The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-09-21

of slavery, then, in achieving our indie
| pendcnce. But since that time slavery has
been abolished over more than half of this
land of ours. 1t is now in comparatively
contracted limits, and now we hear that it
must lead to inalienation Of the people, and
| the disruption of the great confederacy. l
fear that we of the North are unjust, and
not altogether courageous, in the treatment
of our brethren of the South. How came
slavery in these United States? Who bro't
! the negro from Africa? The South never
had ships. The men of New York, where
came from, the men of Massachusetts,, and
the men of Rhode Island, were those who
| stole them from their homes, and brought
them over to the shambles here.
| Who laid the foundations of slavery which
underlie the institutions Of many of our
States? The time was, when over the
whole length and breadth of this land of
ours, the people did not recognize the black
man as having any political rights. Now
my friends, that is just as true of Massa-
| chusetts as of South Carolina, and Judge
Taney in so stating merely stated a histori-
cal fact, and known to be SO by every stu
dent of history.
The other day in looking over papers
which came into my hands, found an orig
inal document, bill of sale for slave from
a man in Massachusetts, to man in New
York, and that paper throws a most remark
able light over this whole question of slave
ry. 1t commenced thus: "To all CHRIS
TIAN PEOPLE to whom these presents may
come, /, Mark Rose, sell my slave,' &c.
The people of Massachusetts, held that no
persons were entitled to any political privi-
leges unless they were christians and they
went further than that they held that no
one was entitled to political privileges unless
he was the right kind of a christian.
Uaugh.cr.)
They held the views which laid the
foundation Of slavery, in the Theology of
that time. They sold Quakers into slavery;
they sold the family of King Philip into
slavery. These were the sentiments that
existed in the north in our carly days.
When the Constitution of the United
States was formed; when the delegates
from the different States met in convention,
the question of slavery was there, and it
was asked when shall the slave trade be
put to an end. Georgia says, now! Viz
ginia, now! South Carolina says not yet !!
Connecticut, not yet Rhode Island, not
yeti Massachusetts,, not yet and New
Hampshire said not yet the slave trade is
profitable. Uaughter.)
Ifyou will read Minot's History of Massa-
chusetts, you will learn that the great busi-
ness of New England at one time was the
manufacture Of rum-pure rum Qaughter);
and when they made rum, they took it to
) the coast of Africa and exchanged it for
slaves. U.aughter.)
The slavers land their cargoes on some
; unfreqnented shores of the southern coast
and forthwith the entire South is charged
with completely in the slave trade. But
they do not at the same time tell you that
slave ships are fitted out from New England
ports; that they glide out to sea on their
nefarious voyages beneath the shade Of
: Bunker Hill. - Loud applause and laugh
, ter.
The political power of our country is in
the hands of the free States. The popula
, ton of the country increases ut the rate OF
a million year; of this increase, the North
receives overseven hundred thousand. This
large majority of the yearly increase has
given the North her strength in the conftd
eracy. How came the North by this ex
cess OF the increase? At the outset we
were equal-then we were all slave States
Now what led to the abolishment ofslavery
in the North and thus gave us the basis ol
our present strength? will tell you, my
) friends, and you all know it to be so. The
Democratic party under Jefferson, inaugu
= rated the wise and beneficent policy o.
inviting the laborer Of the old world tt
9 plant himself down upon the great and
. fertile plains of our country. Under this
,, policy the emigrants from Europe flocket
!, to the Northern States, because they founC
in their soil and climate, and in their insti
tutions more congenial home. SO yol
! see, my friends, that it has been under
policy inaugurated by Southern statesmen
; a policy which found its most bitter oppo
nents at the North-that our section has
become all powerful in the government
We have now a majority in the Senate, ir
the House of Representatives, and in tn,
Electoral College; but the census of 1866
will show that two thirds of the members o
. the House Of Representatives, and an over
whelming majority in the Senate, represent
free States. Is this a time, and are these
the circumstances under which an "irre
pressible conflict" shall be waged agains,
the people and institutions of the weake,
section? When the South was strong and
: We were weak, they furnished us no prece
!
pose to pursue against them. CHEERS. y
These being the truths which history teach
es, and standing here as lido at the very head
waters of the mighty Mississippi, whose
arms lock our country together, teaching Us
a perpetual lesson of fraternal love anG
union, beg you to pause before you enter
upon sectional warfare which will rive
asunder those whom God has joined togeth
er-(Chcers) Before you do this, look at
history and see if the south has ever hesita
ted to uphold single measure which was
; calculated to advance the whole country, al
though in so doing they have built up thu
north instead of the south.
There is an instructive difference between
) the two parties. The Democratic party is &
Let Alone party-the Republican party is q
.Neddling party. (Deafening cheers II
is great deal easier to denounce other peo.
pie for their sins than to reform ourselves
) it is a great deal easier to obtain political
power by inHaming the passions and preju
dices of our ncighbors by dcnouncing mer
a thousand miles away, than it is to gain in
tluence by governing our walk in life by
principles of justice or the dictates of a
sound patriotism. (Cheers.)
Is it not too true that the reverse of this
has been hurtful to the morals of our peo
, ple-and hurtful to the pulpit, of which
speak with all reverence, and to the holy
doctrines which should issue from the sa
:, cred desk? (Cheers.) Is it not too true
: my Republican friends, that a Rifle 70,
) Kansas, ora Curse for the south has weigh
ed more in the political scale than priyat,
virtues Or public service? (Tremendou,
cheering)
Whence comes slavery? We have seeI
who prolonged it. Now, my friends, dc
, you ever stop to enquire who upholds it
, 1t is sustained by the firm of i" Wearr
: Weorer & Planter" and two of the part
ners live up north. (Cheers and laughter.