The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-03-22
BIZ MRS. II. B. STOWE.


to a crisis Of most solemn interest.
A question is now pending in our national legs-
lature, which is most vaily 10 effect the temporal
and eternal interests, Dot only of ourselves but of
our children, and our chiIdrens children for ages
yet unborn. Through our nation. it is to effrcf
the interests of liberty and Christianity through
out the whoie world.
/ Of the woes. The injustice. and the misery of
slavery, il 10 not needfu to speak. There is but
one feeling and one opinion ON this among Us all
do not think there is mother among US all, who
clasps her child TO her breast, who could ever be
made to feel it right that that child should be .
slave !; not a mother among us all who would not
rather lay that child iu its grave.
Nor can believe that there is a woman SO un-
christian to think it right 10 infct on her neigh
bor's child what she would think worse than deaih
were It Inflicted on her own. donot think there
| is wife who would think it right her husband
should be sold to trader, and worked all his life
without rights and without wages. I do not be-
i leve there is a husband who would think it right
that lis wife should be consdered, by law, the
properly of another man. aud not his own.zI do
net think there is father or mother who would
believe right, they forbidden By law to teach
their children to read. do not think ihere is a
brother who would think it right to have his sister
held as property, with no legal defense for her
personal honor. by any man living
All this is Inherent in slavery. 1t is not the
abuse of slavery, but the legal nature ofEit. And
there is not woman 10 the United States, when
the question is fairly put before her, who thinks
these things are ,right.vsssf ass sss
j However ambition and the love of political
power may blind the stronger sex. God has given
to woman deeper AMI nore mmoVHble know
ledge, in those hoer feelings, which are peculiar
to womanhood, and which guard the sacredness o.
the family state. .-ss..sss
But though our hearts have bled over .this
wrong there have been many things tending tt
fetter our hands, 10 perplex efforts, and to s
lence our voice. We have been told that to speal
Of it, evasion of the lights of other States
: We have been told of promises and of compacts
and the natural expression of feeling has in many
cases been restrained by appeal to those honor
able sentiments which respect the keeping OF en-
gagements. = =
The warm beatings of many hearts have beer
hnshed; our yearnipgs and sympaihies have beer
repressed, because we have not known what e
do; and many have con,e1 to deaf ear to tb,
> whole tale of sorrow, because UNIV ing to harrow
up the soul with feeling, where action was sup
: posed TO be impossible ~, '3s
But time has conne when the subject il
arising under quite another aspect. The question
is not now, shall the wrongs Of slavery exist. al
they have,r on their own territories ?-but, shal
we permit them to be extended over all the terri
tories of the United States? Shah the woes ant
; miseries Of slavery be extended over region o
I fair, free, unoccuped territory. neerly equal, il
, extent, to the whole of the free Statesl
Nor is this all this is not the last tting that
Submitted to in silence, should the North consen
to this breach of contract on the part of th
. South. there yet remains one more step to be sp
pretended, VIZ: the legalzipg of slavery through
out the free States. By decision of the Sc
preme Court in the Lennon case. il may be de
clared lawful for slave properly 10 be held 10 th
: northern free States. Should this come TO PAST
it is no more improbable that there mhy be, fou
. years hence, slave depots in New York city, tha
= it was four years ago. that the South would pro
: pose repeal of the Missouri Compromises
Women of the free States the question is moi
!, shall we demonstrate with slavery on lis soil
but are we willing to receive slavery into the fire
: States and territories of the Unioni
= Shall the whole power of these United State
90 into the hands Of slavery!
Shall every State in it be thrown open as a slas
State? This will be the final result and ssue
the question which is now pending. This is IL
:. fearful crisis at which we stand. And now,
there anything which the women Of country ca
do Oh women of the free States. what di
!. your brave mothers do in the time of our revolt
tionary struggle! Did not ibertyin those day
8 feel the strong impulse OF a womans heart !-i-
s Never was there great influence agitatiug IL
community. when avoman's influence was not fe
n for good or for evil. At the time when thestru
le gle for the abolition of the slave trade was conyu
ID sing England. worfien contributed more than al
10 other aborers to that great triumph OF hutnaDi
g The wchnep aud children Of Enzlaud 10 gre