The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-15
Our ForefaGhers.


II is marvellous to US, that any should say,
our Southern fathers were in favor of the per-
PetuatiOn Of slavery, or that they dreamed Of
or desired its extension. 1t sounds monstrous,
as well as marvellous, when they are charged
with looking chiefly to the protection of the Pc
enliar institution in whatever was said and done
BY them in forming our present Constitution
Yet Governors Of States, Senators and members
of Congress, boldly and deliberately affirm this
20 be the fact.
How is III On what grounds do they make
the chsrgel
We fancy, that we are somewhat familiar with
the history Of the past, that we know what our
fathers cid and thought, and We deny, in their
behalf, and in the name of every holy eOnsid-
Grafton, the truth of these assertions. II is a
libel upon the good and glorious revolutionary
patriots Of the South to assert, that they ever,
directly or indirectly, defended slavery. 1t is a
libel Of the blacklist dye upon their name or
character for any man, or set Of men, to affirm,
that they framed Government which was in
tended to protect and extend this curse. The
South owes it to herself to rePel, Indignantly,
any snd all such charges She owes it TO her
selftO denOunce, with proud scOrn, the men who
make them.
What are the factsl
For the first step in the establishment of
slavery on this continent, the settlers were to
blame. We seek to throw the odium upon the
British Government, and, as il had the power TO
prohibit the trade in man, il should bear its share
Bat scho compelled oRy one to pzrekase slaUes7
WHO mere tAe bsyersl We never could answer
these questions without admitting, that public
opinion, in the early settlement Of the coun-
Try. was not concentrated against the traffic,
nay, that it tolerated, and encouraged IL. Had
it not been 50, it never could have been carried
on. The early settlers, therefore, were willing
purchasers Of slaves, and hence must suffer the
the penalty which must ever accompany this
act in the memory and judgment of all good
men.
But the second step was bold, and united
endeavOr, not so much Of the North, as Of the
South, TO stop the slsve-trafhc, and root out
the institution from the land No exception to
this remark is 10 be found. The letters of our
fathers befOrs The rsvOiutioa--their sP~oebes-
ali prOUe this, and the acts Of the people yet
than either, establish the fact. Georgia was as
sound as Maryland. South Carolina as decided
a. Virginia. In one and in all, among poIitici-
ans and people, the great purpose, independent
of the main end was, TO prohibit the slavs-trade,
and destroy slavery.
In I774-indeed, from I77O to l775-not
meeting of public character was held, in which
their object was not earnestly urged, and the on
ly difficulty have, is to select from the testi-
mony which establishes it. June IVA the fol-
lowing counties, in the Old Dominion, Prince
George, CulPepPer. Caroline, Nansemond,
Surry, Fairfax, George Washington presiding)
Hanover, Princess Anne, acted against "the
wicked, cruel, and unnatural slave trade, and
August 18th, full meeting Of the delegates of
the different counties, met at WILLIAMSBURG,
and sOlemnly resolved "neithefsso import nor
purchase" slaves from any quarter. Nor was
North Carolina less decided. The provincial
Convention met at Newborn, Aug. 81, IVA,
and syowed the same purpose. Their resolve
was:
"Thai we viii not import any slave or slaves,
or purchase any slave or slaves imported, or
brought into this province by others, from any
part of the world, after the first Of November"
In this temper, the great body of the South
met the question of slavery. With oneness Of
purpose, they resolved TO crush the monster
vice, and be true to liberty. With steady pur-
pose, they affirmed in their primary assemblies,
thatthe slaVe-trade must cease, and, with IT, that
slavery should die out. 1t was under these cir
cumstanees, that the Firss Continental Congress
assembled at Philadelphia, (elepeH out Of the
thirteen colonies being represented on the Sd
Of Sept IVA. Slavery was prominent topic
Il was discussed in all lis bearings Its evils
were depicted, and whatever good belonged to II
was presented. But after thorough and earn