Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-03-18
THE IRISH MECHANICS AND JOHN
MITCHELL.

We extract the following from an address to
John Mitchell, signed by forty-two Irish Mechan-
les Of New York city
John MtcheH-Sr: The subscribers to this let
ter were all natives of the country yourself
many of us heard your eloquent appeal at Belfast
in favor Of the Repeal of the Union with England :;
all admired the earnest zeal you displayed in the
cause of liberty. All Of us felt deep and abiding
interest in your case, while you were under trial,
and sympathizcd most sincerely with you during
your exile from your native country and during
your confinement in distant land. We believed
that YOU were true hearted and genuine friend
and advocate of the freedom Of the whole human
race. When We were informed that you had made
your escape from Australia our hearts all fairly
leaned with 10Y, aud surely in this broad land
more cordially approved the triumphant welcome
accorded to you by the almost unanimous voice OF
the American people. We all rejoiced to believe
that another true and eloquent friend to liberty, TO
universal freedom, added to our number We
reioced in the belief that Ireland had sent abroad
an apostle Of universal emancipation at least as
sincere earnest and disinterestcd, If not so elo-
quent, as the noble orator Of Hungary.
Judge then, of our surprise our modification
and disgust, when We heard that you had become
the apologst Of American Slavery, that accursed
system which converts men made in Gods image
into chattels, articles Of merchandise. You have
dcclamed long and well too against the exactions
Of the British Government and yet, Sir, permit us
to say that the Government has mover chattelized
man. You, Sir were brought up from childhood
to manhood under that Government; there you re-
ccivcd an education, could read your Bible cod
contract marriage with the woman of your choice
a marriage which would be sacred and inyiolable
in the eye Of the law, could protect and educate
the children Of your love- fearless of any separation
from them, and undisturbed by the crack of the
whip of any brutal Cvcrseer. There no master and
slave trader could chatter and higgle about the
price Of the wife or the children you loved.
1t is true Ireland was oppressed by taxation and
unequal laws but the wife of your bosom, the
children Of your love were secure to you The We
~ law which pressed so heavy upon you pecuniar-
ily sanctifcd and protected those objects dearer TO
every good man thnn all other earthly objects.
You, however were not content with the protec-
ton there afforded you, you would agitate for re-
peal Of the union which gave birth to such legisa-
ton, and for this agitation we have no thought of
ccnsure.
AT length however you reach Amerca--thc land
where some three millions Of human beings are
held and owned, just as cattle and horses are
owned, where the marriage ties and parental re-
lations Of those unfortunate beings have not the
strength Of cobwebs against the will Of n needy or
greedy master. In ireland taxation leaves to the
people little more than sufficient for comfortable
surrcrt Of the family and the education of the
children In America every hour Of the life of the
slave is at the nod and leck Of his owner and that
slave may toll from childhood to old age, and then
not have coat or q hat which he can call his own
Yet even this bad it is and worse as it is than
what you complained Of and eloquently de-
nounced in ireland, is by no means the darkest
feature Of the American slave system. Tie unior-
tunnte American slave, while lie is wearing out
year after year, his life in daily toll may have the
vile Of his affections torn from him and consigned
TO speedy death in distant cotton field or sugar
plantation; while the children Of his love are annu
ally one after tie other sold to the save-trader TO
lp srntiprpl thp hrCnd torrtnry axfonIino
from Chesapeake Bay to tho borders Of Mexico.
Yet, John MITCHELL it is for the system producing
such results that you apologize, it is plantation
in Alabama, thus supplied with stout, hearty-ne-
grocs, that you wish to possess.
Some pcrsons, Mr.. Mitchell, have supposed
that the British Government were anxious to get
rid Of YOU and secretly connived at your escape
We shall, now, express no opinion on that sub
iect. But certainly il would be q most deep and
Mochiaycllian stroke Of policy on the part Of the
British Ministry to permit you to escape and come
to America, upon condition that you would become
the apolOgist Of American Slavery Suppose some
Of your friends in Ireland should again attempt to
agitate, how easily could the ministerial papers con-
found and silence them by reminding the people of
the renowned patriot John MITCHELL who so bitter
y condemned the British Government, aud then
apologized for American Slavery What reply
could your friends make? Would they not be
coniounded? What would Daniel o O'Connell, that
great man, say Of your late conduct were he now
alive? What would the hundreds of Irishmen
who heard your dcnunciations Of English Govern
ment, have said had you interposed some apologies
for American Slavery, and somo earnest PRAYERS
for plantation in Alabama stocked with fat,
hearty negroes? They would, at least, have con.
cluded that Curran's genius of Universal Emanci-
/ patton had departed from you, and that some mis-
calculation as gross as it was base and selfish had
mislcd YOU
i We trust that you will soon discover that YOUR
base having of the knee" and kissing the foot of
The dark spirit Of Slavery" was as stupid as it
was base, and thus have leisure to repent of a
course which has not only injured you pccuniarily,
but degraded you even in tho estimation of n large
portion Of the Shareholders. You will not be the
hrst to learn the painful lesson that the treason NAV
10 loved ard Tie traitor scorned. We have no
apology to offer for our plain speaking We ap-
proved your course in Ireland, sympathized with
Your suherings in Australia, rejoccd at your escape
and arrival il America, and now kick at and scorn
your apostuoy.
/ Had Kossuth been guilty of the basencss Of
apologizing for American Slavery, Australia would
have held jubilee over his aposlacy and he would
have rapidly sunk to that low level which YOU are
/, fast approaching The noble hearted high soulcd
{ Germans would have shaken him off with the same
scorn that VIC now feel towards that man of whose
, conduct we were once so proud.