The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-04-04
GEN. HOUSToN'S LECTURE
IN BOSTON.

GEN HoUSToN'S LECTURE
IN BOSTON.
Gen. Houston's Lecture in Boston 10
the subject of considerable newspaper
comment at present. His views on
Slavory, especially, it seems, did not
meet the a~pprobation of his audience,
fer they we're entirely too conservative
for the fanatics of the modern Athens
who preached treason, and get up bloody
meba We have not as yet seen q full
report of the Lecture, but We presume
It will soon be published at length for
the benefit Of the country. Below We
give a brief synopsis of the Lecture.
which will indicate its character. It
will be seen that the old hero does not
believe that Slavery will exist n-Kan
sas. It will be seen too that he denies
that slavery is aggressive in its tenden.
cy, or that it seeks extension to the
North Tard. He seems to think, tso,
that foreigners ara useful In the country,
On being introduced to the audience,
Gen. Houston said he was induced
to accept the ingisation from respect to
the people, and in making q fair and uu-
yarnished statement Of facts, he did not
intend to trench upon the opinions Of
the north, and trusted his statement
would be received with respect. He
then proceeded to show slavery must ex-
ist at the South from necessity, else the
two races could not subsist together
The climate, sell and production of the
south required slavery, and the slaves,
he asserted, were net objects of cruelty
nor harshness; but we're well cared for;
both in their physical, moral or religious
wants, and generally their masters were
anxious that they should be instructed
In righteousness, truth, and the joys of
religion. He had known but two mas
tiers who worked their slaves on Sunday,
and they were men with whom respec-
table people would not associate,
nor trust with Office.
The south, he said, only wished to
let alone-they did not seek to obtrude
their views upon the north, and asked
the anne exemption from tho north
He denied that the south had sought at
any time to make the question of slavery
a subject of strife, and but the repeal of
the Missouri compromise, which came
from the north, he was of the belief that
tho quiet which prevailed a year ago,
would not have been disturbed. To the
south the measures was but a barren
seeptre, 3 mere abstraction for slavery
would never be desirable north of 800
s0f.
Upon a contemplation of the diver
sifed pursuits of the people of this coun-
try. it would seem he said that, they
were reciprocally dependent upon each
other. The south were in the relation
of oversesrs of the uor.hh in the produc-
ton of the raw material, furnishing en-
ployment for their industry, ingenuity
and machinery, in fabrication, and in re-
turn consuming their fabrics, and using
their utensils. In SO doing they made
no complaints but though it q fair trade,
and believed it all right. This showed
q mutual dependence, without which the
Union could not exist. The people of
the south found slavery among them,
and used it without abusing it ifabol-
ished the spindles of the north would
stop. IF this view Of the matter should
be called appealing to the cupidity of
the north, he would reply it was a com
mon sense view of the matter. The alb
clifton Of slavery, he contended, would
result, as in the West Indies, in the de-
t~erieration of the black population, and
leave them wrstched and miserable, fit
did not result In bloodshed. Now, it
was for the interest Of the master to see
the wants of the slaves supplied, and
he felt it to q duty to do 50. Had the
same amount Of labor and expense which
had been misapplied on the subjects
been directed 70 the aid Of the colony at
Libra, little by little slavery would
have been removed, and through the
of the colony. in question the
black race would have been elevated and
its influence radiated throughout that
vast continent. As great as were the
obstacles, he did not doubt that proVi-
dsnce would provide a way for the re-
moval Of slavery as mysterious as was
the unforeseen result of the selling Of
Joseph by his breshern.
It uaa contsz ded, also, that the black