The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-02-14

( pecunlary burthcns upon soclet y, rs The
q extremelyropulent and extremely indi-
tIgent; and fornn obvious reason, ,neithel
Fl ofthem arein situation, ,adequaieIy, to
J appreciate the pressure of those bur-
iEthens. Need we add. that the House
j shouldyield willing and favorable at
: tention 10 the remonstrances Of the rep
,1resentatives Of the small properly hold
!, |ers, who feel those bnrthens in their
/ full weight.
Il The minority think it right to make
themselves understood on sone point,
lest their reasoning should labor under
a prejudice, from which its earlestness,
sincerity, and directness, should rescue
it. They are not conscious Of recon
mendipgi,othe House any policy which
would have even aremote tendency to
promote, orperpetuate slavery. They
do not wish to unchristianize their
southern fellow citizens, not doubling
that while chivaIry, generosity, and
manly spirit are abundant at the north,
so the mild virtues of beneyoIence,
compassion, and human kindness, are
frequently found to flourish atthe south.
But tits believedNhat no good man, OUT
OF the circle ofits immediate influence,
can look upon the image Of slavery
with complacency. 1t has features es-
sentially forbioding and deformed, and
in spite OF all attempts at smoothing
and painting, the sight oflhose features
is calculated to repe and MOTTO attract.
Chershing and expressing these seti-
ments, the committee will not be sus-
pected of naving any sympathy with
that attrocious and brigand spirit which
ruthlessIy dedicates three millions Of
men and their posierty, to the demon
god Of everlasting slavery. It's an in
stitution to be tolerated and excused
from the inyincible necessity OF the case
not to be recommended, or approved.
And those documents, whether origina-
ting in high places, or in low places,
which boldly defend the institution as
righteous, patriarchaI, and agreeable
to the will of heaven, are offensive 10
the enlightened moral feelings OF the
nineteenth century. Some of those
literary effrts, from the high source in
which they originated, were, no doubt,
expected to produce great effect up
on the public mind, and verify, their
authors have not been mistaken; they
have filled the highest order of minds,
and the most generous spirits, with un-
utterable horror and disgust. 37t
But while we acknowledge ourselves
hostile to the permanency of this ins,i-
tution.and would gladly 81, direction
to the policy Of this great State, con-
sistent with its federal and fraternal
relations, yet tending to its final extinc-
ton, we feel that the duty of circum-
spection, in tracing the adaptation of
means to ends, is imposed upon us by
weighty considerations. We are MOI
atliberty to surrender ourselves to the
blind impulses, even Of benevolence,
without carefully weighing the conse-
quences. We cannot, therefore, join
with the petitioners in recommending
the abolition Of all distinctions here, on
account Of color. We think that such
an i'll advised procedure would make
this State the general rendezvous Of
the African race in the United States.
The free blacks, and old worn out
slaves from the southern States, would
be poured in upon US in such numbers,
as to weigh down and exhaust the
charities of our penple, and materially
to relieve slavery from burthen WHICH
it ought to bear. In the language of
an estimable gentleman now in our ci-
| ty, "such course of policy would ef-
fectually prune the tree Of slavery, and
keep it green and Aoarishing, but would
lay M axe to its root" A great many
Of the petitioners appear to belong to
the society of Friends; a society Of
persons very amiable and estimable.
no doubt, in the walks of private life,
but whose mental discipline has not
been such as to render them very ac-
curate, or profound, in tracing the con-
sequences of human actions. A friend
of southern slavery, would join them
in their petitions. |
The report of the majority INDUCES
in some acrimony of phraseology in re-
gard to the supposed tendency of the
policy of the southern States, to keep
the INDECENT classes Of the white people.
in ignorance, in order that they may
labor contentedIy by the side of the.
slave. tits believed that great delica-
cy is demanded in speaking Of the in
stitutions ofour sister States, lest that
kindly and fraternaI spirit should re-
ceiye a wound, which now contributes
so essentially, to strengthen and sup
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