Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-10-05

to show wha: was the most important quess
ton before the Convention. -.E .-a
During the debates in the Constitutional
Convention, while the clause allowing the
slave trade for twenty years was tihder
consideration, Mr.. Ellsworth, Of Conuec-
ticut, made the following speech '
"Mr. Ellsworth AS he had never
owned slave, could not judge of the ef-
fects Of slavery OF character. He said.
however, if it was to be considered in
moral light, we ought to go farther. AMI
free those already in the country. As
slaves also multiply 90 fAs, in yirguia snd
Maryland, that it is cheaper to ra SO than
import them, while in the sickly rice
swamps foreign supplies are necessary. ii
we go ne further than is urged, we shall
be unjust towarde South Carolina and Geors
gia. Let Ills not intermeddle. As popu-
lation increases, poor laborers will be So
plenty hs TO render slavery useless.
SLAVERY, IN TINE WILL. NOT BE
A SPECK IN OUR COUNTRY. Pro-
vision is already made in Connecticut for
abolishing it. And the abolition has sl4
ready taken place in Massachusetts. As
to the danger Of Instructions from for
egn influence, that will become motive
for kind of the slaves" Elliot, vol. s.
page 458.
In 1888 Noah Webster, Of Connecticut.
published work showing the Effects of
Slavery on morals and Industry" in
which he speaks thus on human rights
THAT freedom is the right of every man.
tOkoterer be his color, who has not for
feited it by come violation Df muHicipat
law, is truth established by God in ths
very creation Of humati beings. No time.
no circumstance, no human power or policy
can change the nature Of this truth, nor
repeal the fundamental laws Of society by
which every mans right to liberty is guar
anteed. The act therefore of eilslavinR
men is always violation of those great
, primary laws Of society, by which alone
3 the master holds every particle OF his
own freedom.
; Again, speaking Of the state Of the
pubilc mind the subject Of oavorv ~t
= that period, he says: "Injustice of en-
;, Shaving any part Of the human race. has
been the subject of so much public dis
- cussion, and 80 generally admitted by tho
inhabitants Of Connecticut, that any at
II tempt to prove it, would be a very i'll com
:, pliment to the understanding of my fellow
.e citizens. Nor could any efforts of mine
add novelty to the subject so numerous.
. elaborate and diffuse have been the essays.
and SO powerful the e!oquence employed
in vindicating the violated rights of hu-
e manity, that language and rhetoric are ex-
- hausted." See page 5. of Mr.. Webster's
-. work-"Letters on Slavery" by o. s.
e Freeman. page lo5.
The above speech Of one, and extracts
~ from the writings of another Of the lead
>, ing men of Connecticut. will certainly ba
o. read with interest. The statement of Mr..
Ellsworth, ''that in time slavery will not
,s be speck in our country" is important as
indicating prevailing opinion Of that
49, day, that its abolition would be speedy aud
- certain. Upon this supposition, and n"
49, other, the lave-tiade obtained r respite of
-, twenty years, which brought South Caro-
- lima and Georgia into the Union. We be-
ho l;eve the history of those times will verify
:, the statement, that if the Middle and Eas-
&c tern States-including V:rginia-had sup
A posed that allowing the slave trade re-
e fxtx ~ ~
af, admission of South Carolina and Georgia
;, into the Union, would have perpetuated
- slavery until 1855, and have brought nine
80 new slave States Into the Federation, they
never would have consented To the one nor
o,o admitted the other
I'D And now Noah Webster steps in and
he gives us the reason why, by telling usthat
,de it was the popular opinion Of that day that
Q the enslaving of one man by another,
whatever be his Color was an atrocious
.rv violation of Fundamental law of SO
ION ciety by which every mans right to lib
m erty is guaranteed. And not only were
,de the "great primary" laws of society tram
her pied IN the dust by the injustice Of tke
mr.. despotic system of slavery. but the right.
te- of humanity We're lode under foot by th'
rv. grinding tyranny of this most dia5ohca
md "slave- power" These wele the reason'
r to why slavery would soon be but "specl
.er. in our country" Its gross injustice an
hat violation of all right, its tyranny aud un
tie bearable wickedness, its trarnp'iDg dow
de; of the great principles of free Govern
ee6 ment, and the foundation laws of sociel Y
TO all these contributed to bring down upu
=, H. In,o,oJ ;,,;o,,;,,, tLo ,n;ta,J Ia. sol .