The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-05-02
A GANG OF INCENDTARIES.
UTICA, N. Y, April 10, 1851.

viva, ~. L., hpIIl ~, lCol.
Our city police have recently brought to
light one OF the most extraordinary gang Of
! incendiarles that ever cursed community.
Over SI50,000 worth of property has been
destroyed by some forly-three or four differ
ent fires during the past eighteen months,
embracing stores, hotels. dwelling houses,
shops. lumber yards and churches-all of
which now turn out o.have been set on
fire by some five or six young men attached
to two engine companies. should per-
haps except two small fires. The proof
against them is sufficient. and their con,
vicion is certain, and it is more than prob
able that they will plead gully. Some
instances have been arson in the first de-
gree, which is punishable by death. The
most remarkable feature in the whole
transaction is the utter want of motive 10
prompt 10 such enormliy. The very men
who put the torch 10 the building, worked
the hardest at the fire. The young man
who helped me to get into the study and
save the library Of our pastor, at the fire of
our Church, was the Identical person who
went up to the steepe and set the edifce
on fire. He is now in prison, awaiting his
trial for arson in the first degree. The only
reason assigned by the guilty parties is that
they wanted little fun and frolc, and that
they went on undetec,ed until they acquir-
ed SORT of mania for such excitement as
the French do for suicide.
The London Times thus describes what
is to he the result Of the Union TO the South
if it goes on as it has been ding. Wheh>
er true or false, we leave our readers to
Judge:
"Snvnry is but question Of time.-.t is
scarcely possible to conceive that Il hundred
years hence there will be one slave in the
United States. not to say in the whole cont
ncnt Of America. The slave owners see the
rumparls rising, the trenches opened. the
communlcat ions established, md the blocade
| closing round them, that is one day to re,
duce them TO unconditional surrender. We
douh. not for M instant that ou- children's
children. will see the chains drop in one
hour from the limbs of three million slnves.
| The Fugitive Slave bill is only n last Iegis.
lative effort against that which is more
powerful than lcgislnturcs-the progress of
human affairs. Every acre added to the
territory of the Union, every freeborn child
added to its population, and every immi-
grant that lunds on its shores, is anoSisr,
weight to the scale of abolition. Then why
excep, because they are dementcd and doom,
ed, do the slave owners take no steps what.
ever TO prepare for the great day of reckon
ing! Why do they assure the perpetual
stability of m institution Mt variance with
the whole tenor md course of modern civ.
ilize,ion! We do rot hesitate TO advise.
them to set their house in order. iEG is
harder to do so now than it NJ. seventy
years back, instead. Of tHring easier, as the
great stala:ai,,an of that day hoped and ex.
;ccrcted-if time has hitherto aggravated ra.
ther than removed the enormous difficulties
of the question, what will be the case thir.
" wears hence, when perhaps there must
and will be abolition without either the slave
or his master being prepared for the change?
Til choice lies between gradual and sudden
abolition, and it is for the save States
themselves to chose which Of those two
they will have-for one they must"