Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-04-20
Thomas Corwit, and the Abolitlonists

many rlcn blessings upon her heart.
Thomas COrwiti and the AbOlitlOnists.
CINCINNATI, Ohio, April 8, 1863.
To the Editors Of the Enquirer: S.4-s.----z-
In the Enquirer of this date you have the fol-
lowing extaact, from the Southern Patriot, Of the
.spiquant sayings Of the inimitable Tom" "He
said they were whining, canting, praying set of
fellows, who kept regular books of debt and cred
it with the Almighty. They would lie and cheat
all the week, and pray off their sins on Sunday.
If they steal negro, thatmade very large en-
try to their credit, and would cover a multitude
of peccadilloes and frauds. This kind of entry
they were always glad to make, because it cost
them nothing. When they could not steal a me-
gro they gave something in charity fof the extern
sion of the gospel, and then commenced system
of fraud and cheating, till they thought they had
balanced accounts with their God.' And you
add "He has, as is understood, purchased proper
in Kentucky as residence.
Whether Thos. Corwin includes me, who have
contended, in my own State, for emancipation on
the soil among the Abolitionists, know not.
1t is the policy of the slave party and there rene
qades to render odious the most ultra Of the op-
ponents of slavery, and then use that odium for
the overthrow of all the friends of justice and
liberty. For my part, am willing to come un-
der his category: for, inasmuch as | would use
all the opponents of slavery in the world for it's
overthrow, so must not avoid the consequences
ofmv associations. At one time the Abolition
lists are held up as invidious knaves, at another
as one-idead fanatics who are void of moral re-
sponsibility, and unfit to administer any Govern
ment They cannot be both! They are neith-
er one or the other. But do not propose to de-
fend them-hstory will do that-but to repel the
caIumny of the ex-Secretary. If the Abolition
lists were as base Corwin represents them, it is
right they should be exposed. Although war
of personalities is always repugnant to a gentle
man, yet if he thinks they are, (even though
they are not,) as he says have no objections to
the utterance.
But when Thos. Corwin tells not only what is
Untrue, but what know he bhlieues to be untrue,
not only self-defence, but the instincts of gen
erous indignation at unprovoked and ungrateful
wrong compels me to hold him up to public re-
probation.
When Mr.. Clay was the candidate for the Pres
idency, in 1914, Thomas Corwin and l spoke
daily for long time through Ohio in company.
That battle was fought iii the North at least up
on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. principles, the
friends of slavery perpetuation being avowdly in
favor of the annexation of Texas, with view of
keeping up balance of power in the Senate, by
the acquisition of more slave States; and the
friends of Jeffersonan republicanism, holding
that slavery was an evil-tolerated- but to be
extinguished in due time-North and South-stane-
ing for H. Clay, and against Texas annexation
came from slave State, embittered in my feel
heartily denounced that my sensibilites as a
Southern man were continually susceptible. l
am an habitual reader eff William L. Garrson's
Lsberator. and Garrison never surpassed him in
heartfelt hatred of slavery and slave holders
His now slave-holding friends will gather some
idea of his abated ire when they review his eel
ebrated speech in the Senate, where he awarded
me and other volunteers in Mexico his aspirations
of sbloody hands and hospitablo gravesr But
what struck me as most remarkable in the "inim-
table Tom was his indulgence in n"whining, cant
ing and praying in his speeches! have been
in the Juror or revvals, and the wild enthusiasm
of the bivouacked camp-meeting, and never did
unctious Methodist parson move me to tears like
the inimitabe Tom!'' And to such extreme did
ssTom'' carry his scrptural quotations that ne got
to be decide bore and severely criticised his
want of taste--and what was, to me, irreyerent
as the slave-christian would have me-almost
blasphemy! He then defended himself upon the
ground that no people were so conscientious and
devout as those same Abolitionists, whom he now
denounces as consummate knayes.
If the Aboltionsts sscheat'' and "steal" the
reproach comes with bad grace from the chief
beneficiary of the Gardiner swnde And how
ever guilty we may be, it adds hut little to our
penitence to be lectured by man who now has,
dishonesty, our money in his pochet!
The truth is, Thomas Corwin is nothing else
but mercenary renegade. Of humble origin and
professed Wing, there has been no time in the
last twenty years that he could have been elect
ed to office without the votes of the Abolitionists
and laborers of Ohio With considerable flip
pancy of spec ch, caricature, mimicry and panto-
mime, added to his soubriquet of the wagon
boy,'' and his professed Abolitiopism, he ascend
ed much higher in the political scale than MS
talents or true merits deserved. He aspired to
lead the liberal party in these States by STEADY
efforts which eliminated in his notorious Mexi-
can war speech-which sealed his career in that
direction; for it outraged his opponents and dis
gusted the true friends of freedom in these States
proved him a mere partizan and politician, and
not statesman of enlarged and practical views
1 who only can embody into action the aspirations
and dicta of the devotees of liberty-who by theii