Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1851-07-16
EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF
Rev. HENRY WARD BEECH Err
Before The american and Foreign .9nh Hdrery
.SoceLy, Nele YORK. .Mau On. 1851.

on should ESCAPE, | should not feel exactly like
catching him and sending him back, yet still might
do it and not feel very badly, aud would do it it
was called upon for the sake Of the Union laugh
teri for love the Union, aud do not yield to any
one in my love for the Union, not to the mem
hers of the Union Safety Committee But this law
dernands-what Not merely the sending back of
a fugitive from unrequed work--to meager fare
TO a physical discomfort. Slavery is state Of
mental and moral bondage, worse than any mere
bondage of muscle possibly can be. This is point
of conscience with a Christian ] cannot |
will not would suffer MYSELF sooner die than force
or in the Indirect Manner countenance the rem
dition of Il back TO n bondage which brushes
his manhood robs his intellect, enteebles his moral
nature, and while cheating him in respect to Time,
sends him blindfod and stumbling headlong into
Eternity This law says that must take Il woman,
who has just escaped painting from slavery, who has
Just begun TO breathe the air of freedom and send
her back TO the shambles of lust where men may
look at their slaves they do at brues where there
is religion for the slave, sacred marriage, no
law, no schools, no honor, and no protection-back
to the heated and SETTLING waves of damnation Ii is
this the Fugitive Slave Law asks us to do, and we
have ministers OF the gospel who preach to us that
This is Christianity do not say this ia anger, God
forbid but in shame God Judge between them and
the oppressed
There are TWO ways of sending fngitives back in
to slavery. Paul gives us an account of one way
the way he sent back the slave Onesinns. Now if
people will adopt PuuIs way would not object. In
the first place lie instructed him in Christianity, and
led him to become Christian. Then he wrote a
letter and sent by Onesmns He did not send the
slave off under the charge of officers, but he went
back alone, of his free will, with letter and
recommendation brother beloved. Now should
like to see Marshal Deyens and Marshal Somebody
else of this city send back slaves in this way In
the first place the Marshal would take him and teach
the catechisn, pray with and convert him. and then
write a letter 10 his master telling him 10 receive him
us a brother beloved: and then the slave goes of his
own free will to his MASTER and walks into the house,
dye do my brother, and how dye do, my sister '"-
(Applause.)
There are venerable cergymcn, old and wise men
they called-nnd You would presume from what
they say that they very old, and do not know as
they will think, that young MS am, ought to say
what have-mho have had good deal to say about
sending back this slave Onesmts an example for
us. wish it could be made the example. would
like it followed would like to the mar
shals sitting down TO convert some fugitive slaves
and would not speak dsrespcctully Of those cler-
gynen for have respect for them IN spots.-( Laugh
ter.) And wish that this letter of Paul's would he
published by the American Tract Society," aud sent
all over the union.( Cheers.
| object to the law also because it commands me
to essentially II IL sor'''
back Long and Sims, it is right to send back DIR.
Pennngton,a minister of the gospel who has reccV-
ed u docorate from German unversy-not that
the electorate makes him any better man, for doc
torate is of about as much use rs bument to Il
church--a man who was member OF DR.. CoXs
church II II Is Fight 10 send Long Dack III u
right to send DIR. Pennington back. What would
Dr. Cox say to this, and DIR. Cox ought TO know all
about this great subject, for he has been all sides
t of it; and do not know but DR.. Pennington would
he sent back unredeemed as lie is and he is obliged
now TO stay in England, protected by monarchiaI
England from the oppression of democratic America
Say, would any one send DIR. Pennington back ? "a
voice 81 would !" another, 81 too !" another, 81 B."
Would any man in has senses send him back: (Grea
applause. Gu
because it is utterly unfit for the object for which
!, it was made The old law did not send back the
=, slaves, nor per cent of all that escaped. Nc
, more does the new law-Perhaps you are not aware
0 nv friends that there is underground railroaC
t running through this city. am conductor oil
+ it, (cheers) but hear Of it, and understand tina
g there forty slaves who go up on it, to one wh'
goes back But The fault is not in the law. The ole
h law was weak through the flesh, and the new on'
l. proves Just the same, (Cheers) This case is some
5, thing like that of fishing. Now my father is goot
= fisherman, n very expert one, while know nothn:
" about it, aud il makes no difference whether holt
It old stick for pole will crooked pin for hook
Is or elegant brass ierued extension rod with IL
d scientifically fixed. ] cannot in either case catch Il
y, nv fish, cannot catch any with the bent pin, am
it would do good to give me the fly So it is wit
ID the law. The South could not catch their slave
ut with the old law and so they went 10 work to man
ufacture new one complete in all its parts-a pei
~ feet elegant, brass -feruled aw-but after all the
TO won do any better with the new law. The troubl
he is not in the iaO--thal was good enough before
Ig they have bad fishing ground (Cheers) If ma
to was sick with the cholera, and gave dose of med
ed cine TO his horse that would not do him any GOO
he So in this case.--lt the public sentiment TN
he was sick, and they have been dosing the law. (R'
a peated cheersl
Ike NV next objection 10 the Fugitive Slave Law
life that il stirs up i'll blood where caunot afford
or have it stirred up. 1t does this by its wording.
C. seems as if it was worded especially TO insult Il
lat North. man once, describing minister at Il
M West, said-"Ile breaches if he had the devil
:h, him-why, he pitches out the promises OF God wi
al pilchiork." And so this law deals-and the pitc
fork it usesis common pitchork, but one il won
TO seem, imported from the pit below. (Cheers.)
i'll Fourihly, this law takes away abrdges the pr
ow eges of reeinen. We know little about the teri
led that it has among the free coored population
&C. the North-how it has scattered them like parrldg
ec in the mountains before the shot of the hunter Fa
la lies have fled from places where they We're comic
lb- ably and respectfully established and held proper
mt, The free coored people have felt nc security
Joy their property They have feared that they wol
his be sent slavery courts, before slavery judges "
eet slavery Witnesses 10 be tried in regard to their RI
Isle to liberty But mol will not sneer-l take Z
back for it seems would sooner trust Sou
dis ern court than Northern one. think that IN
ud matter of slaves the Southern courts have genera
low been farer than those of the North.
will And filthy, This law obliges the citizens to do
II of which they cannot conscienciously do. 1t comes
kill me and says, Henry Ward Beecher, you must do
heir If call upon you you must assist as good citi
in returning this runaway And because last nj
l received into my house poor, wandering, lam
.nn ing woman, and gave her meat TO eat and waite
~ drink and place of rest-because befriended
~ protected hert comes and lays its strong hand
l;leo inc for doing that which Christ commanded, an
ock Fam too poor TO pay the fine, it throws me into +
cted Aon. To be such have occurred, an
cans pray God they may not occur but they can ocC
aud the man who executes the law in this point
tts him beware how he meets his victim in the da
ruth. judgment! The law is bad enough in obhging