Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-10-21
Slandering the Early Fa theirs of the Re
public,

80 L y L Aq'N --EDES 1Ak NOV. 2nd
Slandering the Early Fa theirs of the Re
public.
The modern democracy, being con.
sciouS that their position before the
country is now Enthusiastically pro-slace'
| ~, are attempting to cast the foul i'm.
putation on the memory of ashington
Jefferson; DC, OF being also pro-slavery
This endeavor to falsify history, is to
the intent of paliating and excusing the
pro-slavery attitude of the democratic
party, by making weak minded people
believe that the early fathers of our
country were the apologists of slavery.
1t is sheer calumniation to charge
W ashmgton, Jefferson or Franklin, with
being iii favor Of the institution Of slave
ry, or OF uttering any sentiments in IA
yor OF its perpetuity. On the contrary,
they have left their testimony on record
in favor of its extinguishment at the ear
Hest practicable period. Slavery was
entailed upon them, but they neverthe-
less sought to rid themselves and the
country Of it. The immortal Wash
ington has left his solemn protest against
slavery i'll such emphatic language as the
following:
Slavery is a most bighting curse upon Vir-
ginia; and know Of but one way of getting rid
Of it-by legislative authority-and so far as my
vote shall go for that purpose, it shall never be
wanting.
1t is among my first wishes to see some plan
adopted by which slavery in this country may
be abolished by Law.
Whoever in the face of such declara-
tons as the foregoing asserts that Wash
ington was pro slavery, is prepared to
make any statement, however reckless
or untruthful.
Thomas Jefferson was equally en-
phatlc in his denunciation of slavery, and
manifested a deep anxiety for it's extin-
guishment. The doctrines of the mod.
ern democracy, are as widely different
from those of Jefferson as the poles of
The earth. Were Jefferson now living.
he could not maintain a standing in the
ranks OF The administration democracy
for single day. Thomas Jefferson dis
tinctIy maintained the power of congress
to legislate on the subject of slavery in
the territories. On the first of March.
1884, he drafted and reported an ordi-
nance for the government of all the ter
ritories then ceded, or to be ceded by
the states, to The confederated Republic.
This ordinance read as follows:
5. That after the year 1900 of the
Christian era, there shall be neither
Staoery nor ancolu'atary seroitude IN
oay Of the said States, otherwise than in
punishment of crimes, whereof the party
shall have been duly convicted to have
been personally guilty.
Here was an express provision of law,
reported and voted for by Mr.. Jefferson,
excluding slavery after the year 1900
from all the territories, then existing, or
thereafter to be organized. What say
the modern democracy to these senti-
ments of Jefferson? Will they have the
dishonesty to assert that they stand on
the Jeffersonian platform? The truth is,
the so-called democracy of the present
day, have practically repudiated every
fundamental principle laid down by JEFF
ferson. The writings of Jefferson show
that he anxiously looked forward to the
abolition of slavery. He says:
The way, / hope, is preparing, under
the auspices of heaven, for total eman-
cipation..
Again in speaking of the relation of
slavery to the security of life, he says:
No man can lay his head in safety up
on his pillow in the the midst of slavery.
How totally disregardful of truth are
those who assert that Jefferson was in
favor Of the continuance of slavery?
What is true of Jefferson is also true or
the early patriots generally, in reference
to their adherence of slavery. Benia-
min Franklin used language quite as
strong in condemnation of slavery as is
used by anti-slavery men of the present
day.
Patrick Henry said:
6 We should transmit to oosterity oar
a6ho'relce Of slayery."
La Fayette declared as follows:
:, "S(arery as q dark spot on tie ttsce Of
the nation."
Henry Clay declared his position in
saying a ..amv
''No eathly power ever will make me
vote to spread slavery over territory
where it does not now exist"
Daniel Webster asserted his deter
mined hostility to the spread of slavery
as follows:
wv herever there is foot of land to
be stayed back from becoming slave
territory, | am ready to assert the prin-
olPle OF the exclusion ofslavery."
The sentiments of the early fathers,
nor the sentiments of distinguished
statesmen of more modern times, are no
longer the received doctrines of the So
called democratic party. They are re-
pudiated in the columns of every demo-
cratic newspaper, and by every demo
cratic orator in the land. The testimo-
ny is overwhelming, that the claim of
the present democratic party to the
maintenance of the doctrines Of tho