Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-07-23
Mr.. Donnealy I'm Reply 70 Hsssl''
Clitheral. D.
To the Editors Of the Mnnesotid":; o.,

/
Clitherall. T.
To the Editors Of tho Mnnesotia": r..
have commenced in your paper a series u
letters addressed to the foreign-born sciuzens
of Minnesota, intending to lay before them'
calmly and dispassonately, the facts in refer
once to the Democratic and Republican par
ties In necessary connection therewitn l
nroceeded to consider the subject OF slavery
and its consequences. In doing SO desired
to avoid giving offence to individuals. SPOKE
:, a., ;,nnersonal manner. well knew that |
some Of our best, most valuable and most III
teIlisent citizens, came from the South; ana
hoped that while advancing the claims OF the
Republican party should not involve myself
in personal controversy with individuals. -
That expectation is unfortunately disappoint-
ed In the Pioneer and Democrat Of to-day
find oiettcrs, one from Girart Hewitt, the
other from George B. Clitherall, in both of
which am freely charged with making state
ments grossly false" ''maliciously false
and '.basely false 1t becomes necessary
for me- however unpleasant such task may
be, to reply to these charges.
The question is one of veracity.
Mr.. Clitherall says, 81 have lived for nearly
forty years in the Southern Slave States, and
haze nepsr seitnessed one act Of cruelty to
Stare"
In reply We will quote from an authority
which we do not think Mr.. Cltherall will con-
trovert. Frederika Bremen, the celebrated
Swedish novelist, in her work entitled 1.-The
Homes of the New World" vol. 2, p. 1873,
givesithe following conversation as occurring on
steamboat on the lower Mississippi between
herself and Southern planter:
There is" said I, "a great deal more hap
piness and comfort in this life, (the slave
life. J than one commonly imagines."
The planter turned to me with glance
which shall never forget; there was astonish
ment, almost reproach in it, and profound
melancholy.
oh" said he in low voice, 'syou know
nothing Of that which occurs on these shores
if YOU did, you would not think so. Here is
much violence and much suffering! At thi:
season in particular, and from the time wher
the cotton is ready to pluck, great deal o
cruelty is practised on the plantations arount
here. There are plantations here where thu
whip never rests during all these months
You can have no idea of such f1ogging."
II have known men and women who wcr'
actual devils towards their slavcs,-whos
pleasure it was to torment them.
Women are not unfrcquently the mos
horrible tormenters Of the house slaves, ant
l would rather be one of the field hands thar
the house slave of passionate woman. The
institution of slavery seems to change the very
nature of woman.
Even now a man makes no dcmur about
shooting down a negro whom he suspects o
intending to run away, and the law is silent
on all such acts of violence. l have seer
many slaves severely wounded from having
been SHOT at under such circumstances, bu
one only killed.
Passion and insanity in the treatmeI.s o
slaves are common.
The law is no protection to the slave. 1
IS nomnally so, but is not any actual defense
4. The slave suffers from his master; the law
yers shut their eyes to the affair so long a
they can; and the negro cannot be witness
II court of justice.
They talk of public opinion; but publ
opinion is here, as yet, for the most part tn
product of demagogues. And the cotton in
terest is the conscience. Many people see a
this as very wrong, and deplore it, but the
i axe silent, from the fear Of involving themselve
in trouble"
The foregoing is the testimony Of soutl
ern-planter. Testimony as good as that
Mr. ClitheraI. Hear also what Frederick
Rremer says came under her own Observable
in the South:
Il beheld young women struck, Tor
hasty word, upon the temples, so that 81
dropped down dead Aud the law was Siler
~ heard the law, through its jury, adjut
date between white man and a black, aT
sentence the latter to be flogged when the 70
mer only was guilty.
behell here on the shore Of the Missi
sippi. only few months since, young neg
girl AZ from the maltreatment of her maste
and he professor Of religion, and fling hers'
/ into the river"
The first point raised by Mr. Hewitt is, tn
rly assertion that I" the South have norespe
for the white laborer, and would willingly co
sign him to a state of seruitude," is gross
false How Mr. Hewitt could make such
declaration, with the quotations contained
my letter before him, l cannot understar
there cited extracts from Andrew Johnst
L. S. Senator from tennessee, Governor Ia
rnond, e. S. Senator from South Carolina, t
New Orleans Delta, the Richmond Eramin
the Charleston Standard, the Richmond I
ynirer, and the South Side Democrat, all Gle
y sustaining that assertion. 1t is not nee
Sary for me to requote these extracts. Ia
however few words. "Slavery is right, n
ural and necessary and does not depend up
difference of complexion" slavery is
natural condition of the laboring man whetl
white or back" "The man W no has mcr
offices to perform is the slave or the scrv,
care not whether he be white or black"
Mr. Hewitt should recollect that assert
is net argument That if he would deny
conclusion, he must in some way get clear
my authorities. That if he will adapt sou
ern sentiment to northern attitudes he IN
divest it of all the features that make it ess
TALLY southern.
4 few words as to Mr. Hewitt and mys
We are both Pensylvanians. Mr.. II. was
iginallly Whig;-I was originally Der
crat. Mr.. II. went south u came WI
In the South Mr.. Hewitt found the Dcmocrs
party devoted to the interests of the sla
holders, and identified with the sympatf
of the people, and he became Democrat
the West found the Democracy negligent
the interests of the North, devoted to
spread of slavery, and at war with the /.
spirit of our institutions, and became
publican. Mr.-Hewitt has chosen to ASS
my motives. Perhaps it is fair and ma,