The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-12-07

to constitutional obligation in South Carolina,
when Massachusetts, sent the Hon. Mr.. Hoar
there as an envoy, on purely legal errand I
Mr.. Hedriek, Professor. Of Political Economy
in the University Of North Carolina. had a
constitutional right to reside in that State
What regard was paid to that right, when he
was driven from his home, merely for declar-
ing that he considered Slavery injurious to
the, prosperity of States. What respect for
constitutional rights was manifested by Ala.
bama, when a bookseller in Mobile was com.
PEELED to fee for his life. because he had. at
the special request of some of the citizens.
imported a few copies of a novel that every
body was curious to read2 Your own citizen,
Mr.. Underwood, had constitutional right to
live in Virginia. and vote for whomsoeyer he
pleased. What regard was paid to his rights
when he was driven from your State for de
claring himself in favor of the election Of
Fiemout2 With these, and multitude Of
other examples before your eyes, it would
seem that the less that was said about respect
for constitutional obligation at the South, th',
better. Slavery is. in fact, an infringement OF
all law, save for its own purpose of oppression.
You accuse Capt. John Brown Of whet-
ting knives of butchery for the mothers sis
ters, daughters and babes of Virginia; and
you inform me of the well known fact that he
Eiss arraigned for the crimes of murder. rob
bery and treason i will not here stop to ex
plain why ] believe that old hero to be no
criminal, but a martyr to principles which he
sought TO advance by methods sanctioned by
his own religious views, though not by mine.
Allowing that Capt. Brown did attempt a
scheme in which murder, robbery, and treason
not see how Gov. Wise can Jconsistently ar
raign him for crimes he has himself conimen.
ded. You have threatened to trample 90 the
Constitution. and break the Union, if ma
jority of the legal voters in these Confedera,
ted States dared elect President unfavorable
to, the extension Of Slavery. Is, not. such p
declaration proof of premedtafed treasouf-
In the Spring of 1912 you made speech in
Congress, from which I copy the following: &c
-.once set before the people, of the Great
Valley the conquest Of the rich Mexican pro.
vinces, aud you might as well attempt to stop
the wind. The Government might send it's
troops, but they would run ever them like a
herd of Buffalo, Let the work once. begin,
and do not know that this House would hold
me very long. Give me five millions of dol.
lars, and would undertake 10 do it myself-
Although Il do not know low, to set q single
squadron in the field, / could find men TO dc
it. Slavery should pour itself abroad withou,
restraint, and find no limit but the Southern
Ocean. The Camanches should no Longer
hold the richest mines of Mexico. Every
golden image which had received the profan,
alton Of false worship, should soon be melted
down into good American eagles. would
cause as mnch gold to cross the Rio del Norte
as the mules Of Mexico could carry; aye and
I weuld make better use of it, too, than ans
| lazy bigoted priesthood under heaven
% When you thus boasted that You and your
booted loafers would overturn the troops o
the United States, like a 'herd of Buffalo, il
the Government sent them to arrest your in
! vasion of neighboring nation, at peace with
the United States. did you not pledge yoursel
to commit treason7 Was it not by the mur
der Of unofending Mexicans that you expect
ed to advance those schemes of avarice ant
ambition? What humanity had you for Mex
ican 'mothers and babes, whom you proposed
to make childless and fatherlessf And fol
what purpose was this wholesale massacre tt
take placea Not to right the wrongs of an,
oppressed class; not to sustain any principle
of justice. or of freedom; but merely to ena
BILE Slavery to pour itself forth without re
straint.' -gt=.s-7,- ,tiar - ssr
Even if Capt. Brown were as bad as 20,
pairt him, l should suppose he must natural,
remind you of the words of Macbeth:
r., - s 2 = We but teach s+
- Bloody instructions. which being taught, return
ls To plague the inventor: This eyen-handed justice
4 commends the ingredients of poisoned chalice
~ To our own lips, - "a u
If Captain Brown intended, as You say, 4
commit treason, robbery and murder, I thinl
| have, shown that be could find ample autho
/ rity for such proceedings in the public declar
aiions of Gov. Wise. And if, as he himsel
declares, be merely intended to free the op
pressed, where could he read 8 more forcibl
lesson than is furnished by the State Sesi q
Virginia? looked at 1t thoughtfuily befor
I opened your letter; and thoagh it had al
ways appeared to me very suggestive,it neve
Iseemed to me SO much so as it now did i
connection with Captain John Brown. 4
: liberty loving hero stands with his foot upon
= PROSTATE despet;s under his strong arm, mar
acles and chains lie broken; aud the motto il
Sic Semper Tyrdnnis.' Thus be it eve
done to Tyrants., And this is the blazon q
a State whose most profitable business is th
: internal Slave TfadeI In whose highway
. cofles of human chattels chained and mana
3 cled, are frequently seenl And the Seal an
a The Coflas are both looked upon by othe
g chattIes constantly exposed to the same fate
What if some Vezey, or D. Turner. shouI
be growing up among those apparently quie
spectators n 1t is 10 no spirit Of taunt q
texuItation. that ! ask this question y neve
Z think of it but with anxiety, sadness and syn
; pathy; Iknow that a slaveholding eommunit
necessarily lives in the midst Of gunpowder
and, iu this age, sparks Of free thought ar
flying in every direction. You cannot quenc
the ireslof free thought and human sympafh
n BY any process of cunning or force; bat ther
is method BY which yop, can efftciually we
the gunpoRder. ENGLAND has alrea du tried