Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-02-05

u1nlomon ifOf1 candusky. hia eohh'y ~
1850 had q total population Of l4,s05;
while Lake bad q population Of l4,654--
500 moro than sandusky. OF the entire
populntion Of Lake county, thors were found
but l6 adults who could not read and write
and ~ Of these we're Foreigners. While
Handusky county, Of her adult population,
had 756 who could not rcal or write--and
ei7 Of the number, were notivesl
Now, Mr.. Chairman, in view Of this expose
Of the facts Of the case, / submit it 70 the
good sense of this committee; l submit il
70 tho good sense Of the gentleman from
sandusky himself, II il is for tho Represen-
tative ef that county TO stand up hcre and
and taunt tho citizens of Lake with ignor-
suce---with inability even to read the Con-
stitution Of thor own couutryl
And what has been shown in regard to
che intelligence Of the people Of Lake,
might also be shown in regard to the peo-
pie Of Geauga, and Ashtabula, and indeed
Of every Reserve county. Tho citizens who
cannot read and write are not found upon
the Reserve; and is it not about time that
we were relieved from this constant charge
Of benightednessi
have one other fact, Mr.. Chairman, moi
put down in the census, which l will here
beg leave to relate for the information OF
the gentleman from Sandusky. Some
yoars ago there came TO our neighborhood
man from tho county Of Sandusky. He
was quite venerable looking man, with
whitened locks, when he came among us.
The Assistant Marshal, when taking the
census, Of course called on this citizen, and
inquired his age. "Forty," was the answer
"Forty," replied tho Marshal, that can't be
So" 10 yes, am forty" "Why, you look
like man of sixty, and you have children
here about you thirty years old" "Well, tC
tell the whole truth, have been sixty years
in the world; but then twenty years of my
life were spent in that God forsaken region
Of Sandusky county, and don't believe tn,
Almighty will ever take those years into
the account"
But we are abolitionists, upon the Reserve
So we are charged by the gentleman from
Sandusky, and the gentleman from Frank
lin and others in this debate. We do no
deny the charge. We are abolitionists, Mr.
Chairman. Not of the nti-American, sci
destructive and fanatical type, whose resolu
lions were read to us yesterday by the gen
tleman from franklin. No sir, the gentle.
man with all his Jesuitry could connect III
no such abolitionism. But we are such alb
olitionists as was John Jay, and Benjamin
franklin, and Richard Rush, and, indeod, al
tho great and good mon of the Revolution.
ary period. We ourselves would not be
slaves. We say with the great patriot ora
tor Of the Revolution, GIVE US LIBERTY, OR
GIVE US DEATH! Neither would we make
slaves of others; and as far as we may, con-
sistently with our obligations as good eiti-
Gems, we would bring our influence aud our
votes to bear for the relief Of the wronged
and oppressed,
We are aware Of the guarantees given by
the Constitution to slavery, and we are al.
so aware of the guarantees Of Freedom
We ask but our rights. We do not believe
as evidently do some gentlemen on this floor
that tho Constitution and the Union were
established and ordained by n gang of Slave
traders for the solo purposes of breeding
mulattoes and hunting runaways. Was j
in such miserable behalf that our father
fought their seven years warl Rather wa
it not the grand doctrine of the native rigll
of all men to Liberty, which blazed fror
their Banners; and in their great struggl
won for them the sympathy of the civilize'
world. If were guilty of bringing sucl
base and sordid charges against the old he
roes who laid the foundations of our gov
ernment, as are fully implied by the re
marks of gentlemen in this debate, shoul
shun tho old battle fields and grave-yards
where mouldor their worthy bones, lest the
might gather ligamcnts enough to bin
themselves together, and should hea
them rattle upon their coffin-lids in indie
nation at my degoneracy. If such sent
snents rs have been put forth in this dcbat
in the name of democracy" will not sti
khe dead in their graves, not know what viii
o no, Mr.. Chairman. VIC on the Resery
believe that tho noblo men who threw o
the British yoke, and in their resistance
oppression with their blood drenched man
q battle field 10 q very mire, were friends {
freedom moved by the most generous an
noble impulses. We believe that they re
garded slavery as local and temporary
protected only By the municipal laws wher
il had existence; while freedom was to
national, and finally universal. So the
didn't put the word slave in the Constit,
tion--that, when slavery should die out, "a
Mr.. Madison tells us,) posterity might nc
know that the Republic had ever bee
cursed with such monstrosity. We on I'll
Reserve, in our ignorance" believe thi
Ohio is q free State; that before civilizatio
had crossed her borslers-before the pioneer
axe had awakened the echoes Of her gran
old forests, or the plow had vexcd her boso
that even then, her very soil, touched t
Jefferson's great ordinance Of freedom, WI
fol-. all time conseerated TO FREE LABOR; tn
We have no responsibility for tho folly AT
crime Of slavery, and ought TO be free fro
It's cruel services and cankering burihen
that if the STAKEHOLDER wishes to hunt h
human cattle upon Ohio soil, he must brir
along his own hounds, and build his ov
pens.
! Tho geatieman from Sandusky talks el
queptly Of uae great progress Of our cou
sFg--pFegress that has been made 10 spi
of these ignorant and disIoyal fellows of d
Reserve. Indeed, Mr. Chairman, our m
terial and our intellectual growth has be-
wonderful. But let me ask the gentloma
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