New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-06-20
Ar,i.slavery and Courtesy.

natl papers that great South w estern Convention
Of all opposed To slavery without distinction Of
party would assemble in Cincinnati On the 18th
inst and general invitation was given 10 Amt
Slavery men to be present A little later, the
Editor Of The Tribune was honorcd with spec'a'
invitation TO be present at first intended to com
ply having long contemplated VISA, 10 Southern
Ohio Missouri Illinois. &c. this month; but al the
last moment being compelled To postpone that tour
/ sent a letter TO leading AntiSlavery men IN I'm
cinna,i in answer 10 their invitation. Ihis 'el'e'
explained my absence from the Convention and sci
forth. with entire frankness. and without Intentional
diseourtesy. INV views on the subject OF Slavery
views no, hastily adopted nor to bc nightly repu'
dated This letter was duly forwarded, and read
with others. TO the Convention, where II appears to
have been received with very decided disapproba
ton The regular report Of proceedings III the
Abolition daily OF Cincinnati states that while the
letters OF G. NJ Clay. Gov Seward and Elihu Bur
ritt. the Learned Blacksmith were received with
sienal favor mine met with a very different reccp
ton, viz:
.Wbeu the reading of Mr. Greeeys letter was con
Guided Mr. Smith rose and stated the audience that
he deemed 1t his duty state that while there wcrc
come things in the letter OF Mr. Greeley which met h
appreciation by far the greater part of consisted q"
erroneous views with which he had no sympathy
much dissatisfaction being expressed with the letter
the President remarked that he knew not how IT came
Il had been handed tO him. =.
"Dr Bailey and stated that II wac due 10 hf
Greeley say that he had been addressed by nenp'
Of the Committee of Arrangements, requesting MS ~
tendance. he could not attend 10 give ms Vows IL
writing Mr. Greeley had answered IN a frank aiiu
manly style: we disagree with his views This much
an Justice to Mr. Greeley He you'd now move mat Inc
letters read the Convention including that OF ioTac'
Greeley be published with the proceedings. wmch
motion was then laid the table, but seems to nave
ultimately prevailed
The paper Morning Herald which makes thu
report contained not the S'ter, but twocolumn
review of it, assailing its POSITIONS the letter itsel
1ss given two days later, accompanied by another
and rather harsher commentary. From this com
mentary quote as follows;
"A word now ON incidental matters. Mr. Greeley
shows himself deficient in magnanimty. IN the part o.
his letter in which he the office OF counselor o.
Abolitonis,s. lie advises them to oppose Slave N
Ill liz forms to labor for the removal Of the dsabihe-
Of the Free Colorcd People to look wen 10 the mora
and social condition of the Blacks in the Free States
Are these strange duties To an Aboionstt Long DC
fore Mr. Greeley commenced his Tribune, Aboiiionisi
were attending every OF thesc things and hence
in great part the odum they have incurred Mt 1rce'y
knew that they had always distinguished themselves bN
their jealous efforts to relieve the coorcd man IRON M
disabilities. and elevate his moral and intellectual con
dton This is notorious Why had not Mr. Greeley
the magnsnmiiy admit the iactto concedc so much
10 the credit Of those whom he opposes Every dui,
which he specifies "a important they have been prac
ucinQ for the last twelve yesrs-and already ufonsh
their nsrumenality the Black Lave of several OF hc
States have been repealed Why had he not soul enough
70 cay soi
III was this want Of magnaniiy Ii 4, occasicncd dis
satisfaction in the Convc ton to such an extent that We
feared at one time IL word he guilty Of the dNcouricsy
Of refusing to print his letter, &C. &c
We have here developed IL wide diversity OF
opinion, involving questions of fact My leading
idea was that Slavery is 10 he abolished or at least
Ito abolition rendered feasible, by improriag and
slernt,ng the condition Of the Free Laborcr, white
Or black male or female. Talk to Shareholder OF
the evils and wrongs Of Slavery, and he answers
tscc letters Of the Governor of South Carolina
"Sirs feed and clothc your orn furnishing poor
do justice to your Laborcrs; elevate them to pc
'sition of intelligence and independence, men tak
TO us" 1t seems me that this is rather forcihlo
and pertinent talk-ihst while it does not at all jus
tify Slavery mitigate its horrors it does ciicc,uay
atop the mouths of many noisy Abolitonists Now
say, let those who really desire the overthrow OF
Slavery, and no, rather to make themselves con
spicuous and honorcd as the dcnouncers of other
folks sins, begin by removing this first stumbling
block out Of the way. Let search out the hiding
places Of slavery among ourselves, and rip then
open. Let il any persons or classes exist II
our boasted Free States in condition, mental mora
or social, resembling that OF Slaves and redress then
wrongs. Let those who proclaim themselves Abo
iitionists begin BY thoroughly aboishng SLAYER,
wkers they can abolish IL that no child shal
,h< Of nm baurbtx IA
rents eye; no hired laborer delve through life on
pittancc which barely holds soul and body together
NO household servant exist in a state OF icnorance
drudgcry, terror and hca,hcnism; no poor man asb
10 vain for opportunity To earn bread for his chi
drcn This is my idea of the proper place TO 6eg'A
the abolition of Slavery-not by invcishins aSans
distant wrongs but by rcdressing those around an,
among US
Now am twice accused of a want Of rnasnanlm
ity in assuming to counsel The Convention though
plainly invited to counsel in in giving such advc,
a. the above, and in urging Anti-Slsvery men 10 Sc
Themselves earnestly at work to remove the Poliii
cal disabilities and Social wrongs Of the Blacks Il
in their own Free States The Herald asserts tina
I'kse~ that the Abolition party had always dis
nguishcd themselves by their jealous efforts 10 re
move the colorcd man from his disabilities. &c
Under favor | must insis, tina, know such thing
and that il such be- the fact | remain TO this day II
most Egyptian darkness regarding IT, Let me Illus
trase the point in difference between us: There Is
he County Of Lorain. Ohio with avowcd Aboh
t'onists suSccn, any time these five years to sccur,
the election Of Legislators friendly TO the rcmova al
IL unjust disabilities under which the Blacks o
Ohio now labor. Ye, they have cas-, their votes -
~ usually to send the dcadliesi enemies and or
prcssors of the Blacks to both Houses Had III.
Aboitioniss Of Ohio directed their efforts to the ex
tirpstion of Negro vassalase ~ Ohio and cas-, ,he
votes avowedy for such candidates. without regsrC
to party as would 10 with them to this extent the,
woold have made Ohio really Free State by ,hi
time; but they have chosen rather to labor u bull,
up special party than to extirpsie slavery They
have managed 30 as to give Mr. Birney 5000 vote
for President. and with their brethren IN o,bc
statesl give Slavery vast increase Of territory ans
sprepondcrsncc in the Senate OF the Union; but III
Blacks Of Ohio remain where they were when IN
Liberty party was started. shall all this expe
rience be thrown away