Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-02-03
llnItc0 5tates Congress.
Editorial Correspondence ofPitts. Gazette
WAsnlNeroN Jan. 10. 1919.


SLAVERY AND ANTI-SLANERY IN TIE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Before The Abolition excitement, some Twelve
or nilcen years since, il was not an uncommon
occurrence for The cirzens Of the District OF
Columbia to petition for the abolition of Slave.
ry wilhinIhcir own borders. There were rea.
sons enough al home for getting rid Of an iusli-
luton which is bl ghI upon this, as upon every
other portion Of Gods rootstooI where the In
s,ilulion Of Slavery exists. Those who peti.
TONED, however, did so with the hope of procu.
ring from Congress the passage Of a law which
would look 10 The ultimate rIJanco Of the evil
under which the District was suffering. The
Abolition excitement at The North put an end TO
all these reforms, here and at the South, and
since then no appeals have been made BY the
citizens for the abolition of Slavery in ;hc Dis
trict. Occasi lnally, however, though rarely,
attempts have been made TO amend the District
Slave laws, but more frequently from petitions
abroad Than at home. These Slave laws are cru.
el, aniquuled and disrcpulabe to the Govern.
ment They present question very different
from that Of The Abolition Of Slavery here, for
every man must admit that Congress has the
power 10 alter these laws. In regard 10 the In
slilulion Of Slavery here, it has been said,
that as Maryland and Virginia would never have
surrendered the territory TO the General Govern.
mcnt if they had supposed tina, Congress would
have made that free territory which was laid out
between the Two Slave States, thereby giving
/ free escape to the Slaves upon each side Of the
Capitol, there is no power TO abolish the evil.
/ | do not concur in this opinion, strong as this
-. = a.. - l.. H..
considered, but be that as it may, it offers no ex
cuse for adhering 10 the anlqualed and barba
rous laws which prevail under the very folds ol
The National flag Of the capitol. Many Of these
/ laws il is true, are incident 10 the Institution OF
Slavery, and inscparable lromit. Thus Slave
cannot bring a suit at law against his master, no
matter what the measure Of offence the master
may have committed. In the case presented by
Mr.. Glddings, a woman sells the slave TO a slave,
and when, by his hard earnings, he has near
Iy paid the price Of his freedom, she resells him
10 another person for lhree-ilihs more than the
original price agreed upon between the mistress
and her slave, and he is borne off to perpetual
bondage,-lhls woman, or rather this fieud in
human shape,-holding the money received
from both in her own hands. The niamy Of
Judas was not much worse than this, and the
free white woman deserves herself 10 be the
Slave. stale the facts in substance ms they
were embodied in the preamble 10 The Resolu.
ton, and Us MIR. Gddngs related them 10 be.
An atlem,t is making by habcas corpus 10
prevent the consummalion Of this particular
piece of villany, and it is due to some Wing
members of Congress, who first heard Of ii,
(Messrs. Giddings; of Ohio, and Mcllwane and
Strohm. OF Pay TO sGy that they took steps al
once TO compel restoration, and without effect.
/ 1t is due TO every respectable man owning Slaves
here, and South of here, 10 say that such case
meets with general condemnation, but after all
! il is but one fact, the worst it is true, incident TO
Slavery. Yon cannot be truly kind and just TO
man without sanctioning that great principle Of
liberty which God has written upon every sim
cerc heart. Who does not feel the poets aspl'
ration.