Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-05-14
For the "Raftsmsn's Journal .,
THE PERyERSION CT THE GOVERNMENT.
BY PRESIDENT PIERCE

ment,' by using his official authority. to extend
human slavery over territory now free
That this illustrious Republic was establish
ed by the blood and treasure of our heroic an
cestors, for the purpose of extending human
slavery, is what no candidAmerican is prepared
TO admit. That it is now aGovernment for the
promoting, extending, and establishing slave
ry, over all other interests belonging to the A
merican People, is what no we'll Informed citi-
zen will deny. And was the great body Of our
population, aware of the impositions practiced
by the Slayeocracy upon our unsuspecting
people. the present Administration, at the
coming contest, would be hurled so deep be-
meath their contempt, that it never could know
/ q resurrection.
/ To give an idea Of the perversion OF our gov
| ernment to the use and benefit Of Slavery, in
stead of Liberty; will only notice few
| facts. which may serve to elucidate, how far
our Republic has become connected with 'thc
! peculiar institution.
/ In the adoption Of our Constitution, by our
/ forefaihers, it was not contemplated that sla-
very, would ever go beyond the bounds of the
original States, and the three fifths represen-
tation clause, was therefore inserted; which
! gave the slaveholdng States, eight represen-
tatives IN Congress, for their slave property.
! But since that time, and contrary to the inten-
! tion of the trainers of.the Constitution, the in
stitution of slavery has gradually extended its
empire, until finally, it has taken possession
of the government, and of late has made such
rapid strides in the territory Of its extension,
! that the people are every where becoming a.
! larmed, for the safety of the Constitution and
| the liberties Of the country.
! Instead of eight members to represent its
property In Congress, slavery now by its ex-
/ tension, sends twcnty-eight representatives,
for which the people Of the free states, have
! to pay Gin duties, tariffs, &C., as they are the
| consumers,) two hundred and twenty-four dol
/ lars per day, during the sessions of every con-
| gress, while the free states are not allowed one
member for all their wealth. Hence every
owner OF five slaves, has four votes, and every
owner OF one thousand, has six hundred and
one votes in representation. So that when
moneys, wealth, &c, are distributed among
/ the several states, according to representation,
! the people believe it is all right, both in theo-
| ry aud practice. If my memory serves me
! right, there were twenty-eight millions OF dol
| lars of surplus revenue, under the administra-
| tion of President Van Buren, distributed a
/ mong the several states, then containing four
/ teen millions of people, this would he two dol
/ lars to each person, and would give Richard
/ Roe, of Louisiana, with his three thousand
slaves, thirty-siX hundred and two dollars, for
/ his state, while John Doe, of Pennsylvania,
/ with double the amount of wealth, would only
draw two dollars, for his state. This is what
/ they call dividing equal according to represen-
tation, among the several states, or between
! the slave and the free states. Thus by the ad
/ yancing encroachments of slavery, the south
crn states have got fourteen hundred millions
of dollars worth of property represented in
/ the Congress of the United States, by twenty
| eight Shareholders, while the free States have
/ not one member to represent in congress 4 sim
] gle dollar of their uncounted wealth. Yet
/ President Pierce, in his attempt to pervert the
| government declares, 'st is impossible to pre-
| sent this subject, (slavery,) as truth and occa
| sion require, without noticing the reiterated,
| but groundlcss allega that the south has
| persiStenty asserted claims, and obtained adj
Yantages, in the practical administration of the
general government, to the prejudice Of the
north
That the south has asserted claims, and OBJ
tained advantages over the north, is what no
| statesman, that values his reputation above a
demagogue, will deny. Have not the south
ern slaveocracy claimed and filed the Presi-
dental chair, Tor over fifty years, while north
ern freemen have not yet had the privilege OF
filing it twenty years. Has not the south de-
manded and obtained majority of the Su-
preme Judges, of the United States, having
five for the six millions of white population,
of the slave states, while they allow but four
Judges, for the thirteen millions of the free
states. SO that all questions, arising between
the north and the south, connected with slave
ry, is forever decided in its favor. Did not
the shareholders claim and secure TO them
selves the privilege to legisate for slavery, in
the District of Columbia, notwithstanding the
Constitution declares, that Congress s:shall eX
ercise exclusive legislation, in all cases what
soeyer, over such dstrict.'' Has not the slave
ocracy asserted, and obtained, the power to
seize and take from the Post-office and destroy
all books, papers, &c. suspected to be OF anti
slavery character. Has not the slave power !
demanded and obtained from the treasury for |
number of years from one half, to one mil |
lion of dollars annually, to pay their post-office
aTrearages, caused in consequence of their |
laws prohibiting education, to great portion /
of their people, so that little communication |
is carried on, either by the pen or the press, |
through the post office in the south. while the |
north with her great free system of education, |
her thousands of free presses, and her tens of |
thousands of free pens, not only keep up the |
post-effice in the free states, but pays a sur
plus, which the slave states appropriate to
themselves, thus taxing us for their ignorance.
Did not the slaveocracy demand and obtain
from the treasury of the United States, thirty
millions of dollars to take a few slaves, that
had escaped to the Indians in Florida. Has
not the south demanded and obtained fl ON the
treasury, ten millions of dollars, to purchase
Texas, for Slavery. Did not the powers of
slavery, claim and obtain, the authority con
trary to the constitution. to suspend habeus
corpus, and to deprive of the right of trial by
jury. Has not the slave holder demanded and
obtained from Congress, by appropriations to
slave states, every year, for a number of ses-
sions back, millions of acres of the public
lands, while the free states have not got an a.
ere. And yet in the face of oil these facts
the President has the effrontery, to officially
tell the American people, that the south has
never obtained any advantages over the north
in the administration of this government-I
Does the President suppose, that the people
are ignorant OF the usurpations of slavery, or
that they are so forgetful of past events that
he can palm upon them all the official misrep-
resentations: he may see proper. If this is
his idea, he is most egregiously mistaken for {
have already discovered for |