Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-05-25
Lei tlc PconIc Consldcr.


rectly on the pockets Of the people of Ohio
and are of deep interest and importance;
but still more important is the great and
oyershadowing doctrines of mans rights
/ and his freedom. The great issue undeni
ably is, shall freedom or slavery prepOnder,
ate in the United States? Which shall
henOeforth guide and rule the destinies o
this great, glorious and only Republic? /?
The present administration and its adbe-
rents, may preach and prate about liberty
!as they will; they may conceal or deny
their pro slavery principles, early and late,
and in every form which sopbistry can in
vent or hypocrisy resort to. still, one fact
corvicts them, beyond all doubt, as enc
mics of human freedom, and the praclic al
slavery propasandists of the country
What is that fact? Simply this: Where
Freerlon aCos, Slavery aow is by their act!
"By their fruits shall ye know them"
To many men it may seem very foolish
10 raise an excitement about few "nig-
gers" away off in Kansas, and indeed we
actually hear exclamations like the follow
ing: "Who cares for the niggers any how ?"
"Who cares if few in Kansas are bought
and sold, it makes no difference to us!"-
at only makes the matter worse to talk
about It; stick to the party and all will come
out right" people ought to have right
to be free, and if they want slaves that is
none ofour business" &c. &e.
Such exclamations are unworthy, and
disgrace any man who enjoys personal lib
erty, or even believes he has a right to it.
Freedom to man is the Law of God, and he
who claims it for himself, and denies il TO
bis brother man, is sinner and hog
From thing acknowledged by our faith
ers to be a greyious wrong, but tolerated
by force Of unhappy necessity, Slavery has
grown rampant and claims and asserts su-
periOri!y over freedom, and requires free
men, at the point Of the bowie-knife, and
the muzzle Of the revolver and the cannon,
&c yield obedience to its outrageous de-
mands. All this has been done by the pro-
fessedly democratic party. Now it is true
that we in Ohio can live, and fondly be-
lieve we are free though slavery be extend
ed into few new States. It is only a
dream; for il the audacious spirit of slave
ry goes on accumulating power, soon, very
soon, the affidavit of a slave driver will drag
you or any citizen of Ohio, to Washington
City, on slave territory, TO be tried for your
expressions of opinion on the subject of
freedom; tried, too, by slaveholding jurors,
before slaveholding judges. 1t is now a
crime in some places to teach a poor degra-
ded creature to read and write, or talk to
them of liberty, and soon il may be crime
in Ohio to say LIBERTY. Booru, of Wis
consin, has been cited to Washington for
acting like man for freedom! You may
socn be called there for taking of freedom
like man,
The poor negro who is bought, sold and
scourged, may demand our sympathy, but
his fate, or his sutferings are nothing in
comparison 10 the existence and life and
universally Of the great law by which We
all claim to be free. Thus the contest re-
solves into great conflict of principle
Our Republic has hitherto been character
lied as the "home of freedom" 1t is fast
loosing this heart cheer ring designation and
bids fair now to become the home of Sla-
very.
Reader, do you believe any man has
right to make a slave Of you: No! no!!-
Why? Because you instinctively realize
the truth that God created you free! Are
you entitled to greater privileges than the
other rational, intelligent immortal beings
he has created? No, sir only .he same.
Then slavery is wrong, sin. and no man,
no State or nation, has right to enslave
any man. But, you ask, what has this to
do with me? III was citizen of Kansas
or Nebraska l might be interested and cal
led to act but there is no responsibility on
me. did not do this sin.
You arc wrong, sir. The United States
is governed, or ough; to be, BY three and a.
half millions of co-sovereigus. voters; you
are one of them. The act of spreading
slavery is national act; its soyereigns are
responsible before Heaven, and you must
answer for your share Of the sin Thus the
responsibility for the past and the future is
upon you and me, and every voter Of this
great Coufederacy.
The crisis has come, the struggle be-
tween slavery and freedom is intense, san
culinary. violent. Slavery disregards hon
or, compacts, humanity, laws and constitu-
tons, and, mark you, unless those who
love freedom, bury out of sight all minor
=