Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-01-29
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, }
South Carolina, June 81, ls44.

SIR; The last post brought me your
communication, accompanying the memo
rial of the Presbytery OF the Free Church
Of Glasgow, in behalf of John l.. Brown,
convicted in this State of aiding a slave in
escaping from her MASTER and sentenced
TO be hung in April last. 1t will be graft
flying TO you, seeing the interest you have
taken in the matter, to learn that have
pardoned Brown. In consequence of re-
presentations made TO me in December
last by Judge O'Neall, speaking for him
self and the judges of the court of APP
peals, | committed his punishment TO thir-
ty.nine lashes. Facts not known to the
jury nor to the judges, were afterwards
brought 10 my knowledge, which satisfied
me that Brown had no criminal design in
what he did; and in the month Of March
transmitted to him full pardon. | was
not at all aware at that time OF the great
interest taken abroad in behalf of one
whose case had never heard mentioned
here, except on the occasions referred to,
and | was astonished to find myself over
whelmned soon after with vouminous petit
lions for his pardon from the non.slave-
holding States of this Union; and to per-
ceive that his sentence was commented
on, not only by the English newspapers,
but in the English House of Lords. The
latest, and | trust, last communication to
me on the subject, is your memorial.
The interference of foreigners, or any
persons beyond our boundaries, in the ex-
ecution of the municipal laws of sove-
reign State, even if in respectful terms, is
certainly violation OF all propriety and
courtesy; and, if carried to any extent,
must become wholly intolerable. pass
that by, however. The law under which
Brown was convicted, was enacted during
our colonial existence, and is emphatically
British law. 1t is also good law. |
pardoned him not because disapproyed
the law, but because did not think he vi.
olated it. 1t would be the most absurd
thing in the world 10 recognize by law
system of domestic slavery, and yet allow
every one to free not merely his own
slaves, but those of his neighbor, when.
ever insligated to do so by his own no.
tons of propriety, his interest or his ca
price. What sort of security would we
have for property held on such terms as
these2 You cannot but perceive, that TO
permit others TO take our slaves from US at
pleasure with impunity, would amount to
total abolition Of slavery. There would
be no real difference between this and al
lowing the slaves to 60 free themselves.
Your Presbytery, and all the petitioners
for Brown, and agtators of his case, must
have seen the matter in this light; and it
is attributing TO US but small share of
common sense 10 suppose that we would
not take the same view of it ourselves.
Whether death should be inflicted for
such an ofense is another question. We
have modified, in a great degree, the san
culinary code Of law left US by our British
ancestors; but we have not gone the length
to which some philosophers, both here and
in your country, would have all countries
90 10, of abolishing the punishment of
death. Nor do believe the success your
government has met with in endeavoring
TO diminish crime by abolishlng this pun
ishment in SO many cases, will encourage
them 10 press the matter much farther al
this time. Considering the value Of a
slave, the facility of seduciDg him from
his master, the evil influence which fire.
quent seduction might exercise on an in
stitution, the destruction of which must
speedily and inevitably strike from the
roll of civilized States nearly the whole
slaveholding section of this country, as it
has already done ST. Domingo and Jamai-
ca, and the enthusiastic and reckless enc.
mics of this institution by whom we are
surrounded, it seems TO me, that if any o.
fence affecting property merits death,
this is one.
Your memorial, like all that have been
sent 10 me, denounces slavery in the Sc
verest terms, as "traversing every law Of
nature, and violating the most sacred do
nestle relations, and the primary rights
of man" You and your Presbytery are
Christians. You profess TO believe, and
no doubt do believe, that the laws laid
down in the Old and New Testaments for
the government Of man, in his moral, so.
cial and political relations, were all the
direct revelation Of God himself. Does il
never occur to you, that in anathemema-
iizing slavery, you deny this divine sane
ton Of laws, and repudiate both Christ
aud Moses; or charge God with downright
crime in regulating and perpeIuating slave.
ry in the Old Testament, and the most
criminal neglect, in not only not abolish.
ing, but not even reprohending It in the
New Teslamen, II these testamenis
come from God, it is impossible that slave.
~ can "trayerse the laws Of nature, or
violate tho primary rights Of mau." What