Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-04-29
TIE TRUTH OF HISTORY EIyHClrED.
LETTER FROM Mr.. GIDDrSGs TO JUDGE TANEv.
n o ".

SIR:-The same historical facts which
show that the signers of a e Declaration
of Independence. in asserting the rights
of al men to life. liberty and happiness.
included the whole human family, show
with equal force, that all free men who
had been citizens of the Colonies, were
citizens Of The States. In further Illus
EraLion of their intentions, cite you to
tie fact that twenty four days previous
20 The signing of The Declaration of indie
pendenee, the committee 10 whom the
subject OF reporting articles of coRfe&e
ration had been referred, made their re-
port; but it was not taken up for consil
Grafton until the twenty ffih of July, and
the action Of Congress on that report aud
on The Declaration of Independence was
cotemporaneous, alfording the best posi-
be evidence Of the intentions Of that
body
The eleventh article provided that
"the expense of the war should be paid
BY the several Colonies in proportion to
the number of their inhabitants - Mr..
Chase. of your own State, moved to in
sert the word ,chite before that of .'in-
habitants, SO as 10 make the Colonies
pay in proportion 10 the number of their
''sDhite inhabitants" Discussion follow
ed. when a Southern member claimeI
that slaves were property and not per-
sons: And DIR. Franklin satirized the
idea by representing government as
prosecuting sheep for rebellion" !
need not say the proposition was rcpudi-
ated .
There stands the record, a lasting and
perpetual contradiction TO your assertion
that the sigrers of the Declaration Of In
dependence did not intrnd 10 include the
African race. This motion and tie vote
thereon have become memorable in his
tory from the fact that it was the first
instance in which an effort was made in
Congress prior to the adoption of the
Constitution 10 recognize distinction a.
mong the people on account Of color
Yet you assert that "the African race
were not intended to be included in the
Declaration of independence, for in that
case the distinguished men who signed it
would be Aagrantly ogaihSt the principles
which they asserted"
Sir. which of those ilustrious men was
"hagrantly against those principles p
Jefferson who penned that instrument,
subsequently exclaimed with what ere
Grafton should the statesman be loaded
who. permitting one half the citizens to
trample on the rights of the others,
transforms those into despots and these
into eneHies2 Z for il a slave can have a
country it must be any other than that in
indich he IS bOand 10 ve and labor far an
other. Can the liberties of nation (said
heJ De thought secure, when we shall
have removed their only firm basis, a
conviction in the minds Of the people that
their Liberties are the gjt Of God2 and
cannot be Violated but Nth his yrath =
Indeed, tremble for my country when
reflect that God is just. and that His
justice cannot sleep forever: That an
exchange Of position is among possible |
events, and the Almighty has no attribute
which will permit Him to take side with
US in such contest
Surely, you will not insist that such |
language shows him TO have intended 10 !
exclude the African races Did John
Adams. or Franklin, or Sherman, or
Livingston intend to exclude them? ] |
have the biography of each of the fifty-