The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-03-27
Douglas Impartially Judged.

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the chief advocate, may possibly be accused
of prejudice and partisan feeling, growing
out of the fact that on most, if not all po-
litical questions, it has uniformly been our
fortune to be entirely opposed to him. But
no such accusation can be brought against
LIE Republican,, an able French journal of
New York city, which has hitherto been wont
to hold up the senator from Illinois as great
prophet of democracy and universal progress
His scheme for the extension of slavery is,
however, too much for our French cotempo-
rary. Unlike Mr.. Douglas and John Mitch
Ell, its democracy does not include negro
driving as one of its fundamental principles;
and it revolts at the last intrigue of this
smallest of "giants" in the following deci-
ded language: N. Y. Tribune.
Ambition to be President is the reason why
Mr.. Douglas aims to repeal the compromise
of 1920. He constitutes himself the apollo
gist and propagandist of slavery, wearing at
the same time the badge of democracy, for
the purpose of catching southern votes. The
desire to be chief magistrate of the republic
causes him to trample on right, justice and
liberty With the same end, Others, before
Mr.. Douglas, have acted similarly. Did not
! Daniel Webster contribute in 1850 to adopt
execrable laws in favor of slavery, which his
conscience must have condemned. and his
intelligence doubtless rejected? His con-
science certainly, for we know nothing more
cruel in human history than the extradition
of fugitives claiming their inalienable liber-
ty, and that with less formality than in re-
storing dog or pig which has escaped an
inclosure. His intelligence we say likewise,
for that was too keen for him not to compre-
hend that the privilege accorded to the ter
ritories of Utah and New Mexico to establish
slavery to the north of So deg. 80 min. would
not fail to be interpreted as annulling ipst
facto the Missouri compromise. Mr. Doug
las probably has no struggles with con
science scared with remorse, nor with his In
tellgence, cultivated in the narrow mental
circle which Illinois offers
This free state regrets, it is said, to be de-
prived of slavery, first by the ordinance Of
1857, and afterwards by the compromise o.
1920. The code which her Legislature has
promulgated against the colored population
surpasses all we know of what is hideous
and revolving in South Carolina or Alabama
Here is an extract from the code;
Every person who brings into the state {
man or woman of color, free or slave, will
be fined from one to five hundred dollars
and will be imprisoned for a term not ex
ceeding one year"
An amendment, however, in favor of plant
ers permits them to cross the state will
slaves, not forfeiting their property, as is tht
; case in New York and other free states.
Every person of color, irrespective of sex
age or occupation, who stays ten days with
in the boundaries of this state, is liable TO
fine of $3.50 In default of payment, he will
be sold to the highest bidder, paying fine
, and expenses the proceeds of such sale tt
be divided equally between the informer ant
the charitable foundations of the place.
Every person born with one-fourth blacl
blood is considered negro or mulatto.
These atrocious laws, which deprive maj
f of his liberty because he has not fifty dollar
at command; the laws which appear to be
long to bygone era and to people at one
: pagan and savage these laws, which outrag
? our century, our christianity. and our civil
ization, bear the date of February II, 1858
, Such is the democracy of the state of Hi
, nois. Is not Mr.. Douglas worthy of repre-
senting it? When he dilates on the individ
ual sovereignty of the states, we understan
e what he means by his redundant rhetoric