Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-01-28

adjustment Of 8 wise and efficient government
for the newborn and tottering nation. Ali 9th.
er labors and duties were secondary to this, and
afforded more than abundant occupation Tor him
and other great and good men, who won that
independence and established that government
for us. 1l2s'as
To men less wise and devoted Slavery might,
indeed, have proved the apple Of Atalanta.
turning them aside from the great object, and
10 defeating all Differences and disputes arose
about it, aud it required much firmness and self
command, to hold the great point steadily in
view, and put all else resolutely in the back
ground for the time. 81,
That Washington, Jefferson and others Of our
Revolutionary forefathers, .foresav and dreaded
the shape the question might ultimately assume,
We gather from many expressions in their workH.
Mr. Jefferson in particular, expressed himself
with great warmth, saying that the Almighty had
no attribute which could take part with Slavery,
and that he trembied for his country when he
reflected that God is inst. w ashineton express
es his sentiments with no less directness: II
never mean, unless some particular circumstan-
stances should compel me to it, TO possess an
other slave by purchase; it being among my FIRST
wishes to see some plan adopted by which Sla.
very in this country may be abolished by law. "
In another letter ne says: II hope it will not
be conceived from these observations with re-
spect to the recapture Of q runaway slave, that
it is my wish 10 hold the unhappy people who
are the subject of this letter, in slavery. I can
only say there is not man living who wishes
more sincerely than do to see plan adopted
for the abolition Of it, but there is only one pro-
per and effectual mode by which it can be ac-
complained, and that is by legislative authority,
and this, as far as my suffrage will go, shall new.
er be wanting" r.
And again, in enumerating the reasons why
the price of land was higher in Pennsylvania
than in Maryland and Virginia, he mentions that
in Pennsylvania "there are laws for the gradual
abolition Of Slavery, which neither Of the two
States above mentioned have at present, but
mhich nothing is more certain than that Hsymus:
hare, and at a period not remote.
Here, then, is the true keynote Of Washing.
tons mind on this subject. He thought Slavery
an evil 80 obvious that be rested in the belief
that the good sense and principle of the whole
United States flor all were shareholders then)
must in time operate TOR its extinction. He was
not so romantic and impractical as to think the
great work could be done by a word, or that SIa-
very could, by act of Congress, be swept away
and forgotten. He knew it to be business of
great difficulty and delcacy; but he had full con.
fdence that the time was not far distant when
the same wisdom and virtue, the same love of
liberty, and the same proper respect for the o.
pinions of mankind" which had dictated the
Declaration of Independence, would, in due sea-
son, and under an equally solemn sense of re-
sponsibility, prompt measures for the emancipa-
ton of the colored people who had, by no choice
of their own, become part of our population.
His opinion was no secret, and his views with re-
gard to the disadvantages of slave labor are
plainly to be gathered from his diaries but he
seems to have thought these things must be en-
dured for time, in order that the change, when
it did take place, should be well.considered and
wise in its provisions. zasy
If Washington had not had the armies of the
United States to organize and lead to victory;
the government to settle and to administer; and
the Earring interests and ever springing jealous
les of newly-emancipa.ed millions to reconcile
and charm away by his personal influence, he
might perhaps have found time to think OF the
condition OF the slaves-oomparatiyely a mere
handful At that time; but with all this business
on his hands and heart, it is not to be wondered
at that he left the cure of Slavery to somebody
else and some other day.
But he made his own sentiments. on all occa-
sions, '.clear as the slnsip his meridian bright
ness, }" to use one Of his Most favorite SMILES
Lafayette having purchased an estate in Cay
enne, with the intention of freeing the slaves up.
on it, Washington wrote to him, "Your late pur.
chase is generous and noble proof of your hui.
manity. Would to God like spirit might diff
fuse itself generally in the minds of the people
of this country 50
An incident in his own family brought direct
ly home to him the contradictory and rather RI
diculous aspect which slaveholding champion
OF liberty must present to the world.
When Mrs Washington's favorite maid, Oney,
the woman who had long been her personal at
tendant, done her fue sewing aud prepared her
caps-a nice matter OF home ciear-starching,
quilting and frilling in those days-when this
Oney ran away, and Mrs Washington, missing
her every moment, and not knowing where to
look for substitute, desired the General to adj
vertise, offering reward for her, he wholly de-
clined, with laugh land, we doubt not a blush
too,) saying it would appear finely for him to be
advertising runaway slave =. H7.@5..s ~
This woman, Oney, went to one Of the Eastern
States, and called on young lady who was init
mate with Gen. Washington's family, who had
seen her thousand times at her MISTRESS side,
aud who was, Of course, exceedingly surprised
20 zee her so far from home, knowing that she
was indispensable to Mrs Washington.
ssWhy, Oney!n said Miss l., stwhere in the
world have you come FROM"
'sCome from New. York, missis, = said Oney.
"But why did you come away-how can Mrs
Washington 10 without you!"
Oney hung her head at this, but after mo-
ment replied q e
i "Run away, missis." tzsF8s
..'Run away! and from such an excellent place.
Why, what could induce you? You had room
to yourself, and only light, nice work to do, and
every indulgence" V 5
n "Yes-I know-but wanted to be free, mis-
sis; wanted to learn to read and write"
This was Oney's only motive; and she remain
ed IN Maine. married and settled there, and was
her own mistress ever after, though very proba-
bly, with far harder work and poorer fare than
had been her lot at the Presidents.
This anecdote had from the lips Of the lady
herself, now living in the City Of New-T ork.
j NEW ENGLAND UsASINoCs.--After the 4th Of
March New England will not have pro-slavery
Congressman. The new democratic policy has
been the death Of them all. Toucey lost his
seat by his willingness TO run after runaway me-
proes--Bradbury repealed himself with the Mis-
souri, Compromise ellis and w il!iams sacrificed
themselves on the altar Of friendship for Pierce
-Eyerest's absence from the Nebraska vote has
led 70 his absence ever since--James has upheld
the administration TO his own downfall-Ailen,
the sole remaining democrat from New England,
will owe bis place, he keeps il, to his freessil
synpafhies and votes: while in the other House
every Representative from Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts,, Vermont, Connecticut and
Rhode Island, is . thorough-going and uncom-
promising Republican. Poor encouragement Tor
douphfaces in that asection. ri Alb. journal .
4 PrTrsBuRGH, foar WAYsE AID CHIcAGo Z.
R-We learn that the Directors Of this road
have put she whole of the remaining portion Of
their road under contract. This section is eigh-
ty.two. miles in length. extending from Ply
mouth to Chicago, and has been let to contrac-
tors Of energy and means, who ara under obli-
CATIONS 10 have it finished by the fEst Of Sept.
1851. The Company has also closed nego,ia-s
lions for the purchase Of the whole Of SteYens'
essate in Htssburgh, : portion of which has Il.
ready been in iss possession. The lot has .,
iroat On Penn street, Of $40 feet, extending
.hack 70 tho Allegheny ryer. 500 feet for which
they psy 3l00, 900 inBths bonds 81, tie Compa.
49,. n = AaaioraA n enact nnnn Il : rs,s,,,,,