Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-09-15
SLAVERY.

We have nothing to conceal on this ques
ton. Those who cannot agree with us,
can disagree-that's all. All we ask is,
that our language may not be perverted,
misinterpreted or miscorstruH.
1. We believe Slavery to be a moral,
social, and political evil-"t9e sum OF all
villaiuies" war with the designs of
God and the righs of man. We have no
LOVE for the degraded being who is held
in bondage. We pity him, it is true; but
we have no respect for any race of men
who have SO little of manhood left as to
permit themselves to be held in bondage
for generation after generation. We hate
Slavery, in any and every form, with an
itense hatred; but this feeling does not
spring from any affection or admiration for
the character of tho Sc held in bondage in
this country. We hate it because it is an
unmitigated wrong; because it is degra
ding and demoralizing in its effects upon
the slave and tie master; because it de-
grades free labor; because it is ruinous to
the State in which it exists; because il in
suits God, who gave all men the right to
life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness.
We have no great admiration for the char
acter Of the Shareholder, either. 1t al
ways seemed to us couardly to impose upon
man or beast which had neither the power
or the courage to resist, and we never could
admire cowardice. We would not have a
.Lave about us, under any circumstances
If ever we become possessed of one, we
shall get rid of him in the shortest posi-
BILE time. From early childhood our p eia-
diceS against the blacks have been strong !;
and the more we try to conquer them, the
more we can't but we never allow prej,I-
dice to govern our actions. Rca on is our
guide.
@ Hating Slavery thus, it is natural to
infer that We wish to set rid Of it, in some
way. Our views of the Rights # tile
States, and of the local nature of the in
stitution, are such, however, as to preclude
the possibility of our ever being an 4Aboli-
tiomist, as we understand the tern. "Col-
onizalion" has long since demonstrated its
humbuggery for slaves increase forty
times as fast as they can be colonized by
any system ever yet invented. Compen-
stated emancipation has still greater diff
sulties in the way; for in the first place we
cannot raise money enough TO duy the
slaves; and, if we could, the masters might
refuse to sell item; and if the money was
raised, and the masters were willing, we
should have let loose upon us, suddenly,
several millions of miserable creatures,
unfit for the duties of life, who would be. a
greater plague to the country than were the
Jocusts of Egypt.
3. The question naturally arises, "What
do you propose TO do about i.?" That is
precisely what we intend to tell you. And
first, we shall OPPOSE, with all the power
God has given us, every effort to EXTEND
the accursed institution over another inch
Of territory. We would confne it TO It's
present limits, and build up, like walls Of
fire, all around it, mighty States like Ohio
and New York, where FREE LABOR
was alone relied upon-where not slave
should enter and remain bondsman.-
We would divorce the General Gc"ern
ment from all connection with Slavery, and
from all responsibility for its existence, by
prohibiting its entrance into any territory
now free-north or south, east or west
We would show The Slave States, y pre-
cept and example, that FREE LABOR
was better than SLAVE LABOR-that