The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-01-05
- From the Savannah Republican of Dec. %.
Tne Slave iTrade-Fidelity t. the South

flor The following paragraph is a part of an arti-
y9cle ON the recent importation of Africans into
this State, that appeared in the Georgia Citizen
saF0f last week, and is copied into the Morning
News of yesterday,-we presume with the ap-
proyal of the editor of the latter journal:
giLsaaThis is only the beginning of the end
and we have not a word to say in eondemna-
ton of an act, that will practically nullify an
q nnconstituutiona law against the South and her
Consultations. On the contrary, we believe
? tthat the. people of Georgia have the i~aalena-
I. DE right to import laborers from Africa or any
where else, and that all true ISouthcrners will
be willing to have them snsaGgledihto the coun-
~ try, If the odious restrictions on the part of
the Federal Government, against free trade in
? this species of property, are not removed"
O Nov a remark or two upon the position as
aosumed in the paragraph we have quoted, which
we regard as nothing more or less than a de-
fberatc' counsel to revolution.
q When the proper time shall have arrived, if
ever it shall, to discuss this question on its
merits, we shall be prepared to assert and main
= tain that all the interests of the people Of
Georgia, social and economical, are opposed to
al the revival of the trade in African slaves
But that day is yet far distant, and we scorn
to insult a patriotic and law-abidding people by
2 appealing to their interest for the settlement of
a question that is already fully determined by
the laws of their country. 1t is law that de-
ciarcS that there snail De no ITdue III African
slaves, and this is sufficient to settle the con-
Z troversy in the mind of every good citizen
That law, or the spirit of it, was a part of the
2 original compact of union to which the State
of Georgia gave her assent as a party. The
Il act itself was passed in conformity to that COM
pact, and voted for by members of Congress
% from every Southern State in tia Union. And
vet we are told by modern "Daniels that have
u cUme to Judgment" that it is Gan unconstitu-
tional law against the South and her institu-
y tfons,' . and should be practically nullifed" by
Southern peoplel Who made these edi-
tors Judges of the constitutionality of laws 2?
Whence their commission, to proclaim for the
government of the South, that the rulings of
such men as Justice Wayne of Georgia and
8 Judge Magrath of South Carolina are illegal
and wrong? In what constitution, statute
book; or child's primmer do we find it recorded
that the editors of the Citizen and News, and
81 a few spectators in African slaves, are the
= authorized expounders of the Constitution and
laws of the United States? Who made them
the arbiters of right and duty in the conduct
. OF men as intelligent and honest as themselves,
= and gave Thorn the power to inpeach the loyal
. ty and patriotism Of other people?
For ourselves, we acknowledge no such au-
II thority, and shall repudiate their edicts. The
issue is whetherthe laws of the country shall be
set at defiance and trampled under foot for the
purpose of a successful Observation-Disclosures
loyalty or revolution shall reign over this land
In such a struggle we have no hesitation upon
{ the line of duty. We shall stand by the Con-
s~titution. and no man, by false isaues, mlsrep-
resentation or otherwise, shall drive us from
that position. We were born on the soil OF
: Georgia, and we yield to none in our devotion
to all that concerns her rights, prosperity and
glory. Her destiny, her honor and shame, are
our own. AS a faithful SON, her escutcheon
shall never, with our consent, be stained by an
ast of rebellion against the Constitution and
laws, nor her proud name be dishonored by a
% charge of bad faith to the government of which
she is ID part. We may err in our judgmentof
what is best, but we shall never go for lessons
of flial duty to those whom interest %or7acci--
dent NAV hive cast upon her shores.