Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-02-20
From the Citizen.
John Mitchellss Reply to the Rev. III. w.
Heecher:


to see letter addressed to you by on
whom you supposed to De dead. In you
anti-slavery lecture; as reported in tn
Tribune, find that yoti announced m
decease to large congregation and wit
Christian mcekness tepressed the lou
Kisses of your hearers, iii c6nsidefatib, G
the respect due. to the deceased. Thi
morning | have read my own epitabh il
the Tribune, and even an account Of tn
coroner's inquest, which must hare great
ly affected my friends, if have any left
find myself therefore, in the position
of Partridge, the almanac maker, who Eat
TO come before the public 10 prove hithsel
lalive, notwithstanding the obituary no
tice Of Dean Swift; and had even mucl
trouble in establishing the fact. It is
necessity. lou may be difficult to con.
vince, and may choose even to regard thsi'
communication as De profundis clamavi,
or voice from the tonbs but will .ry
to satisfy your reverence.
The New York Tribune first, next a
small fry Of newspapers whose names l
forget, and lastly your facetious reverence,
in your paper, The Independent, all have
poured out OH me torrent Of virtuous in
dignation. simply because refused to
brand as criminals large portion of the
citizens Of this republic, and about one
half all the human beings who have ever
lived in the world besides. You and the
Tribune, and the "benevolists, of this en-
lightened century, have found out new
crime, as if there had not been enough be-
fOr nd Vuha syoto u
fellow-creatures, his citizens, and
forefathers, with this lately invented sin,
over and above all their other sins, you
cry out that he is 'catiff," thistle, -
"hideous hag," and dead man. You
write his epitaph, and find verdict OF
felo dc Sc upon his corpse.
1t seems, also, that have disappointed
you and the Tribune; which is painful
But what if the disappointment is owing
not to my fault, but to your stupidity p
For here is your reasoning: tried to de-
stroy British dominion in Ireland, but |
decline to say that half of the American
citizens are vile criminals; therefore "there
could be no principle in my struggle with
England" Il quote from your article in
the Independent And the Tribune
makes no scruple TO say "that II liberty
for Ireland and the Irish is sought in the
spirit eyinced, and on the principles avow-
ed by the Citizen, it can hardly be neces-
sary to say that the effort will be fruitless,
and the hopes of its champions mockery.
Alas, for the aspirations Of the oppressed
and exiled, it their Indictment to struggle
for liberty is the horrible desire of buying.
selling, and lashing each other" l con-
fess that can make no sense out OF such
language. Benevolence is good, but lit
tie logic also would be no harm. Let US
see how it would apply to another case.
General Washington, the Father of his
Country sUaw no crime and peccadillo in
holding slaves, and in making them work
on his farm. General Washington wish
ed to possess, ard did possess till he died
and always took good care OF plantation
stocked with negroes, not in Alabama, but
in Virginia. Nay. he wished TO possess
more plantations; otherwise he certainly
never would have offered $500 for Mr..
Clinton's. Thomas Jefferson, the greatest
of the founders of American democracy,
lived and died STAKEHOLDER and bequeath-
ed his slaves to his relatives. Therefore
"there could be no principle in their strug-
gle with England y the effort ought to
have been fruitless, and the hopes Of its
champions mockery;" for stheir incite-
ment" (Jefferson's and Washington's in
citement) "to struggle for liberty was the
horrible desire of buying, selling, and
lashing each other" II your reverence
would boldly speak your mind, you would
tell your hearers in the Tabernacle that
Washington was a caitiff, and Jefferson q
thistle or hideous bag.
know what you will say-that those
illustrious men, those shareholders, Away.
felt and said that slavery was an incubus
and curse TO the country. Possibly il
may be 50. That is Subject on which
gave no opinion. But the national debt j.
an incubus and curse to England, and vel
many good men, believing it to be so, hold
debantures, and even 60 so far as to buy
stock in the three-and-a-half per cents.
But you, crusaders of abolition, are MOI
content to rest the case on grounds Of poll
cy. You will have it that those who diff
fer from you, and agree with all the wises
Of mankind are tools and villains. Yo,
have number of EXPLANATIONS and inter
jections always ready, and you seem t.
think people will take them for reasons
WHAT you cry ''can man be chat
tel" To which answer, why not?-
The Legislator of the Jews saw 70 harm
lin it. "Would you sell being with al
immortal soul? Certainly Moses and tn,
prophets did the same. "Would you SEM
back fugitive to his master - Assured
~; Paul the apostle very honestly sen
back the absconding Onesimus, and begge,
Of his owner, the worthy Philemon, Paul
dearly beloved and fellow -laborer, to for
give his returning slave.
r Was Paul hideous bag? Believe me
it is your reverence who is an old woman
You will never get a new code of moral
ty received among men. We will neve
consent to believe that you are bette
Christian than the founder of that religion
that you love liberty better those immor
tai Greeks who invented it that you ar
), truer republican than all the republican
of ancient and modern times, and Of bot
, hemispheres. This is undoubtedly gre,
!, century, and thinks it knows much; but
have always been accustomed to than
, God that am behind my age. 1t is
! matter OF taste.
: l do not affect to be ignorant that 20,
little school claims the founder If m