Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-17
Ghr U atlp 5pp.
TUESDAY. JANUARY IL. 1854.
John Mitchell ON Slavery.

One MIR. Haughton of Dublin, Ireland, has writ
ten letter 10 John Mitchell, on American Slavery,
which that gentleman answers in his paper, called
t he " Citizen" The following paragraph from
that answer shows how the "pa,riot" thinks and
lceis upon the subject
We are not abolitonists--no more aboliiionists
Than Moses, or Socsateu, or Jesus Christ We de.
nv that il is crime, or wrong, or even peccadil
Co. 10 hold slaves, buy slaves, to sell slaves to
keep slaves their work by logging other need
ful coercion. BY your silence, says MIR. Haughton,
'you viii become rarlcirator in 'their wrongs
But we will not be silent when occasion calls for
speech; aud for being participation in the wrongs,
zee, for part, cish had good plantation yell
stocked Nth healthy negroes in Alabama"
Now, we would like Mr.. Mitchell to tell us upon
what principle he opposes the peculiar systems of
ppression which are practiced upon Irishinen
What quarrel has he with absentee landlords, stew
ards, middlemen, and all the other hordes of drones
who squeeze their subsistence out Of the poor
conacre men Of his native Country 2 II he would
like TO own plantations and slaves in Alabama upon
what principle does he object English lord and
his subordiaates, living in luxurious ideness upon
the labor OF the poor Irish slaves of Munster The
Engishman can show as good title to the fruits Of
the labor of Irishmcn John Mitchell, or any body
else can the fruits Of the labor Of Americans, If
John Michel has right to own, work, and whip
negroes in Alabama, bias not John Bull right to
rack-rent his ragged tenantry in Connaught, and to
take tythe from them too, N the name Of Mother
Church Z If liberty does not belong, by original
right 10 the negro, it belongs by original right,
body; and he is nothing but hollow hypocrlte who
in the uame 81 freedom, makes nvidious distinctions
between the rights Of races and nations Of men,
Read John MilcheI's confession Of faith, in rea.
ton 10 slavery, and then think who John Mitchell
is. He is the native of country which was con-
quered centuries ago, by England, and which, dur
ing the long progress of ages has been insued and
oppressed by her conqueror.
Everything demonstrative of Irish nationality
has been crushed out by England and everything
that could tend to stamp servility into the souls
of her sons has been done. English laws, Eng
lsh lords, and English bishops, dominate ever
nation of Catholic Celts which numbered nearly
nine millions in 1910.
The onlyright which England has to Cypress
lrshmen to eyict Irishmen, and to hang Irish
men, if they rise up against their tyrants laws,
in the fright ofconquest" Does not John Mitch
ell acknowledge the validity of that right, when he
declares hims elf in favor of holding slaves The
heart sickens as we realize the fact that he does
Think a man who has been banished from his
native land and forced 10 work, slave, in Aus
tralla, coming to this country and expressing his
anxiety to hold men in bondage as he was held,
and to use men like brutes, as he was used. If
Ireland cannot produce patriots with nobler souls
than the man who penned the extract we have
commented on, she is doomed to be the eternal
Alabama of Great Britain. If John Mitchel's as
pirations for liberty are nothing but selfish long
ings after his own happiness, he will earn con-
tempt where he once won respect.
"The wretch, coneentred all in self,
Living shall forfeit fail renown,
And doubly dying, shall go down
10 the vile dust iron whence he sprung ;
Unwept, unhonored and unsung."