Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-05-14
For ths aRaftsman's journal. .
THE PEgyERSION OF THE GOVERNMENT
BY PRESIDENT PIERCE.

ond charge, that of sPerperfing the Gosera-
nlent,'' by using his official authority TO extend
human slavery over territory now free.
That this illuStrious Republic was establish
cd, BIZ 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
~, 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 Slaveocracy upon our nnsuspeetlng
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 I will only notice few
facts, which may serve TO elucidate, how lar
our Republic has become connected with ''the
peculiar institution.
In the adoption Of our Constitution, by our
forefathers il was not contemplated that sla-
very, would ever go beyond the bounds OF the
original States, and the three ffths represent
tation clause. was therefore inserted WHICH
cave the slaveholdiag States, eight rcpresen-
tatives in Congress, for their slave properly
But since that time, and contrary to the inten-
tion of the trainers Of the Constitution, the m
stitution of slavery has gradually extended lis
empire, until finally, ii has taken possession
of the government. and of late has made such
rarid strides in the territory of its extension,
that the people are every where becoming a,
larIned, for the safety of the Constitution ana
the liberties of the country.
Instead of eight members TO represent us
property in Congress, slavery now by its ex-
! tension, sends twenty-eight representatives,
for which the people of the free states, have
to pay (in duties, tariffs, &c, as they are inc
! consumers,) two hundred and twenty-four dol
lars per day, during the sessions OF every con
! eress 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 ana
/ one votes in representation. SO that when
moneys, wealth, &c, are distributed ain3Ng
the several states, according to representation,
the people believe it is ali right, both IN tAeo-
/ ~ and practice. If nay 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 tour
1 teen millions Of people, this would be 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, vf Pennsylvania,
with double the amount Of wealth, would ONLY
draw two dollars, for his state. This is what
! they call dividing equal according to rcpreSen-
! tation among the several states, or between
>
rancing encroachmeuts of slavery, the south
| ern 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 a sin
gle dollar of their uncounted wealth. Yet
! President Pierce, in his attempt to pervert the
| government declares, sit is impossible to pre-
| sent this subject, (savery,) Us truth and occa-
sion require, without noticing the reiterated,
| but groundcss allegation, that the south has
| persistently asserted claims. and obtained adj
vantages. in the practical administration of the
general government, to the prejudice OF the
| north.''
That the south has asserted claims, and OBJ
tanned advantages over the north, is what no
statesman, that values his reputation above a
| demagogue, will deny. Have not the SOUTH
ern saveocracy claimed and filed the Presi-
Dental chair, for over fifty years, while north
ern freemen have not yet had the privilege of
filling it twenty years. Has not the south de-
manded and obtained ma jority of the Su-
premc 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
~, is forever decided in its favor. Did not
the shareholders claim and secure to them
selves the privilege to legislate for slavery, IN
the District of Columbia notwithstanding the
Constitution declares, that Congress 'ishall ex-
ercise exclusive legislation, in all cases what
soever, over such district Has not the slave
ocracy asserted, and obtained, the power to
seize and take from the POst-oflice 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
4 a number of years from one hall, TO enc mil
lion Of dollars annually, to pay their post-ofice
arrearages. 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-office in the free states, but pays a sur
plus, which tho slave states appropriate TO
themselves, thus taxing as for their ignorance.
Did not the slaveocrdcy demand and obtain
from the treasury of the United States, thirty
millions of dollars to take q few slaves, that
had escaped to the Indians in Florida. Has
not the south demanded and obtained fIom 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-
sons back, millions of acres of the public
lands, while the free states have not got an q
ere. And yet in the face of all these facts,
the President has the efffontery, to officially
tell the American people, that the south has
never obtained any advantages over the north
In the administration of this government
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-
Irfac p l,a re