The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-28
MISREPRESENTATION.

1t is difficult to say by whom the Anti-Slavery
citizens of the North are more grossly misrepre-
sented-Northern or Southern politicians. Gen
eral Cass, few days since, in the Senate, while
endeavoring to demonstrate his consistency on
the Slavery Question, remarked as follows:
Every man in the North who does not believe
it to be his duty to enter into crusade against
iSs SSZSs, I'D 20 cover the scNrt~Y VIII blood
and contiagraiou to abolish slavery Il Considered
by large portion of his fellow citizens as
dopghface-that IS The cant term-sold by his hopes
or his fears to the South
We pronounce this a calumny upon the People
of the North; and there is not truth-loving
man in the free States who will not verify our
assertion that no portion Of the citizens of these
States is engaged, or would be willing to engage,
in "a crusade against the South Nor is there
large portion Of the People of the North who be-
leve it their duty to cover the country with
blood and confagrstion to abolish slavery. Even
the small number of Abolitionists represented by
Mr.. Garrison, distinguished as they are by the
severity of their denunciations Of slavery, are
generally non-resistants, haters Of war and blood
shed and every form Of violence. Other and more
numerous classes of Anti-Slavery men, while anx-
ous to throw the weight of their moral influence
against slavery, cherish no thoughts of violence.
The regeneration of Humanity, they hold, is best
accomplished by moral forces-through the action
of mind on mind blood and conaagraton" may
be the consequences of reaction against oppres-
sion and in the Providence of God may be made
to subserve the Cause of Progress, but they are
not the instrumentalities which the advocates of
Truth select, to promote their purposes. They
know that their true mission is, the peaceful ref
ormation Of abuses: Retribution belongs to Him
whose judgments are always controlled by uner-
ring wisdom.
No man at the North render himself liable to
the charge of " Doughfacsism," by refusing to en-
gage in q crusade against the South, or even
against Slavery. But when public man from
the North, in the Halls of Congress, stiles the
honest convictions of his heart in relation to Sla-
very, while every day its advocates are urging its
claims to national favor; when his hopes or fears
or calculations of Interest cause him to shrink
from the championship of Human Rights, iercely
assailed by Shareholders, lead him to the avowal
of opinions or the adoption of policy calculated
to promote their ascendency in the Federal coun-
ellis. drive him to sacrifice the interests Of nom
shareholders to their schemes for the propagation
and domination of Slavery-then it is that not
only large portion" but the great majority of
"his fellow citizens of the North brand him
with the epithet, " DOughtaee"
1t is to be regretted that General Cass, in
striving to vindicate himself against the accu-
sation implied in this epithet, has seen fit to
impute the basest designs to " a large portion of
his fellow citizens" of the North. Who of his
fellow citizens in the North has asked him to vio-
late his oath Of Office, to wage war against the
rights of the South, to turn murderer and an in
cendiary for the purpose Of abolishing Slavery ?
Who has asked him to violate single constitu-
tional guaranty of the rights Of any section,
South or North
lie docs great injustice to Northern People
he imposes upon Southern People-and the ten
dency of his gross misrepresentation of the for
mer is, to infame the passions, deepen the preju-
dices, and increase the jealousies of the latter.