ineffable disgust would you not
laugh TO scorn those who should traduce
the generous spirits who would relieve
you, - you uow pseudo IriyhmeH-shame
on you !--hHvs traduced and vili6ed
the abOlitionists of North America.
"But you came forth with justi6ca
tiOn, forsOoth! You say that the Constitu.
ton in America prohibits tho abolition of
slavery. Paltry and miserable Subter'
fUgel The Constitution Of America is
founded upon the declaration of Indepen.
dence; that declaration published to the
world its glorious principles--that char"
ter of your freedom cantained these
emphatic words:
"'We hold these truths TO be selEeVi'
dent: that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL;
that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain 'inaIicnable' rights: that a
mon9st those are life, LIBERTY, and the
pursuit Of happiness And the cOnclu
sion Of that address is in these words:
For the support af this declaration, with
firm reliance on the protection Of Di.
vine providence we mutually pledge each
other our lives, our fortunes, and our sa-
cred hOnorr
"There- is American honor Tor you.-l
There is prOfane illusion to the adorable
Creator!
"RecoIlect that the declaration does
not limit tbs equality of man or The right
to life aud liberty 20 The white, or to the
copper colored races; il includes alI "a.
ceS it excludes none.
ave do not deign TO agree with you,
or the terms Of the American COnsIiiu-
ton, aud yet we cannot help asserting
that in that Constitution the word slave.
ry' or slave are not TO be found There
are. indeed, the words 'persons bound TO |
labor hut is not said how bound; and
constitutional lawyer or judge, consru-
ing the American Constitution with a re-
fereCce to the declation OF independence,
which is its basis, would not hesitate 10
decide that bound by contract TO labor,
and should not be held to imply 'forced
or compelled TO labor in the absence Of
all contract. and for the exclusive benefit
Of Others.
However, we repeat, that we do not
deign to argue this point with you, as
we proclaim 10 the world our conviction
that no constitutional law can create or
srmction slavery. Slavely is repugnant to
the first painciple of society; but is e.
nough for US to ssy, as regards Amen>
cans, that it is utterly repugnant to that
declaration OF the equality of all men
aud inalienable right OF all men 10 life
and liberty. To this declaration the Fl zee
citizen Of the United States, have in the
persons of their ancestors, solemnly
pledged their sacred honor
"We shall at once show you how that
sacred honor is baseIy violated, and de,
monstTate how totally devoid of candor
you 2address is, inasMuch as you rely on
the constitution Of the American States
as precluding the abolition Of slavery,
whilst you totally omit all mention Of one
district, which the constitutional law al
lodged by you does not reach--we mean
the district Of Columbia.
''In the district of Columbia thsre is
no constitutional law to prevent the Con
gress from totally abolishing slavery
within that district. Your Capital is
there The temple Of American freedom
iS there the hall Of your republican req
resentatives--the hall Of your republican
senators--ihe national palace Of your
President is there--and slavery is there,
too, in its most revolving form The
slave trade is lhere-the most disgusting
traffic in human beings is there. Human
flesh is bought and sold like swine in the