The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-28
For the Examiner.

TAYLoRsvILLE, April 81, 1919.
MEssas. EDrroRs: The Hon. Ben. Hardin ad-
dressed the citizsns cf this place yesterday upon
constitutional reform, taking decided ground
against emancipation in any shape or FORM
This gentleman's style of argument is so well
known to n majority Of your readers, pre-
sumo, that 1t would be useless TO give any de-
scription Of it. Age seems to have weakened
his reasoning faculties somewhat, but it will
never exhaust his stock Of anecdots, or blunt
the edge Of his wit. His speech seems to have
disappointed the pro-slsyery men Of this vcini-
ty. He made no effort to prove slavery bles-
sing to either race; he did not urge the PrecePts
of the Jewish code. the example Of the patri-
archs, or the silence Of Christ and the Apostles
In favor Of the institution. All Of his remarks
seemed to convey the idea that he regarded sla-
very as an evil-but m evil for which there
could be no remedy. Our opponents, who have
been endorsing the absurd dogmas Of Elwood
Fisher, were no doubt ehagrinsd to find their
champion admitting the positions against which
they have been coniendiDg.
Mr.. Hardin was opposed to Emancipation
list. Because 20O, 600 free negroes would form
a very dangerous and troublesome ingredient
in our population. Ard a. he did not HAT at
their removal, he Thinks perhaps, that colonisa-
tionists ara either Missionaries or hyPocriies-
and. Because. in the place Of the negroes we
should hays an Importation of Yankees and
Dutchmen. Upon thin theme the gentleman
was quite humorous, an ID afforded fine field for
tins exercise Of his talent for ridicnis.
3D.. Because. IL a System OF emancipation
we're adopted. nins-tenths OF the Shareholders
wsald move off with their property. While upon
this branch of his argumsat. he entered into an
elaborate sulogy upon the Kentucky character.
and expressed his helisf that the glory Of the
Su,ts would depart forever. should the s.besi
fainilies" leave it, This may be very iattering
to the "aristocrscy," bat do not know how
lhs six-sesentas, tho shareholders, who are
the bone and sinsw Of the State, win relish this
estimate Of their character and services.
4th. Because, II Kentucky were to become q
free State, the balance, Of power would rest
with the North; the rights" Of the South
would be trampled upon; and n dissolution
Of the Union would be inevitable.
ltwould be labor lost to point out the man,
berless contradictions In, his argument; any one
possessing the Power-of reasoning can see that
these propositions which we have given above
destroy. each other. In enforcing his views he
apPealedto no high and noble principles; it was
10 the selfshness Of the stakeholder, to the pre-
iadices Of the ignorant, to the party-fssling Of
politicians, that he addressed himself He
should have been present to hear Cassius Clay
week before, when he said ",hai no cotnbina.
ton Of influences arising from interest. ignOr-
ancss or prejudice can long contend against the
oyerpowering weight oil body Of men acting
in concert from motives Of conscience. Never
in the history Of the world has a party tina,
waged war against conscience been permanenfl,
successful
Towards the close of his address, Mr.. Har-
din, while upon another part Of the subject,
read an extract from hIacaulay's essay upon
Milton, whore he relates the fairy story Of Ari-
osto. Never was speaker so unfortunate in q
quotation. The concluding sentences, which
we viii give, were felt by all rejecting men to
be triumphant answer to his preliminary IT,
rade about the dangers Of emancipation. "Ther.
is only one cure for the evils which newly ac-
qnired freedom Produces-and that cure is free.
dom! When aprisoner leaves his cell he can
not bear the light Of day; he is unable to els.
erimiaaie colors, or recognise faces. But The
remedy is not to remand him into his dungeon,
but to secustom him to the rays Of the sun
The blaze OF truth and liberty may at first daz-
Ella and haWiidAr n.fians which has. I....-,.
half blind in the house Of bondage, but let them
gaze on and they will soon be able to bear il. -
Upon the whole, the friends Of emancipation
are rather glad than otherwise that Mr.. Hardin
hssbssn here; for he has given an entirely new
turn to the course of our opponents. The cause
of freedom and truth ia making rapid progress.
here, and our friends are becoming very san
guine of ultimate success.
In haste, yours truly,
>. h o.