The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-12-08
Mas. Childs to Governor Wise..A Scath.
ing Letter.

Mrs. Lydia Maria Childs has writ.
ten another letter to Gov. Wise, in
which she tells His Infiammable Excel
lency some truths that ought to he
profitable both for doctrine and re-
proof. But they will prove neither.
They cannot fail to show him, howev-
er, on what ground he stands, and he
may well exclaim, in the words of Alb
imelech, "Draw thy sword and thrust
me through lest men say woman
slew me-" Below will be found some
extracts from this spicy letter:
In your civil but very diplomatic
reply to my letter, You inform me that
| have constitutional right to visit
Virginia, for peaceful purposes, in com
mon. with every citizen of the United
States. / was perfectly well aware
that such was the theory of constitu.
tional obligations in the Slave States
but | was also aware of what you omit
to mention, viz: that the Constitution
has, in reality, been disregarded and
Systematically nulli6ed whenever il
suited the convenience or the policy OF
the slave Power. Your constitutional
obligation, for which you profess SO
much respect, has never proved any
protection to citizens of the free States
who happened to have black, brown
or yellow complexion nor to apy white
citizen whom you even suspected OF
entertaining opinions opposite to youl
own, on a question of vast Importance
to the temporal welfare and moral ex
ample of our common country. This
total disregard of constitutional obi
cations has been manifested not merely
by the Lynch law Of mobs in the slave
States, but by the deliberate action ot
magistrates and legislators. What re-
gard was paid to constitutional obliga
tions in South Carolina when Massa
chusetts sent the Hon. Mr.. Hoar there
as an envoy, on purely legal errand
Hendrick, Prof. of Political Economy
in the University of North Carolina
had constitutional right to reside in
that State. What regard was paid to
that right, when he was driven from
his home, merely for declaring that he
considered Slavery an impolitic system
injurious to the prosperity of States
What respect for constitutional rights
was manifested by Alabama, when q
bookseller in Mobile was compelled tc
flee for his life, because he had, at the
special request of some of the citizens
imported few copies of novel that
everybody was curious to read? Your
own citizens, Mr.. Underwood, had q
constitutional right to live in Virginia
and vote for whosoever he pleased
What regard was paid to his rights
when he was driven from your State
for declaring himself in favor of the
election of Fremont? With these, and
a multitude of other examples before
your eyes, it would seem as if the less
that was said about respect for consti.
tutional obligation at the South, the
better. Slavery is, in fact, an infringe.
ment of all law, and adberes to no law.
save for its own purpose of oppression.
You accuse Captain John Brown OF
whetting knives of butchery for the
mothers, sisters, daughters and babes''
of Virginia; and you inform me of the
well-known fact that he is &c arraigned
for the crime of murder, robbery and
treason" / will not stop here to ex.
plain why / believe that old hero TO be
no criminal, but martyr to principles
which he sought to advance by meth.
DDS sanctioned by his own religious
views, though not by mine. Allowing
that Capt. Brown did attempt a scheme
in which murder, robbery and treason
were, to his own consciousness involved,
| do not see how Gov. Wise can con-
slstently arraign him for crime he has
himself commended. You have threat
ened to trample on the Constitution
and break the Union, if majority of
the legal voters in these Confederated
States dared to elect President unfa-
vorable to the extension of Slavery.
Is not such declaration proof of per-
meditated treason? In the spring of
1912 yeu made speech in Congress
from which L oonx- Tho fn1loUInns