The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-12-03
PORTAGE SENTINEL.
IoCAL ANI1 PERsoNAL.

saos Sentinel Office has been re-
moved from its former location,
over E, T. Richardson's Hard
ware Store, to the large and
sommodious rooms in the third
story of No. 8 Phoenix Block.
Entraucs between Hatchs Drug
Store and Bostwick & BeAttys
Dry Goods Store.
TxanKsovIxe. e.-ThsnksgiVing was duly
observed By the citizens Of Ravenna. In
the morning, Rev. ]. c. HART preached
discourse at the Methodist church. Some
features in the sermon were excellent and
some, in our judgment, erroneous The
speaker occupied the larger portion Of his
time in dwelling upon the evils OF slavery
polygamy and the present money crisis
He ,osk the ground that our government
was materislly changed from its condition
during the lives Of the fathers OF the
Republic Then, it was truly land Of lib
srty. The fathers and trainers Of the con
stituiion loved freedom, and hated and con-
dsmned slavery and the slave trade; noW,
he said, that slavery was sanctioned, defen
dsd and extended BY the general govern
ment, and the slave trade was carried on un-
der the protection Of the American flag
He contended that the American people were
in no better condition than the scrfs Of Russia,
and closed his remarks upon the slave ques-
zion BY intimatiug that the time had about
come for revolution.
We thought these were strange things to
be thankful for. We had always believed
that ours was the best and most liberal gov.
srnment in the world; but If that Thanksgv
ing sermon be true, il is the most miserable
and despO,ie that ever existed.
There were one or two errors Of fac! in
the sermon, which with all humility, we beg
leave to correct. The speaker stated that
the trainers Of the constitution and the people
Of the New England States were opposed to
African slavery or the slave trade. He states
what 10 contradicted by history. As mat
ter OF fact, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and
other Of The NsU England States ,oere them
sslves extensively engaged in the slaus trade
at The time of the Declaration Of Independence,
asd not till many years after and when slavery
5ecome anprofitable did they abolish IL
By the votes Of these New England States
combined with the ultra Southern States,
the slave trade was continued until lS0s.--
There was time when slavery might have
been abolished, had il not been for New
England. Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylva.
mia and New Jersey desired to put an end to
the institution, but Massachusetts and South
Carolina united with other States against
freedom, end by this combination the inStitu,
ton Of slavery was perPsiuated.
Again, the speaker was in error when he
asserted th4t tho slave trade Is no,O carried
on under the protection OF the American
flag. No such thing. Ever since 1908, the
slave trade on the high seas has been de
clared piracy by law, and during the admin.
istration Of james Buchanan, no less than
five or six slavsrs have been condemned, and
their officers and crew treated as pirates. -
By q single glance, therefore. it can be seen
that Mr.. Hart was most grossly in error in
regard to matters Of fact. The comparative
condition of the government now, 10 much
better than when the constitution was adopt
ed. Then, only ore State was free-al the
rest were slave States, and all the territory
d, belonging to government was slave territory
& Now, there are sixteen free States and three
more just ready for admission into the Union
Then, the slave trade was carried on by al
the States and was licensed by law. Now
il IL carried on by none, and is declared tc
be piracy by law. So much for the matter
Of history. ...-
II Mr.. Hart prefers the condition of I
Russian serf to that of an American citizen
he 10 welcome to his preference. By the
time he hos spent few years in the domi
, mons Of the Gear, as serf, we are inclinet
to believe he would be willing to return te
r his fstherland, and enjoy those privileges
which he now pretends to despise. The
truth 10. very many Of the American people
have enjoyed the blessings of free govern
men, 90 long, that they heve become un
mindfu, OF their duties and unconscious .
their privileges. :, .
Tha. there are great and crying evils il
the nation, and that slavery is one Of these
We admit; .but we DO hold that in compari
son with other governments, ours 10 tn
noblest and the best on the globe-that WI
the Inhabitants Of this land, have privilege
which are secured to the people Of no oths
country, and that that man is either fo'
or traitor who would labor to destroy tn
political temple which was reared by tn
wisdom If our fathers.
There were many other matters touehe
upon in the discourse, which deserve atteI
ton, but this article is already longer tbs
S we intended. The speaker stated that sin'
the slavery agitation began, revivals h
become unfrequent and there was gener
dearth in the religious world. This is On
phatically true. He also alluded to Il