Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-03-17
The African Slave Trade Opened at
the South.

discloses some "startling and significant
facts" Had this article been published
years ago, before Democracy became
mlsnomer, no one would have put the
least faith in its statements, but would
have looked upon it simply as "sell, :"
perpetrated merely for the sake of a
little sport at the expense of the credit
lous. But with the present well-known
and overbearing policy of the Southern
democracy, aided as they are by their
satellites throughout the Union, and
winked at as their crimes are by the
administration, there is scarcely a doubt
that the statements made in the article
IN question are strictly true The facts
are substantially as follows: Certain
parties at the South, among whom one
Henry Hughes appears to be leader,
have opened and are engaged in the
African Slave Trade, and are actually
importing slaves into the sea-shore
States Of the South, but more particu-
larly into Mississippi, the sea-coast of
that State affording greater facilities
than any other for "secreting their car
goes" and Pearl River being conven-
lent as channel for the distribution of
their "chattels.'
After descanting upon the character
of the facts about to be revealed, of the
encouragement they would afford to the
friends OF the peculiar institution, and
the dlsmay they would spread among
the advocates of freedom and reform.
the article in question goes off in the
following strain:
"Although the foiled and furious en-
emles OF our institutions may shake up,
mcork and pour out on our battered
hrows the toaming walls of our wrath
although the President may be shocked
and embarrassed; and although the
great parties of the country may be bit
terly disappointed and imbrangled. let
1t go forth that the Southerners have
taken into their own hands the law. and
opened the African Slave Trade with
the South"
When such sentiments as these are
openly and shamelessly avowed, and
boosted of as a glorious triumph by
men protesting to be freemcn, we can
not but ask show long can these things
last? how long must they be endured %
We have been unionist. We have
had no desire to behold the magnificent
fabric OF our government lettering on
Its foundations, or lying PROSTATE in the
dust. Our most fervent prayers have
assembled for the perpctuation of This
Union, if it could be preserved consis-
tently with the nobler attributes of man.
hood and those inalienable rights and
glorious liberty that have descended to
us through generations past. But such
consummate crimes and outrages begin
to shake our confidence in the Chris
tianity and humanity of American III
situations. Our love for the Union is
becoming less day by day. We must
ask ourselves the question, Do we de-
sire union with He'll?
Modern developments have certainly
weakened our faith in the stability OF
the Union. When men forget the rights
of others in the mazes of a selfish con
servatism; when tyranny and avarice
are permitted to trample under foot the
respect and consideration due to free
men, and, regardless of every law, hui
man or divine, to say to them, "thus il
shall be, and you are powerless to re
slst, then torbearance ceases to be q
virtue. There is point in the history
Of every nation, when reason and ar
gument have lost their potency, and are
unable longer to sway the minds of its
rulers; when every law that does not
favor the ambitious schemes of the dom
inant party, is openly and fearlessly vi
olated, and remains but as a dead let
ter on the statute books, and when rev
olution is the only and last resort of the
oppressed.
Judging the future by the past, this
nation is fast approaching that point
The encroachments of the Slave Power
are becoming insupportable. By their
selfish and contracted policy, they have
narrowed our national politics down tc
asingle question, and that question the,
have made the touch-stone of politica
orthodoxy. Their usurpations have
been gradual, but complete; and now
they come out boldly through a South
ern mouth-piece, and assert with fear
less boast, that they have 'taken the
law into their own hands, and opened
the African Slave Trade" But do the,
suppose that the millions of freemer
upon our soil obey their edicts, and &C
knowledge that to be law, for the rea