Washington telegraph., 1850-01-23
TRUTH STRONGLY EXPRESSED

During the debate in the Senate on the
resolution to permit Father Matthew to
have seat in the Senate chamber, as a
token Of respect for his services in the
temperance cause. Mr.. Clemens, of Ala
bama, read the Northern abolitionists a
lesson, which. if conned, they will not
easily forget. He said
Their acts for years past have been too
unequivocal to admit of misconstruction.
I know that the cruelties of the slave
noIuer, ana the suffering OF the down.
trodden African, have formed the chief
staple of all their discourses. Let me
tell them. that it would be well to look a
little at home. There are at your own
doors objects OF charity enough, without
hunting for slaves upon whom to bestow
it. There are, at this very moment, in
all your great cities, thousands of home
less wretches, destitute of food or raiment,
and with >ut thought or an instinct that
is not colored with crime. There are
hordes of wretched females toil;ng by
day and bynight for miserable pittance,
which only adds to the horrors of starva-
ton by protracting the agonies of the
sufferer. There are bands of little chill
dren to whom beggary has descended as
an inheritance, and for whom a State
prison is welcome asylum. Misery in
all It's torms-poverty in all its rags
sickness aud starvationare are around you;
and yet, with miserable hypocrisy, you
must travel away 10 the South, and waste
your symrathles upon a population who
are better clothed. better fed, who work
less and live more happily than four-fifths
OF yourselves. You compel poor factory
girl to perform An amount of labor which
is not eNacted from healthy and robust
men by the planters of the South-sep
rate her from her friends and relations
allow no one to visit her without written
pass from an overseer, and all the while
thank God that you are free from the curse
of African slavery. Nay, more; you as
sumo TO be of a better and purer race.
You unhlushingIy assert, Oh all occasions.
that while the pistol and the Bowie knife
give law to the South, you are in the
constant observance of moral and religi-
Gus precepts.
Sir, admit with regret, that there are
occasional scenes of violence among us,
and that sometimes we forget the value
of human life: but our offences have al
wavs touch of manliness in them. There
are no petty Iarcenies-no outrages upon
unprotected females-no midnight assas-
snations for money When we stoop to
initiate the brute creation, we take the
lion, not the hyena. for our model. But
while 1 make the admission that we are
not altogether free from crime. lie. me ask
how stands the case with you! The city
of New York alone furnishes more State
prison convicts than the whole fifteen
southern States together. You tear down
churches; burn up convents. Inhabited
by few helpless nuns; get up professions
in honor of a brutal prize fighter; and
raise riots at the bidding of worthless
player in which scores OF lives are sacri-
feed, without dreaming that there is any
thing in all this unbecoming the descend
ents of the pilgrim fathers. Look at home,
l say; correct your own inquiries. relieve
your own sufferers, and then, but not Till
then, you may prate of the crime and
misery which slavery engenders.