The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-04-17
FOR THE uADIsosiAs
ABOLITION.

Mr. Epiros:-I have just read, for the first time,
and with so much admiration Of the persPieuous
style and manly eandor Of the author letter iroa
the Hon. J. WAsHISGTos Tyson, Assistant fos'uiaS-
ter General on the subject of .iboiiion, that mus'
ask the favor Of you altogether without his Know
ledge) TO insert the passages enclosed. MI Tyson"
was candidate for the Legislature, and the ques-
ton put 10 embarrass hun by the opponents Of Cen
eral Harrison was, whether he was In favor OF such
an alteration of the Constitution as would release
the people Of P.nnsy vana from all participation IN
holding human beings in slavery After stating that
he knew Of no obstacle TO the manumission OF such
sayees as were still held in PeBnsy lyana, he goes
on TO adj what follows TO slavery in this District,
and in references to the general subject II would
be well if all aspiring IoliIicians would emulate Mr.
Tyson's frankness Surely Southern man could
be more sound, any man more explicit
"Though the rights of the District of Columbia
NAV differ frou, those of sovereign States in FORM
they are IN this particular, substantially the same
With jurisconsults 'the and spirit Of law
has ever been the most efectual mode OF discovering
| its true meaning. Will it, then, be commended that
Virginia and Maryland would have become parties
TO any arrangement which might convert the terrific
| nv ceded to the Federal Government into refuge
for absconding slaves Or will II be pretended that
| their co-slaye States would have sanctioned a
/ provision Of the Constitution, which might
subject them, in any contingency, TO the
| dangerous example Of such nelghbor p
The territory in question granted for specific
purpose and the reason and spirit Of the cession
preclude the exercise Of any control over il not III
dispensible to that end ] believe, therefore, that
comfy, good faith and the integrity Of the Union
forbid any alteration OF the conditions upon which
| the grant was made The numerical superiority or
physical power Of the free States, does not weaken
the force of these objections. Constitutions are
made for nlinorilies-to protect the weak from the
| aggressions OF the strong.
| You will excuse me for expressing the opinion
that If polemic or militant anti-siayery in the free
| States ever wise, IL has ceased TO be since
the impairment, mischevous, and criminal inter-
meddlIng OF the politicians and subjects OF Great
! Britain. There is serious Tor the appre-
henslon, that If persisted IN, IT will indefinitely
postpone the incipient steps to the abogation
| Of the system in those States which haves long
b, en- anxious to get rid Of it. l. it not be for
gotten that the existence Of the institution of sla
| very, is the misfortune and not the fault Of the
South. To England belongs the responsibility, and
To her attaches The odium OF introducing II upon our
shores In the recollection of the constant and ur
gent though rutless, remonsirances Of our ancestors
against the spirit OF cupdity which actuated her min
slry the encouragement Of the slaye-trade no CT
tzen of this country, who possesses the proper Anne
rican feeling, iai! to be indignant al the calum
| MES with which her statesmen and public Jour-
| naIit, dssdil u.s. Siidut, IL no uiyueT
motive sh, ud restrain them in their work of ma
| tiona defamation, while Ireland and British In
dia groan beneath the accumulated wrongs OF Eng
land lie! them first justify the outrage against
civilization and humanity committed IN the "Opiun
war" with China, before they essay to corrct cur
morals or school US the principls Of Christianity
The Asatc colonies Of England furnish ample
field for the diiiusise philanthropy OF her mission
aries, without rcsorting 10 the shores of America.
There no longer remains doubt that the agitation
| IT ca h.,
iser hostility 10 the United States 1t is not the fruit
Of an honest conystion of duty among those who
the instruments Of tho excitement, but of the
cantng hypocrisy of functonares unable to suppress
instructive jealousy towards this country common
among the members of the English government.-l
The politicians OF that country evidently fancy thay
discern in this question, all entering wedge by which
the union OF these States may be severed-a con.
summation long desired by the enemies of republi-
elnism. There is no mistakng the remarks of the
President Of the late Anti Slavery Convention of
London
My dear friend, said Mr. Clarkson addressing |
that body, "you must eadeayor by all justihable I
means TO affect their (the Southern Sates) temporal
interests You must eDdeayor among other things, TO
have the pr duce Of free tropical labor brought into tho
markets OF Europe, and undersell them tbere-apd If
you can do lhis your riefory is sure" That no doub,
may lnger in your minds OF the determination to
der the anslavery excitement subseNent TO the In
terests OF British trade, annex another extract from
the speech of MIR. ClaIksOn-being the remarks |
which Immediately follow those above quoted.
Now that tins IS possible, and this may be done
there Is no question. The East India Company alone
do 1t of Themselves and they can do il by me ans
that are perfectly moral AID pacifc according to
your own principles, namely, by the cultivation OF
the earth and by the employ ent Of free labor; they
may, If they please, not only have the high honor OF
aboishing slavery and tie slave trade but the advsn
tage Of increasing their beyond all cacula.
tion; for in the first place. they nave land in their
possession twenty times more than equal 10 the sup
ply Of oil Europe Vm tropical produce; in the second
place, they can procure, not tens Of thousands but
tens Of millions Of free laborers 10 work in the third
what OF the greatest consequence in this case the
price Of labor with these is only from a penny to
three half penge per day. What slavery can stand
against these prIces' | learn, too, from let |
ters which | have from India, and from |
the Conipanys oicn Reports that they have long
been engaged, shall say providentally engaged, in |
preparing seeds for the cultivation Of cotton there
Now # we take into consideration all these previous
preparations (by which appears that they are ready
to stsrt) and add 10 this the consideration that they
could procure, not tens Of thousands, but tens Of
millions oil Tree aborers TO work. speak from au-
thorhy-l believe that IL they would follow up their
plans heartily, aud with spirit according TO their
means that IN the course Of six years, they would
materially affect the price Of this article at market
and IN twelve that they would be able To turn the
TIDE completely against the growers Of 1t in tho Uni
ted States "
II is difficult TO believe that there we're American
citizens present and participating in the eedings
OF the Convention TO which such remarks were ad.
dressed and that they in spirit and re-
creant TO the honor and welfare Of their country az
10 applaud them. Yet such is the Illuminating fact
Believe nc, gentlemen, Christianity is against YOU
esgued With England, in such an unnatural crusade
assirstyour counrymen. Can you be surprised tina
our Southern brethren are unable 10 reason CALMLY !
on this subject under the consciousness that a DOR.
ton of their feow-citzens are in effect aiding our
old enemy 20 place the torch and the knife IN the |
hands OF unfortunate and half civilized race living
in their midst with the imnlnh ini,,nnt,or L. -.