Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-07-27

continent, could not lack the pecunlary means,
Ii either gold or territory was needed, the
owners ofCafornia, and ofthe almost bound
less expanse of virgin soil from the MISSISSIPPI
pi TO the Pacific, were in condition to offer
any price. Or if this was not the right way
OF proceeding, the difficulty should not have
conquered the unconquerable spirit of Amer
lean freemen. Al the very least, it was be-
lieyed that you would not allow the territory
OF Slavery to be extended by single league,
that you would gradually contract, if you
did not suddenly annihilate it,--that Slavery
would soon dwindle, pine, and sink ashamed
| into its graye,-that the spirit Of liberty and
| Christianity would achieve another and high
er triumph on your soil, to win the admiration
| of mankind.
Dor, alas! how have these reasonable hopes
been dashed to the earth Instead of a con-
traction of the Slave territory, we see mighty
| extension of it. Instead of the system Ian
| gushing, it has received dreadful accession
| of strength. Instead of the Free States be-
coming so pervaded with the true spirit of
| freedom that they could not endure the exis-
tence of slave on their SOIL they have be-
| come abettors of the wrong doors, and lend
| themselves-m l say, with something like
| eagerness-to drive back the painting fugitive
| to bonds aud punishment. Instead Of the
shade OF BunlIer-h hill proving an inviolable
sanctuary, the foot of the slave hunter has
polluted it; and in the face of day, with the
forms of law, and under the martial array of
Boston, the poor refugee has been dragged
from the very altar Of liberty.
AND you, Gentlemen Editors, what have
you done in the face of such events Answer
not, Am l my brothers keeper: The
MAKER whom you worship, the RsEDEMER in
whom you trust, reply, you arep Ii the
yicfc ,boxo
1t is surely for the diffusion of truth and the
defence of right and liberty. On such an
event as the capture of BURNS, one would
have expected every Boston newspaper to be
filled with prote stations against the outrage.
One would have looked for the most conclu-
slve arguments, or rather for instructive bursts
OF Indignation, against the system which thus
violated the rights and Frustrated the dignity
OF man. From SO many organs Of public and
OF republican sentiment, one would have an
ticipated a perfect crash of denunciation,
making it far more impossible for Virginian
STAKEHOLDER to drag his captive through Bos-
ton srreets, than for BRIGHAM YOUNG, the
Mormon Governor oil Utah, to parade his hum
dred wives through those streets, as he is said
to have done i'll his own capital. In place of
such virtuous Indignation, what do we read
Alas many of you, fear ma jorlty, great
slave catcher than with the slaye-haye de-
nounced more bitterly the abolitonsts than
the public crime which stung the abolitioniss
almost to frenzy. l am ITO lover of violence:
but OF all places i'll the world, Boston was the
hs;, where ol3nce for freed0n,'S sake should
be denounced as All lpardonable crime. 1t
Is not on the blue waters OF your lovely bay,
once strewu with the merchandise OF China.
flung overheard by a population which revolt
ed against a mere tao, that vessel should
ever afterwards have tloated bearing the un-
utterably offensive burdea of q Sta0e-hHntey
and his STAGE still less should Boston popu-
latlon have borne to look upon it. such
things might have been done formerly at AL
giers-the victim being white man, Instead
of a black in Massachusetts they should
have been impossible. 1t is true the thing
that was dragged along your streets was
chattet which by Virglnian law you may buy,
you may sell, you may work, You may fog,
you may treat as a beast OF burdeirNdestltute
equally OF soul and affections as OF every hu-
man right: but i'll tie eye OF his MAKER he
was A Mana CHRISTIAN man-we are told u
CHRISTIAN MINISTER - endowed with the
priceless treasure Of an immortal spirit-TnaGe
in the image of his MAKER, and REASONED by
that blood which flowed for black men and
white alike. Oh! Gentlemen you think us
III England less the friends of freedom than
yourselves: but assure you, in all sincerity,
that such an outrage on freedom as many have
looked upon cody i'll Boston, makes our ears
tingie and our souls shudder.
WE are not insensible to the political i'm
portance of maintaining the Union. But we
bel eve no political advantage can justify
moral wrong. No man i'll England, that l
know of, has the slightest wish to see the
Union severed-unless, indeed, the severance
should appear to be IndIs pelsable to check
the extension of Slavery The prevailing be-
lief here is, that Slavery itself is the only
thing which endangers the Uluon. We see,
indeed the dangers OH both sides. 1t is pos
sbe that 10 contend for the abolition of Sla-
very might provoke the Slave States to declare
themsel. es lndependant. But it is also posi-
Bile that to resist that abolition may extend
and perpetuate the system OF Slavery, which
| is even now rending your churches and your
| population into embIttered factions; whilst, III
| addition, it is pollutng the moralse OF the
| people throughout the Free States, exercising
an influence antagonistic to that OF ChristiallV
ity, and thus spreading poison through the
| VEINS OF your commonwealth. Which of
| these two dangers is the greater Which
| would it be more honorable to confront 1t is
| obvious that the pre- seat state OF things can
| HoJ ue peIpcludls Inc lever cannot always
continue to rage. Yet it is morally impossible
that the Christianity of the North should
cease to be hostile to the Slavery OF the South.
! A great alternative is before yon:- Cltrtstian-
ay must conquer Staoery, or Slavery aoiU con-
Qaer Christianity. Or 1t may be presented i'll
another form Freedom must extend its do0siR-
ion 10 the South, or SIaeery ,oW extend its do
nsinion to the North. There is, indeed, one
escape from this dilemma, and that is, by a
| separation of the Union, i'll which case Free
| dom would hold its reign i'll the North, and
Slavery in the South. Thus three things
seem possible in the future-1. that all tie
1 States should be Free States; g that they
should all be Slave States; 8. that the Free
States and Slave States should separate Of
| these three erentualties, the, frat would be
glorious second would be dreadful-and
the third would be a lesser evil embraced to
avert a greater evil. Whether, then, you seek
| the GLORIOUS good or the lesser evil, duty
points TO steady and constant (though of
| course peacefully efforts on the part OF the
l North to bring about the abolitoI of the fell
crime Of Slavery; aud, at least, to repudiate
ON the part Of the Flee States and their popu-
lations any act or law tending to countenance
/ Slavery.
apprehend the wise and right thinking of
your people cannot be indffeledt to the opin-
ion formed concerning them by other civilized
nations. Though proud, you are sens. tive
You would rather defy the world i'll arms
than defy them in opinion. No effort could
make you long impervious to the reprooIs-
given "more in sorrow than in anger of a
Christian and friendly nation, linked to you
| hx,t If ,uto rali h1,r