The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-09-22

the foundation, and even the churches of
God lie waste, the defendants Of the
dweller and worshippers being scattered
/ far and wide. and the exhausted lands,
returned to the cordition of prhnitiye
forests, or lying fallow and desolate III ut
/ ter unfruitfulness. Such are the results
fof the system which claims the superior
and exclusive right to the proprietorship
of our Territories as against the labor Of
American freemen, which conquers the
natural yilderness-improves upon the
bounties of Providence, and from gener-
alton to generation increases the products
1 Of the soil-adds to the natural wealth,
and srstains population continually be-
coming m0Fe numerous, more onjghten-
ed, AID more capable of faithfully and ia
telligently diseharging the dDties OF cit
/ izenstlip ID Republic. are yo1, the
people of Penpsylyania, willing to aceede
/ to demand made on behalf OF slave la
/ Dor, which thus deprives your decend-
ants cf the right to introduce their iu-
dustry into the Territories Of the Union,
and become free holders there, unless
they will consent to degrade themselves
to the level of equality with the negro
slave? Are you willing that these vast
Terr;tories--thc mEniieent gift Of q
bounteous Providence by US to be bless
/ ed and kept-shall be sacrificed to the
ezactions Of slavery, and chus forfeit the
Eden of beauty ard fertility which has
4 been committed to as, in trust for the
benefit Of our posterity, and of mankind ?
The requirement Of the passage sofa slave
code for the Territories, by Congress-, is
now boldly put forth, and has received
the recognition of that large division of
I"the Democratic party" which adheres
to the national administration in this
State and elsewhere. 1t is an issue which
must be met, and it is for you to declare
at the polls your decision upon it. You
cannot oppose it, and at the same time
support the so styled "Demoeratic Tick
et'' in Pennsylvania. Emboldened by
the ready submission which has been
Welded to all their demands by the Adj
ministration Democratic party, and reso-
Lutte in their determination to crush out
free labor wherever it gan come into COM
petition with their own hostile system,
] the propagandists Of slavery have actually
determined to take the still further step
! of reOpening the African Slave Trade,
I and have already introduced into the
4 country cargoes of savage negroes, snug
/ gled across the ocean, and now held to
compulsory service on the rice, sugar and
cotton fields of the South. The point
/ has arrived at which in the path Of re-
progression which has been pursued from
the position taken by the farmers of our
/ Institutions on Slavery and its cognate
questions, men are found who boldly JUS
/ tifv tho infamous traffic in human flesh
which was prohibited half a century ago
/ by an American Congress, visited with
the penalties of piracy, and st!gmatized
/ in the estimation Of the whole civilized
and Christian world as "the SUN of all in
iquities.' ,
The leading men of the Southern States
high in the confidence of the "Demoorat-
ic partY," and holding elevated public
trusts, are heard boldly demanding that
I Congress shall repeal the puu'shments
provided for those who introduce slaves
from Africa, and "Democratic State
Conventions unite in the demand South
ern Courts and Juries refuse 10 punish
The pirates when arrested and indicted,
and the National Administration Is either
impotent or unwilling to intercept their
vessels on the sea, or SECURE the arrest
and conviction of the offenders after they
have landed their cargo, aud received
/ the wages of their crime. 1t is insisted
that the South must have an Increase OF
! slaves in order to enable her to contest
the point of supremacy with free laLor in
a. Fr1, - ...E:e . -.s~.5 s,l lz4 W 5lu
/, States to be admitted into the Union tc
prevent the Free States from obtaining a
complete ascendancy The battle which
has been waged between the oppugnant
systems Of labor, always to the disadgan-
tage of Freedom, who has been deserted
/, and betrayed By those who professed to
be devoted to her cause, has its crisis in
this attempt to revive the slave trade-a
scheme which is mage almost incredible
by its audacity, immortality and cruelty.
Unfortunately, facts prove its existence
and many of the aggresSions of slavery
propagandism, which have already been
consummated, were far more improbable
of accomplishment, and received far less
encouragement and countenan0e at the
start, than this the most fragrant of .hem
all. O6Sta principis is the maxim of
wisdom; and the voice of PENNSYLVANIA
should be pronounced in the most en-
phatie terms of condemnation of project
which must shock the moral sense of ev-
cry one of her RIGHT minded citizens.